Green attended Emerson College briefly in 1998 before leaving to concentrate on his music, going on to co-found the anti folk group The Moldy Peaches with Kimya Dawson. In 2004 The Moldy Peaches went on hiatus and both Green and Dawson embarked on solo careers.
Green released several albums on Rough Trade Records. Among his better known songs are "Jessica" (about singer Jessica Simpson), "Novotel", "Friends of Mine", "Dance with Me", "Carolina" and "Emily", and, in Britain, his cover of The Libertines track "What a Waster".
Prior to Jacket Full of Danger in 2006, all of Green's albums had been released on the 22nd of the month. His latest album was released on March 18, 2008 and is titled Sixes & Sevens. Titles include "Morning After Midnight", "Twee Twee Dee", and "Drowning Head First", the latter a duet between Green and his girlfriend.
In January 2008, The Moldy Peaches began having a resurgence in popularity, due to their music being included in the hit indie film Juno.
Oh Shucks
Adam Green Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Crying in the grass and making bad sense, uh huh.
No one ever sees me cry.
She is my real tough guy
And she never told me why,
But I know
Because I knew it all when I looked into that creature's eyes
She's a bull dyke and she makes me come to life each time.
But I try to treat her great
And no one ever hears me cry.
You're a special person that way.
You're a scumbag and i'm sad about that, oh shucks.
That's the way I like it
Takes me want to shout
And she really drove me south
I let her live at my house
I'll just figure it out
The lyrics of Adam Green's song Oh Shucks convey a sense of emotional turmoil and confusion. The persona of the song seems to be at a low emotional point, staring down at his whiskey and crying in the grass. The lyrics convey a sense of being unloved, or at least not fully understood, as no one ever sees him cry. The persona seems to find solace in a woman who is described as a "real tough guy", who makes him come to life. However, he also seems to be conflicted about the relationship, as he describes her as a "bull dyke", a derogatory term for a lesbian, and refers to himself as a scumbag. Despite this, he tries to treat her well and keep his emotions hidden from others.
The lyrics of Oh Shucks appear to be dealing with issues of gender identity and sexual orientation. The persona seems to be struggling with his own feelings of attraction towards a woman who is described as masculine or butch, and also uses a homophobic slur to describe her. The lyrics also suggest a sense of self-loathing and shame, as the persona refers to himself as a scumbag. At the same time, there is a sense of acceptance and even celebration of this woman who makes him feel alive. Overall, the song conveys a sense of emotional complexity and confusion, as the persona tries to make sense of his feelings and relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm staring down at my whiskey now, oh shucks.
I am staring intently at my whiskey with a feeling of disappointment and regret.
Crying in the grass and making bad sense, uh huh.
I am crying while lying low on the grass and making irrational decisions.
No one ever sees me cry.
I keep my emotions hidden from others.
She is my real tough guy
The woman I admire is a strong and assertive person.
And she never told me why,
She has not revealed the reason for her behavior to me.
But I know
However, I have a feeling that I understand her motives.
Because I knew it all when I looked into that creature's eyes
I gained insight into her thoughts and motives after a deep analysis of her demeanor.
She's a bull dyke and she makes me come to life each time.
She is a dyke who invigorates my spirit every time she is with me.
Oh, she is such a real tough guy,
She is such a strong and forceful person.
But I try to treat her great
I try to treat her well despite her strength and assertiveness.
And no one ever hears me cry.
I keep my feelings of sorrow to myself when alone.
You're a special person that way.
You have a unique way of dealing with your emotions and keeping them to yourself.
You're a scumbag and i'm sad about that, oh shucks.
I am saddened by the fact that you are a detestable person.
That's the way I like it
I prefer that you behave that way around me.
Takes me want to shout
The way you behave has me feeling very emotional and vocal.
And she really drove me south
She had a strong impact on me that caused me to deviate from my path.
I let her live at my house
I allowed her to reside in my home for a period of time.
I'll just figure it out
I will find a way to come to terms with the situation.
Contributed by Brayden Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.