I did radio when this came out, and on our promo single CD there was a second version with an excellent extended string and one-horn solo, cold ending. I recorded it on cassette but have never found that version anywhere. Anyone have familiarity?
At one time in my career I was a tech for a company that manufactured recording equipment and I was called to Michael Penn's house to fix a recorder. It was surreal as his wife Aimee Mann was in the other room playing drums the entire time. She had just been nominated for an Oscar for "Save Me" and was BIG TIME. I was freaking out.
Squatcho- super cool memory! I love her music as well! I was in college in the early 80's, when Voices Carry was big and the long braid on the nap of the neck was cool!
I ran into the two of them doing laundry one day at the laundry mat. They are so nice. I had been working for slash records years prior. Just remember they were the coolest hollywoodish couple. I had ever seen.
maninthegreyhat How would this be considered a 90s alternative song? It's basically a pop song that wasn't really that popular at the time. That alone does not make it an alternative song.
OVI-Wan Kenobi I think it's use of the Chamberlin and Penn's lyrics make it a rightful indie-sounding precursor to 90's progressive, if not full blown alternative, like Smashing Pumpkins. I think it's odd that you seem to blame it for attempting pop mainstream play, though, like there's something inherently wrong with that.
Meg DiPaolo You actually have me all wrong, I like pop songs and hate 90s alternative. I just don't want this late 80s gem of a song to be associated with the pretentious BS that was 90s alternative music. I don't have a problem with this being classified as an 80's indie song which it likely is, but it's way too good of a song to be classified as 90s alternative which is essentially fecal matter.
I agree maninthegreyhat. It sounds like something that would fit right in a lineup with Toad the Wet Sprocket and the Gin Blossoms. Its a bit ahead of its time.
Some songs can do that when they first done some are not long enough if it's 2mins to even 5mins it deceptively goes quick u enjoy one that time go woe finish time flying way to fast our lives getting old suxs it doesn't get better it's nearly the end but most great songs can get remix and extended rightly so
I agree - was shocked when I realized it was from '89. Could easily have been from '93, '94, '95. Would have been a bigger hit probably at that time too because it would have fit right in.
Michael Penn, if you happen to read this: this song is still extraordinarily close to my heart. I love the entire album. You did this work, you gave us this gift, and please let me say Thank You Sir.
@Jeff Royer Frank may have gone on to become the owner of the franchised location, though probably something else he may mention. I found it funny when he said he heard it a million times, and it reminded me of listening to Bea Authur in a loop advertising a ad for Shoppers Drug Mart, and am jealous of frank, accordingly so.
I worked at an Old Navy ( Gaps sister) in the mid ninety's. They still played this track. I use to laugh but get a little unnerved when people would be looking at the black jeans that they where pushing to sell right then in the store. Crazy how lyrics can be abused for gain... Oh no I think I may be thinking too much tonight! ✌️
I was in Lowe’s today and heard this on the speakers. I googled the title and saved it for later because I love the tune. Never heard it before today June 2024. Great song it seems pretty timeless to me. I was not listening to mainstream in 1990 so I have some gaps.
An optimist would say that this song started the 90's, a pessimist would say that it ended the 80's for me, a lot others like me would say that the 80's were the best time for us in our youth.
This was that post syth pop, pre grunge era. A really good time for music. Felt like a different world to the late 90s, to me. Like a more authentic time.
As a retail worker myself, I simply cannot stop smiling when this song comes on. It’s everything that makes a job fun. The guitar line is killer, and the tongue in cheek lyrics, never get enough of it!
Man, I just randomly heard this song on Sirius radio today and I had completely forgotten about it. I was a HUGE fan of this song back in 89 and I was like 10 years old at the time. Hell, even in 2021 it doesn't sound particularly dated. Just an all-around great song.
It definitely did not match the pop music of 1989 at all, this was post-grunge alt rock several years before that happened, and it still sounds fresh today. I've never understood why Michael Penn hasn't received even more attention than he has, he is a great songwriter with a wonderful voice. The cover of the Beatles' Two of Us that he and his wife did is another gem.
Same here. I feel the same way. This song always makes me think of new beginnings. I will never forget this song coming on as soon as I dropped my abusive, drunk husband off for the last time in his dad's yard in the middle of the night. This song came on just as he closed the car door and as much as I had always loved it, I knew it was a sign I was doing the right thing and I never looked back. I always smile when I hear this.
No Myth ~ Michael Penn So, she says it's time she goes But wanted to be sure I know She hopes we can be friends I think, yeah, I guess we can say I But didn't think to ask her why She blocked her eyes and drew the curtains With knots I've got yet to untie What if I were Romeo in black jeans What if I was Heathcliff, it's no myth Maybe she's just looking for Someone to dance with See, it was just too soon to tell And looking for some parallel Can be an endless game We, we said goodbye before hello My secrets she will never know And if I dig a hole to China I'll catch the first junk to Soho What if I were Romeo in black jeans What if I was Heathcliff, it's no myth Maybe she's just looking for Someone to dance with Sometime from now you'll bow to pressure Some things in life you cannot measure by degrees I'm between the poles and the equator Don't send no private investigator to find me please 'Less he speaks Chinese And can dance like Astaire overseas, okay What if I were What if I was Maybe she's just looking for Someone to dance with What if I were Romeo in black jeans What if I was Heathcliff, it's no myth Maybe she's just looking for Someone to dance with Songwriters: Michael Penn
I’m here in ‘24! Hi guys.. we just passed the original asylum of bedlam by taxi in london and it reminded me of this song! Haven’t heard it in years! Love to all ❤
End of 89 start of 90 so it's cut perfectly in the middle of both decades i always say tho a new decade first year weather it's 1960,70,80,90 or even 2000 i say it's part of the decade just before honorable say 1990 is part of the 80s for me cause u still closed and linked with the year before
This song reminds me of someone I loved deeply. He is gone now so I enjoy this song as it brings him back to me for a few minutes. Thank you Michael Penn.
This song never sounds dated. I still hear bands playing it, and people covering it at open mics. Great song, great lyrics, super catchy hook. Forgot how much I love this song. Rock on! \m/
Yes! I can totally hear Neil in his voice. Thanks for bringing this to my attention. Very cool. Also a definite GH influence here. Freaking fantastic song.
I heard this on Sirius yesterday and had an aha minute. I remembered loving it but not having any idea of who performed it. Fortunately I was parked so I wrote the name and song title down and hear I am listening for the third time in repeat and I'll keep listening. Thanks to Sirius for giving this amazing song back to me. Thanks to Michael Penn for singing it. Now for a fourth time.
.. This is Sean Penn's brother! that's awesome!..there's a lot of talent in the Penn family..what a great song!!.. ahead of it's time & really holds up today!
1989 eh. Oh man.. I've had this damn song playing in my head on and off for 26 fricken years! But only a short part of the melody with a few fragmented lyrics so I couldn't identify it. Every time I would try to track it down on the net, I always ended up with dead ends or Romeo and Juliet by Dire Straights.. which is a good song too but completely different. But now I've tracked the bugger down! HAZAAH!! Don'tcha hate it when you can't quite remember a song or the artist, and it wont leave you alone. You have just enough data to be aware that it's something you like, but not enough data to track it easily. Thank God for the internet ..or Sir Tim Berners-Lee (yes I had to look that up). Great song, vocals and guitar are awesome.. Whatever happened to this guy?
I had a similar experience. All I had was "someone to dance with". This song plays into my heart and always has. It took me years to track it down. How did people stay sane before the internet?
It's hard to believe Michael is the brother of Sean Penn. I never knew that Sean Penn had a brother that was a singer. I will never get tired of this song this will always be one of my favorite songs!
And you may be 💯% right. I had never known the guy that did this song was one of the Penn brothers. I'm blown away. Really like Chris too, Reservoir dogs.
This gem of a song reminds me of when I was in the army serving in the first Gulf War, as this song came out at that time. " No Myth" is one of those songs that I can listen to all day, every day and not tire of it.Michael Penn is a criminally underrated artist. That said, thanks for the memories!!!👩🏾👍🏾💃🏾
I've been a fan of this song for 30 or so years, and I had an epiphany I'm startled to realize after all these years- this has a George Harrison/Beatles sound that I never fully appreciated before. Just goes to show, there's always surprises out there.
In 1989 I was in a band doing lots of covers but trying to get our own stuff across. One day this song came on the radio and it was like getting hit by a bolt of lightning.... The construction, the melody, the tempo, the lyrics..... For the one and only time in my life, I immediately went and bought it. Love it as much today as then.
LOVE this song so!!!! Saw him at St. Andrews Hall in Detroit in 1990 with my then-fiancee and had the privilege of hearing this amazing song in person from the left-side balcony and that concert remains one of my all-time favs for its intimate setting, clean dynamic and powerful emotional pleadings.
Finally! Been looking this song for years! I tried singing it to Shazam, but the app told me get your sh*t together! 😝 No joke, this song popped in my head years ago! Last time I listened to this song was when I was 11 yrs old, in 1990. My last year in Lima, Peru !!! I was lurking Spotify for 1980s alternative and bingo! 😇
I wore out a VHS of the (year 2000) movie "Loser" rewinding the start of the closing credits because of this song. Great memories and I feel that movie is better than it's remembered too.
That's where I first heard this song. For a long time I thought it was called Romeo in Black Jeans but I found out much later that it was called No Myth :)
This song is like a gold nugget that slipped through the grates on the sluce. I cannot remember the first time I heard it, it's almost like it came from nowhere and yet it's like it always existed... It is a timeless track that has incredible composition and is lyrically perfect...if only it could play for all of time...
Michael, this song came out when I was 10 and my Dad had recently died. It is a beautiful, uplifting song, and I have always been grateful for it. Thank you. 💖
I was a cashier/bagger at the Harris-Teeter supermarket near UNCC in Charlotte, NC & in junior high school when this song was released. It still got lots of airplay during the late Winter/Early Spring of '90 which is when I remember hearing it the most. One of the fond memories from the soundtrack of my life at the time. 👍🏽💯☺️
after being subjected to bunch of rubbish modern songs in a massive department store the other day, THIS song came on and i suddenly stopped stabbing myself in the eye with a fork! gotta love the eighties!!!!!
The reason why this guy didn't became famous is that he's the Recipient of the Doomed MTV JINX award...MTV best new artist and dats No MYTH😮...Sean Pens Big Brader👍
Agree! I don't know why. I never heard any rumor or anything. My only thought was maybe because brother Sean was a bit controversial back in the day (still is).
Ok, this is the first time in about 25 years I've listened to this song. But it's just dawned on me I've worn black jeans at least 6 days a week ever since 1989. Seriously. And I've just realized this song is the reason.
When I was in 5th grade, I had a crush on a girl. And this song. And "she's got the look" by Roxette got me thinking of her. I was always too shy back then. What does a 5th grader know anyhow? Pure innocence.
