Formed in Cincinnati in 1986, Greg Dulli (vocals, rhythm guitar), Rick McCollum (lead guitar), John Curley (bass), and Steve Earle (drums -- not to be confused with country musician Steve Earle) .
In 1988, they released their debut album Big Top Halloween on their own Ultrasuede label. The album caught the attention and imagination of the independent music community and the band soon signed to Sub Pop of Seattle in 1989. Sub Pop's signing of the Afghan Whigs created quite a stir at the time as they were the first non-Northwestern U.S. band to record for the label.
In 1990, their first Sub Pop release Up in It was released; the blistering pace and yowling, effects-heavy guitars on tracks like "White Trash Party" gave no hint of the stylistic about-face to come. It was followed by a limited edition single released by No.6 Records under the name The Ornament.
With the critically acclaimed 1992 album Congregation and a limited covers EP, Uptown Avondale, the band adopted what would become their signature soul-influenced sound.
Soon the Afghan Whigs signed to a major label, Elektra Records, and in 1993 released another critically acclaimed album, Gentlemen. Although the singles “Debonair” and “Gentlemen” were fairly popular, the album failed to launch the band into the mainstream.
Beside regular appearances on MTV's playlists, their track "Fountain and Fairfax" also appeared on the television series My So-Called Life in 1994.
Despite personnel problems interfering with recording and touring, 1996 saw the band release the noir-influenced Black Love (the album featured Paul Buchignani on drums in place of Steve Earle). Although the main subject matter in previous releases were liquor-drenched obsession, secrets and misery, Black Love was a step into a more dark, even seedier and complex side of Dulli’s persona.
In 1996, Greg Dulli served as executive producer for the soundtrack for the Ted Demme film Beautiful Girls. the Afghan Whigs appeared in the film as a bar band and contributed two songs to the soundtrack (Frederick Knight’s "Be For Real" and Barry White's "Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe").
In 1998, the Afghan Whigs released their 6th album, 1965, on Columbia Records (Michael Horrigan, former Love Cowboys bassist replaced Buchignani). The album saw the band on inspired form. Sadly, it was the band's last full-length album of original material.
Despite reports that the band had started work on their 7th album, the Afghan Whigs announced their split in 2001, citing the strain of geographic distance between members as the reason.
In 2006, the Afghan Whigs temporarily reunited. The ‘1965’ lineup (Dulli, McCollum, Curley, Horrigan) recorded two new tracks ("I’m A Soldier" and "Magazine") which are featured on their retrospective titled Unbreakable (A Retrospective) which was released in June 2007.
In December 2011, the band announced that it would be appearing at All Tomorrow's Parties' renowned I'll Be Your Mirror festival on May 25-27, 2012 in London, England. As well, Dulli will serve as the curator, and the Whigs the headliner, for ATP's stateside edition on September 22nd, 2012 in Asbury Park, New Jersey; further dates continue to be announced, including major summer-festival headlining spots at Spain's Primavera, among others. Drummer Cully Symington (Okkervil River, Gutter Twins) and multi-instrumentalist Rick Nelson (Polyphonic Spree, Twilight Singers) will join Curley, Dulli, and McCollum for all shows, which will feature songs from the entire span of the Afghan Whigs repertoire, along with a few new surprises and songs never before played live.
These developments provided both surprise and relief for the group's members. "The pressure is really nonexistent, because we're playing songs that we've already completed - that we already know," Dulli says. "Those songs still resonate with me; in fact, they have always resonated with me. I imagine there will be people who never saw the band before, too, and that's exciting." "It will be nice to experience the Whigs again as a grown-up," jokes Curley. "In my mind, the Whigs were a live band above anything else. Playing shows always was our favorite part about being in the band, and the times when we felt the most freedom and release. I missed playing at that level; I missed playing the songs that we wrote, that meant so much to people - and to us." (from www.theafghanwhigs.com History). In 2014 they released "Do to the Beast" and performed in Ireland, Israel, and the U.S.
Creep
Afghan Whigs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh, oh, oh, yeah.
Oh, oh, oh, yeah.
Oh, oh, oh, yeah.
The twenty second of loneliness
And we've been through so many things.
But I know he's cheating on me.
Look him in the eyes,
But all he tells me is lies to keep me near.
I'll never leave him down though I might mess around.
It's only 'cause I need some affection, oh.
So I creep, yeah, just creepin' on,
On the down low, 'cept nobody is supposed to know.
So I creep yeah, 'cause he doesn't know what I do
And no attention goes to show oh.
So I creep.
The twenty third of loneliness
And we don't talk, like we used to do.
Now this is pretty strange,
But I'm not buggin' 'cause I still feel the same.
I Keep giving loving till the day he pushes me away.
Never go a stray.
If he knew the things I did, he couldn't handle me.
And I choose to keep him protected, Oh.
So I creep, yeah, just creepin' on,
But I'll know. 'cept nobody is supposed to know.
So I creep, yeah, 'cause he doesn't know what I do,
And no attention goes to show oh.
So I creep, yeah, just creepin' on,
But I'll know. 'cept nobody is supposed to know.
So I creep, yeah, 'cause he doesn't know what I do,
And no attention goes to show.
So I creep, yeah, just creepin' on,
But I'll know. 'cept nobody is supposed to know.
So I creep, yeah, 'cause he doesn't know what I do,
And no attention goes to show.
The lyrics of Afghan Whigs' "Creep" are about a woman who knows that her partner is cheating on her but still loves him too much to leave him. However, she is not satisfied with just putting up with the situation and decides to "creep" around and have affairs of her own. She keeps her actions hidden from her partner, wanting to protect him from knowing the truth and potentially losing him. The woman's inner turmoil is reflected through the repetition of the chorus, where she sings about "creeping" and keeping her actions a secret from the world.
At its core, the song is about the complexities of love and relationships, and how sometimes people are willing to go to great lengths to hold onto something that is no longer working. The lyrics, combined with the haunting and melodic music, create an emotional and poignant atmosphere that speaks directly to the heart.
Line by Line Meaning
The twenty second of loneliness
I am feeling sad and lonely today
And we've been through so many things.
My partner and I have been through a lot in our relationship.
I love my man with all honesty,
I love my partner very much and I am truthful with him.
But I know he's cheating on me.
Unfortunately, I know that my partner is unfaithful.
Look him in the eyes,
When I confront him about his cheating, I look at him directly.
But all he tells me is lies to keep me near.
However, he only tells me lies to make me stay with him.
I'll never leave him down though I might mess around.
I won't leave my partner, but I may seek affection elsewhere.
It's only 'cause I need some affection, oh.
I am seeking affection from someone else because I am not receiving it from my partner.
So I creep, yeah, just creepin' on,
I am being sneaky and secretive in my actions.
On the down low, 'cept nobody is supposed to know.
I am keeping my actions secret so that no one finds out.
So I creep yeah, 'cause he doesn't know what I do
I am being unfaithful because my partner is unaware of my actions.
And no attention goes to show oh.
I am being discreet about my actions so that no one finds out.
The twenty third of loneliness
I am once again feeling sad and alone.
And we don't talk, like we used to do.
My partner and I are not communicating as much anymore.
Now this is pretty strange,
This change in our relationship is unusual.
But I'm not buggin' 'cause I still feel the same.
Despite this change, I still have strong feelings for my partner.
I Keep giving loving till the day he pushes me away.
I continue to love my partner, even if I am unsure of his feelings towards me.
If he knew the things I did, he couldn't handle me.
If my partner knew of my infidelity, he would not be able to handle it.
And I choose to keep him protected, Oh.
To spare my partner from pain, I choose to keep my actions hidden.
So I creep, yeah, just creepin' on,
I continue to be sneaky and deceptive in my actions.
But I'll know. 'cept nobody is supposed to know.
I am the only one who knows of my infidelity, and it must remain that way.
So I creep, yeah, 'cause he doesn't know what I do,
I am continuing to be unfaithful because my partner is unaware.
And no attention goes to show oh.
I am keeping my actions secret so that no one finds out.
So I creep, yeah, just creepin' on,
I continue to act in a sneaky and deceptive manner.
But I'll know. 'cept nobody is supposed to know.
I am the only one who knows of my infidelity, and it must remain that way.
So I creep, yeah, 'cause he doesn't know what I do,
I am continuing to be unfaithful because my partner is unaware.
And no attention goes to show.
I am keeping my actions secret so that no one finds out.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Dallas Austin, Lisa Lopes, Marcel Hall, Marlon Williams
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mrkikibay
One of the best covers ever!
@jackgoudie4889
Babydoll check out can’t get enough of your love babe
@postshanna
just heard weezer's no scrubs cover and needed to listen to this masterpiece immediately to clear my brain
@whiskeyjohnson3964
postshanna agreed!! WTF has happened to Weezer?....on another note, have you heard the Whigs do “Every little thing she does”?...if not, get there ASAP!
@jz1552
I’m a =w= fan. And you ain’t wrong!
@revstclair
The term 'gnarly' is a bit played. But I can't think of a better word to describe this cover. It is as if the Whigs swallowed the song, digested it, then threw it up for us to hear. God bless them.
@scrubs4life1
Dulli made this song better than original! What an honor!
@davidmiller2126
I so regret not being obsessed with this band in the day. Making up for it now. Outstanding cover. They were and are so relevant to what is truly great about music.
@mile9314
I finally found it. After 10 F*CKING YEARS since Adams Puzzle Beta.
@devilsson6660
This was badass live ...everytime i saw them live it was badass