Though not officially broken up, the band has not performed together in public since the early 1990s. In 2005, they were invited by Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse to perform at All Tomorrow's Parties but respectfully declined the invitation.
The band met while attending The Evergreen State College and began recording in 1983. The band's basic lineup was drums, guitar and vocals, though when they formed their only instruments were a pair of maracas and a Sears Silvertone guitar purchased at a thrift shop. Heather once joked in an interview that the history of the band could be told through a list of the various people they'd borrowed drums from. Heather and Calvin had been members of a previous band and approached Bret, who had no musical experience at the time, saying they ought to start a band and go to Japan. Indeed, it was on a trip to Tokyo that the band members recorded Three Tea Breakfast, an EP that established the band's reputation.
Calvin Johnson was one of the founders of seminal indie rock label K Records. The label achieved modest success and continues to hold its independent integrity, claiming to have been "exploding the teenage underground into passionate revolt against the corporate ogre since 1982."
Beat Happening (1985), their full length debut, was critically acclaimed, as was Jamboree (1988). By the release of Dreamy in 1991, Beat Happening was one of the most popular bands in the indie rock community, leading to their pivotal role in the International Pop Underground Festival, which brought anti-corporate rock its earliest mainstream acceptance. Their last full-length album was 1992's You Turn Me On, which represented the band breaking many of their established conventions from earlier albums, most notably on Godsend, which runs 9 minutes in length and features blatant use of multitrack recording. The album was described by allmusic.com as "A masterpiece." Though never announcing a break-up and claiming at one point to still practice once a month, the members of Beat Happening have moved on to various other projects. In 2000 they released the Angel Gone single, their first new release in eight years.
A Beat Happening box set, Crashing Through, which collects all of the band's officially released music except for two of their tracks from a live cassette split with The Vaselines, was released in 2002. The box set included a booklet containing a lengthy essay on the history and impact of the band by Lois Maffeo, as well as rare photos of members Calvin, Heather and Bret.
http://www.krecs.com
Black Candy
Beat Happening Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fall in love,
To my see you,
Mess my head,
Crush my heart,
Molten led,
Read my palm,
Give me some,
Black candy [Repeat x2]
Spinning straw,
Into gold,
As she strikes,
Every soul,
Joan of Arc,
Upon hay,
Fallen chain you'll break,
Black candy [Repeat x4]
Jack hammer,
Can't stand her,
Can't live unless I have her,
Sin, drippin' down my chin.
Black candy [Repeat x6]
Burn baby, burn baby, burn baby, burn, baby burn, baby burn, baby burn, baby burn.
Black candy [Repeat x4]
Suck my blood,
Join the club,
Breakfast dud,
Cross my heart,
Hope to care,
Pull my hair,
Take me there, (take me there!)
Black candy [Repeat x7]
The lyrics to Beat Happening's song "Black Candy" are poetic in their simplicity, but there are multiple interpretations of their meaning. On the surface level, the lyrics read like a compilation of disjointed thoughts and fragmented emotions. The singer seems to be expressing their desire for love and passion, while also being willing to submit themselves to pain and suffering. They use metaphors such as dripping blood and molten lead to describe their internal state and feelings, further emphasizing the intensity of their emotions. The repetition of "black candy" throughout the song acts as a kind of punctuation, emphasizing the fixation and obsession of the singer's desires.
On a deeper level, the song might be exploring the concept of loss and longing, with the "black candy" acting as a symbol or representation of that which is unattainable. This idea is reinforced by the references to Joan of Arc and the spinning of straw into gold - both stories with themes of sacrificial love and transformation. The line "sin, drippin' down my chin" also adds a dark, sensual element to the lyrics, suggesting that the singer may be willing to engage in sinful behavior in order to achieve their desires.
Line by Line Meaning
Drip my blood,
Allow me to bleed; let me express myself
Fall in love,
Become enamored with someone or something
To my see you,
To behold or to perceive you
Mess my head,
Confuse and bewilder me
Crush my heart,
Break my heart or make me feel intense emotion
Molten led,
Intense, hot, and heavy emotions or situations
Read my palm,
Foretell my future, read into my fate or fortune
Give me some,
Provide me with something or give me attention
Black candy [Repeat x2]
A metaphor for something dark, alluring and addictive
Spinning straw,
Creating something amazing from something mundane or basic
Into gold,
Transforming something plain or worthless into something precious or desirable
As she strikes,
As she plays or performs
Every soul,
Every person or every being
Joan of Arc,
A reference to the courageous, legendary soldier and martyr
Upon hay,
In a rural or unassuming setting
Fallen chain you'll break,
You will overcome obstacles and barriers
Jack hammer,
A loud, powerful, and forceful tool or force
Can't stand her,
Cannot put up with or tolerate it
Can't live unless I have her,
Cannot survive without it; it is essential to existence
Sin, drippin' down my chin.
Indulging in or being consumed by something sinful or taboo
Burn baby, burn baby, burn baby, burn, baby burn, baby burn, baby burn, baby burn.
Experiencing intense passion, power, or desire
Suck my blood,
To feed on me or take advantage of me
Join the club,
To become part of a group or join in on something
Breakfast dud,
Something plain or lacking excitement
Cross my heart,
A promise or pledge of sincerity
Hope to care,
Hoping for love or compassion from others
Pull my hair,
To grip or take control of something or someone
Take me there, (take me there!)
To be transported to a place or experience something desired
Black candy [Repeat x7]
A dark and seductive force that cannot be resisted
Lyrics © REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: GLENN DANZIG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Yuliana O
the ocean spray shirt, the really tight jeans and the look of apathy in their eyes while theyre barely even playing their instruments.. i love it all
Halton Stoves
@Sub Samadhi you're so cool & perceptive
Halton Stoves
@Dominic Ticinovic you're a genius.
Sub Samadhi
very late 80s early 90s "we shop at thrift stores and are jaded"
Dominic Ticinovic
That "affected" look of apathy in their eyes, you mean?
Robert Shields
This is a band who isn't afraid to be themselves and release their own music. That's why I love them. And Calvin Johnson is one tough dude... Don't let him fool you.
Fausto Chavez
Drummer standing up, guitarist sitting down--world turned over
Michael Williams
Revolutionary
Activity
lol. thats the way Calvin likes it.
AlbertoVO5
Fausto Chavez Nice!