Although born in California, frontman Mark Eitzel spent his formative years in Great Britain and Ohio before returning to the Bay Area in 1980. After a brief stint with the punk band The Naked Skinnies he founded American Music Club in 1983 with guitarist Vudi, bassist Dan Pearson, keyboardist Brad Johnson, and drummer Matt Norelli. This lineup would change over the next several years but Eitzel always remained the core of the band in terms of its vocals, lyrics and thematic focus.
Their 1985 debut, The Restless Stranger, offers a rough outline of their increasingly eclectic sound and firmly established Eitzel's worldview, a harrowing vision of life as seen through the bottom of a shot glass. 1987's Engine honed the formula: the addition of producer Tom Mallon as a full-time member expanded the group's sonic palette.
American Music Club earned a solid cult following on the strength of 1988's California. Their next LP, 1989's United Kingdom, appeared only in the nation which lent the record its name and consisted of leftover material and live tracks.
In 1991 American Music Club emerged with the record that is widely considered their masterpiece, Everclear. Critical acclaim attracted the attention of several major labels. Eventually AMC -- now consisting of Eitzel, Vudi, Pearson, multi-instrumentalist Bruce Kaphan, and drummer Tim Mooney -- signed with Reprise in the U.S. and Virgin throughout the rest of the world.
1993's Mercury followed and, despite positive reviews, Mercury fared poorly on the charts and earned virtually no recognition from radio or MTV. In 1994, AMC issued San Francisco, an erratic collection which balanced confessional tunes like Fearless and The Thorn in My Side Is Gone alongside slick pop constructs. Like Mercury, the record found critical acclaim yet foundered commercially and American Music Club disbanded as result.
Eitzel eventually explored a solo career, and purchased a Pro-Tools set up to record solo material, some released through Reprise and other albums through Matador. Vudi joined Swans for their last album and farewell tour, documented on Swans are Dead (Black Disc)/Swans are Dead (White Disc).
In 2003, American Music Club reunited to record a new album, Love Songs For Patriots, which was described by reviewer Mark Deming as "a stronger and more coherent effort than the group's last set, 1994's San Francisco, and while it's too early to tell if this is a new start or a last hurrah for AMC, it at least shows that their formula still yields potent results. Here's hoping Eitzel and Vudi have more where this came from."
Crabwalk
American Music Club Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
like the hubcaps off of a car
That just crashed into a sign that said
"This way to the nightclub."
He says you ain't worth a dime
to his life support systems
They still keep him talking
Don't you feel the decks rolling
I think that we're on a stormy sea
I'm having trouble keeping down the light that I've stolen
He said, "Come on and do the crabwalk with me."
He's just trying to breathe some new life into the jukebox
But it doesn't take his crap it just keeps on staring back
And the quarters that he pours down its throat
Well they're just starting to get his goat
The song plays, "I gave you everything and I never got anything back."
Don't you feel the decks rolling
I think that we're on a stormy sea
I'm having trouble keeping down the light that I've stolen
He said, "Come on and do the crabwalk with me."
He went fishing in the ocean
and all he got was a couple of tires
And they came up dripping with emotion
And you know how fisherman are liars
The five hundred thousand dollar country guitar sits at home sad and lonely
No one has any pity for the life of the party
Don't you feel the decks rolling
I think that we're on a stormy sea
He's having trouble keeping down the light that he's stolen
He said, "Come on and do the crabwalk with me."
The lyrics of "Crabwalk" by American Music Club is a melancholic reflection on the trials of life and the human condition. The song tells the story of a man who is trying to find meaning and purpose in his life, but all he finds is disappointment and frustration. The opening lines "He reels around the nightclub like the hubcaps off of a car" describe the singer as someone who is aimlessly wandering around without direction. He has crashed into a sign that says "This way to the nightclub," which symbolizes his desperation to find fulfillment in nightlife and entertainment.
The chorus of the song "Don't you feel the decks rolling, I think that we're on a stormy sea, I'm having trouble keeping down the light that I've stolen, He said, "Come on and do the crabwalk with me," is a metaphor for the turbulence and instability of life. The singer acknowledges that life is difficult and uncertain, and he struggles to hold onto any sense of hope or happiness. The invitation to "do the crabwalk with me" implies that the singer is asking the listener to join him in his struggle, to face the difficulties of life together, and to find some solace in each other's company.
Overall, "Crabwalk" is a powerful and poignant song that captures the struggles and uncertainties of the human experience. Its lyrics are rich in symbolism and metaphor, and they convey a sense of deep longing and melancholy that will resonate with anyone who has felt lost, disillusioned, or uncertain in life.
Line by Line Meaning
He reels around the nightclub like the hubcaps off of a car
He staggers around the nightclub aimlessly as if he were just released from a car crash and his equilibrium is still off.
That just crashed into a sign that said "This way to the nightclub."
He moves around like a person who has just crashed into a sign pointing the way to the nightclub.
He says you ain't worth a dime to his life support systems
He tells people that he considers them worthless and not useful for the sustenance of his life.
They still keep him talking on the chance that he'll say something
The people around him still engage him in conversation in case, by chance, he might finally come up with something meaningful.
Don't you feel the decks rolling
He asks if the listener can feel the instability of the situation.
I think that we're on a stormy sea
He suspects that they are in turbulent waters.
I'm having trouble keeping down the light that I've stolen
He is struggling to keep his stolen light under control and is unable to manage the situation.
He said, "Come on and do the crabwalk with me."
He invites someone to join him in his crazed behavior.
He's just trying to breathe some new life into the jukebox
He is attempting to revitalize the jukebox by adding something fresh to it.
But it doesn't take his crap it just keeps on staring back
The jukebox doesn't respond to his antics and just continues playing without any acknowledgement.
And the quarters that he pours down its throat
He throws coins into the jukebox with frustration and anger.
Well they're just starting to get his goat
His failed attempts to rouse the jukebox are starting to irritate him.
The song plays, "I gave you everything and I never got anything back."
The song being played speaks to his feelings of being taken for granted and never reciprocated.
He went fishing in the ocean and all he got was a couple of tires
He attempted to gain something from a vast body of water but only came back with junk.
And they came up dripping with emotion
Even the items he retrieved were steeped in sentimentality and sadness.
And you know how fisherman are liars
He acknowledges that fishing stories are always hyperbolic and often deceitful.
The five hundred thousand dollar country guitar sits at home sad and lonely
An expensive piece of equipment is left unused and forgotten, feeling forsaken.
No one has any pity for the life of the party
The central figure of the festivities is ignored and not given any empathy.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOHN MARK EITZEL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind