Hum formed in my basement at 101 E. Stoughton. Matt gave me this tape, which I still have. Thanks for posting this stuff. This song is *so good* in so many ways, and I like it as a Generation X anthem. I wish I could understand any of the lyrics, and if one of the songwriters wants to post them, I'd be grateful. If not, I'll just have to write my own.

Music & Lyrics: We Ate Plato

You’re standing on my foot.

(Falling, falling, falling.)

(Hoy, hoy, hoy, hoy...)

(Come hither, hoy.)

© 1989 We Ate Plato

Living Leftovers

The Sound Of Things Falling Apart

Lyrics: We Ate Plato
Music: We Ate Plato

(Oh...)

Her name was Jesus Christ, she said.
She said her name was Jesus Christ.

She decomposed, and she rose.


© 1989 We Ate Plato

Her Name Was Jesus Christ (demo)

Lyrics & music: The Sex Pistols *except in (), then by Michael D. Starcevich

(Buying curds & whey at the IGA,
along comes Bush to save the day.
A rotten head of lettuce from the CIA,
and I thought this was the USA.)

Anarchy In The U.S.A (Sex Pistols cover)

Sam I Am (demo)

Lyrics: Michael D. Starcevich
Music: We Ate Plato 

Try not to try.

Try not to try.
Try not to lie.
Try not to die.


© 1989 We Ate Plato

Try Not To Try (Live at Mabel's)

Music & lyrics: DEVO *except in (), then by We Ate Plato

(A bird in the hand
is no Quayle in the Bush.

Hey, wait a minute, 
I knew Jack in the box,
and you’re no Jack in the box.)

Uncontrollable Urge (DEVO cover)

Lyrics: We Ate Plato 
Music: We Ate Plato

I have to listen to you every single minute
I have to listen to you every single day.

2 mothers!


© 1989 We Ate Plato

2 Mothers (rehearsal)

Lyrics: Michael D. Starcevich
Music: We Ate Plato 

(Ahhh...)

There was a little boy 
and his name was Ray.
He watched the same old reruns, every day. 
The youth he killed inside 
he did not regret
‘til he got sucked into the TV set.

Cathode Ray.
Cathode Ray, Cathode Ray,
I, I, I, I

(I won’t go back and I won’t go back...)

(Ahhh...)

There was a little boy 
and his name was Ray.
He watched the same old reruns, every day. 
The youth he killed inside 
he did not regret
‘til he got sucked into the TV set.

Cathode Ray.
Cathode Ray, Cathode Ray,
I, I, I, I


© 1989 We Ate Plato

Pissweed/Cathode Ray

Lyrics: Matt Talbott (w/ Michael D. Starcevich)
Music: Matt Talbott (w/ Michael D. Starcevich)

(One, two...)

I like the greenhouse effect,
it keeps my summers bright. 
I like the greenhouse effect,
it’s my natural right

and I’ll never have children, 
so I don’t care how I leave this world.

(Sounds pretty good)

(Ahhh...)
Yesterday was fine.
(Ahhh...)
Yesterday was fine.
(Ahhh...)
Every day’s fine, when you know your ABC’s
(Ahhh...)
Yesterday was fine.

I like the greenhouse affect,
it keeps me warm at night.
I like the greenhouse affect,
it keeps my summers bright. 
I like the greenhouse effect,
it’s my national right

and I’ll never have children, 
so I don’t care how I leave this world.

(I think it still sounds pretty good)

(Ahhh...)
Yesterday was fine.
(Ahhh...)
Yesterday was fine.
(Ahhh...)
Every day’s fine, 
when you know your
(Ahhh...)
A, B, C’s like I do, like I do.

I like the greenhouse affect,
it keeps me warm at night.
I like the greenhouse affect,
it keeps my summers bright. 
I like the greenhouse effect,
it’s my natural right

and I’ll never have children 
so I don’t care how I leave this world.

(and repeat)

[END]

———
[with full song]

I like the greenhouse affect,
my winters aren’t as cold.
I like the greenhouse affect,
it makes my skin turn gold. 
I like the greenhouse effect,
I’ll die before I’m old

so I’ll never have children 
and I won’t care how I leave this world.


© 1989 We Ate Plato

I Like The Greenhouse Effect

Lyrics: Michael D. Starcevich 
Music: We Ate Plato

Your hip disposition 
is a sick decoration 
that you hang on an ugly soul. 
Your mass incantations 
are a subtle sublimation 
of a nation with a heart of coal. 

You’re so cold...

I thought your brains on vacation
let me make a reservation
at that little restaurant with a hole (in the wall).
You give every indication of a mental amputation but your social reputation’s still as good as gold.

You’re so cold…

Under a tarpon of persuasion 
we’ve become one indig-nation 
under truths that we no longer hold.
Babies made in perspiration 
born without an invitation 
die of pilgrim suffocation long before they’re old. 

You’re so cold…


© 1989 We Ate Plato

You're So Cold

Lyrics: Michael D. Starcevich
Music: We Ate Plato 

The tie-dye gurus give us all the tools,
broke the rules, 
raised their schools,
faught their duels,
racial ghouls, convention mules.

But renaissance thoughts,
don’t mean a whole lot

before we were born, 
before we were born.

We didn’t know, and we didn’t care, 
in 1966.
Shit in our diapers, and we had no hair,
(in 1966).

Before we were born, 
before we were born.

The Stones were groovy 
and I dug The Who,
Beatles knew 
Love Me Do (rockit)
but the Woodstock generation grew.

We need our own voice,
‘cause old grooves just turn to noise.

Before we were born, 
before we were born.

The 80s reinvented vanity, 
mine-I-me, 
pseudo-charity 
and some V.D., 
but no identity.

Fuck 30-something morals,
yesterday is not tomorrow.

Before we were born, 
and now we are bored.

We didn’t know, and we didn’t care, 
in 1966.
Shit in our diapers, and we had no hair,
(in 1966).

[Instrumental Break]

(The laughter of children)

(in 1966)

We didn’t know, and we didn’t care, 
in 1966.
Shit in our diapers, and we had no hair,
(in 1966).


© 1989 We Ate Plato

1966

Little-known but widely-confusing band, We Ate Plato, was the musical spawn of Mike Starcevich (lead vocals, bass), Matt Talbott (lead guitar, lead vocals), K.C. Driscoll (rhythm guitar), and Russell Armstrong (drums, backing vocals). During a plentiful time for alternative rock in Champaign, Illinois in the late 80's, their tree bore strange fruit. Known to only to themselves as "the big jungle beat", this curious cabal of musical misfits was rumored to have more performances than rehearsals, and it showed. They opened for such varied artists as Yo La Tengo, Mavis Staples, and Designer Mustard Gas, whose only connection was the utter disbelief they shared at what had happened on stage right before they played. After the band's timely demise, Matt & K.C. went on to help co-found Champaign's own, Honcho Overload, Russ founded the Orlando-based band Fizzbin, Mike did improv comedy and made music videos & films in Chicago, and Matt later co-founded Hum (RCA) and Centaur.

Most bands focus their time on making coherent, enjoyable albums, and after a critical mass are published they unloose a compilation of unreleased tracks, demos, and random belly button lint (e.g. R.E.M.'s "Dead Letter Office”). But We Ate Plato was not most bands, and dove headlong into the belly button lint from the jump. Eventually they cobbled together a random batch of Yamaha 4-track recordings and rehearsal tapes onto the single side of a Maxell cassette called "Living Leftovers". God bless you for listening.

Eventually these dead skin cells, dust bunnies, and hairballs were tossed to and fro until they cobbled themselves into the shape of a Maxell cassette called "Living Leftovers". God bless you for listening.

1966

We Ate Plato

Recent comments

Spineless Books

Related tracks