10,000 Maniacs presented one of the greatest removes from the insinuations of their band name and the actual music that they made. This makes it understandable that their breakthrough single veered so wildly between the tone of the music and what came through in the lyrics.
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The song in question, “Like The Weather”, helped put the band on the map in 1987. And while it wasn’t a big pop hit, it didn’t take long before it established itself as one of the band’s signature songs.
Maniacs, Assemble
The band that would become 10,000 Maniacs started off as Still Life when they formed as a quintet in 1981. Originally, Natalie Merchant, only 17 years old at the time, signed on as a backing singer. But when the original lead left soon after the band formed, Merchant took over as the primary vocalist.
Later in 1981, the band changed their name, riffing on an obscure horror movie called Two Thousand Maniacs! Like most bands, they made their way for a while playing cover songs while trying to establish themselves with originals written by Merchant and guitarist John Lombardo.
The Maniacs began a steady progression towards success, releasing an EP and a debut album that gained some critical acclaim. That, in turn, led to The Wishing Chair, the 1985 LP that was their first with a major label. More critical love followed, but Lombardo, frustrated by their lack of commercial success, left the band in 1986.
“Weather” Report
Undaunted, 10,000 Maniacs made some changes for their 1987 album In My Tribe. Merchant started collaborating more with guitarist Robert Buck, who co-wrote with her the indie hits “What’s The Matter Here?” and “Hey Jack Kerouac”. Legendary producer Peter Asher helped make the band’s sound more accessible without losing touch with their adventurous spirit.
“Like The Weather”, which Merchant wrote by herself, turned into the album’s breakout hit, at least in terms of MTV play and alternative airplay. (It only made it to No. 68 on the pop charts, which was still a peak for the band.) The song does indeed riff on the weather, the jaunty, upbeat music starkly contrasting with Merchant’s pronouncements about a lousy, gray day.
The success and exposure of “Like The Weather” helped propel 10,000 Maniacs to their biggest album, Blind Man’s Zoo, in 1989. And the song’s enduring power has helped it muscle out much bigger hits from modern 80s playlists.
Behind the Lyrics of “Like The Weather”
With “Like The Weather”, Merchant does an outstanding job painting the picture of a day best spent in bed. “The color of the sky as far as I can see is coal gray,” she complains at the beginning of the song. “I lift my head off the pillow and then fall again.” We’ve all had that feeling when a look out the window reveals a mess of a morning.
Merchant’s poetic tendencies sneak into the lines amidst the stop-and-start rhythms. “Well, by the force of will, my lungs are filled, and so I breathe,” she moans about her efforts. In the bridge, she labels her malaise “this four-poster dull torpor.” By song’s end, it’s clear that her sluggishness goes beyond just poor weather. “For it’s such a long time since my better days,” she admits.
Natalie Merchant left 10,000 Maniacs in 1993 for a solo career. The band carried on in her absence, albeit with much less exposure. “Like A Weather” stands as an absolute peak of their collaborative efforts.
Photo by Jim Steinfeldt/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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