Ass Ponys formed in late 1988 in Cincinnati OH, comprising Chuck Cleaver an… Read Full Bio ↴Ass Ponys formed in late 1988 in Cincinnati OH, comprising Chuck Cleaver and Dan Kleingers of Gomez (US), Randy Cheek of
The Libertines (US) and John Erhardt. By 1993, the band had released two albums on the Okra label (Mr. Superlove and Grim) and Dan had left the band, being replaced by Dave Morrison. The band had toured with Pavement in support of Grim, and had also played opening slots for Yo La Tengo and others. While they had planned on releasing their third record themselves as Okra had folded by this point, things didn't work out that way. Cassette copies of the record were sent to various labels in hopes of maybe getting some interest from one of them. As it turns out, A&M Records were interested. After details were hammered out over a dinner at LaRosas, Electric Rock Music, the major label debut was released in 1994, with the lead single, Little Bastard. It became a moderate modern rock hit, turning up in the movie Empire Records, on an episode of The Real World and the band even played it on the Jon Stewart show. Songs from this album also turned up in an episode of Party of Five. After a lengthy and successful tour with Throwing Muses, John Erhardt decided to leave the band in order to spend more time with his family. Through the audition process, the band discovered Bill Alletzhauser who joined the band in time to record their fourth album, The Known Universe. While representing some of the bands best work to date, it was not supported by the label and was not commercially successful. More tours and shows followed, including dates with Southern Culture on the Skids and Possum Dixon, but in spite of their efforts, the band was unceremoniously dropped from the A&M roster. Fast forward a couple more years of touring and playing throughout Cincinnati. In 2000, a small label from Chicago, Checkered Past Records, released the first new Ass Ponys record in four years. Titled Some Stupid with a Flare Gun and produced by Brad Jones (Jill Sobule, Glen Phillips), the record proved that Ass Ponys were not entirely forgotten by the public. The record garnered some of the best reviews the band had ever received, and all things considered, sold pretty well. The band quickly went back into the studio with Jones and recorded a remarkable follow-up, Lohio. A short tour with bands like The National and The Handsome Family followed. Both records were favorably reviewed in Rolling Stone and Spin and ranked on several best-of-the-year lists. In late 2002, Bill Alletzhauser left Ass Ponys to pursue interests with different bands. He currently fronts his own group, The Hiders. He was replaced by a returning John Erhardt. Throughout 2003 and 2004, the band worked on new material and played throughout Cincinnati occasionally making their way to Dayton, Columbus and Cleveland. In 2005, a new song, Your Nothing Day was released as part of a compilation of Cincinnati based bands. In June of that year, the band called a temporary hiatus in order to focus attentions on other bands and projects. Chuck Cleaver currently plays with Wussy, who released their debut album Funeral Dress in 2005 on Shake-It Records, and can occasionally be seen playing with Lisa Walker of Wussy as Appalachian Cancer. Randy Cheek is playing with a newly reformed
The Libertines and is currently recording and playing with The Fairmount Girls. Dave Morrison can be spotted playing drums with The Kentucky Struts and Chris Collier. 2006 heralded the release of The Okra Years (Shake-It! Records), the first in an ambitious series of reissues, TOY is a two disc set compiling songs from the two records released on Okra along with compilation songs and unreleased rarities in digitally restored form. Work has begun on The Checkered Past Years, which will compile Some Stupid. and Lohio along with live versions and possibly a DVD of a 2001 live performance. A live release of a July 2004 Covington, KY show titled Play Some Good Time Party Music was released in 2005 as a benefit for a local filmmaker. It is available through www.assponys.org.

Fire in the Hole
Ass Ponys Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

We were burning leaded gasoline
Rather fight than switch
Found a stack of dirty magazines
Hidden in the ditch

Making fun of nearly everything
That lined up in our sights
I remember you used to come around

You came around, you'd come around

You came around, you came around
Fire in the hole

Pop the clutch and holler rabbits feet
Roll the windows down
Take a drink to find the strength you need
Then pass the bottle 'round

I remember we used to ride around
We rode around, we'd ride around

We rode around, we rode around
Fire in the hole

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Ass Ponys' "Fire in the Hole" depicts a group of rebellious individuals who find excitement in disobeying common societal norms. The opening line, "We were burning leaded gasoline," indicates that the group is not concerned with the effects of pollution on the environment or the health dangers of lead poisoning. They would rather "fight than switch," meaning they would rather resist change and continue to do things their own way. The discovery of a stash of "dirty magazines" reveals their inclination to indulge in taboo activities.

The group takes pleasure in ridiculing everything they encounter, and this is accentuated in the line "Making fun of nearly everything, that lined up in our sights." However, the singer specifically recalls one person who used to come around and ride with them. This suggests that there may have been some level of intimacy or friendship in the group's dynamics. It also implies a shift in the group's activities, as the repeated phrase "Fire in the hole" suggests that they may now be embarking on a dangerous or illegal mission.

The second half of the song focuses on the group's actions as they ride around. They "pop the clutch and holler rabbits feet," a superstitious act meant to bring good luck, and pass around a bottle of alcohol to bolster their courage. The repetition of "We rode around, we'd ride around" emphasizes the group's aimlessness and lack of direction. The final line, "Fire in the hole," serves as a warning or battle cry, signaling that they are ready to take action.

Overall, "Fire in the Hole" is a vivid portrayal of youthful rebellion and the thrill of breaking rules. It also suggests that there may be deeper connections or relationships within the group that are not immediately evident.

Line by Line Meaning

We were burning leaded gasoline
We used to consume gasoline that had lead content

Rather fight than switch
We preferred to fight rather than surrender or switch sides

Found a stack of dirty magazines
We discovered a pile of pornographic publications

Hidden in the ditch
They were concealed in a depression in the ground

Making fun of nearly everything
We ridiculed almost everything that came into our view

That lined up in our sights
Things that were visible to us, which we noticed and insulted

I remember you used to come around
I have a recollection that you used to visit me often

You came around, you'd come around
You visited me frequently in the past

You came around, you came around
You used to visit me a lot

Fire in the hole
An alert used to warn of an imminent explosion

Pop the clutch and holler rabbits feet
Depress the clutch rapidly and shout expressions of good fortune