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.
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Christmas
Beat Happening Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I had sex three times today
Three different women taught be how to be bored in their own separate, sweet, little ways
I feel like hell on Christmas
And I feel like hell today
I feel like Hell
When I wake-up, I can tell that I'm never gonna make you stay
Okay, here it goes
I didn't get no presents on Christmas
And I sure didn't get none today
Learned my lesson
Life is one long session of disappointment, heartache, pain
Disappointment
Heartache
Pain
And despair
The lyrics of Beat Happening's song "Christmas" express a cynical and disillusioned perspective on the holiday season. The singer's opening lines are confrontational and provocative, announcing that they had sex on Christmas and with three different people throughout the day. This declaration is followed by a series of observations about the singer's emotional state: they feel like hell on Christmas and every day, waking up each morning with the knowledge that their partner has left them.
The next verse continues in this despondent tone, with the singer lamenting the lack of presents they received on Christmas and the criticism they have received for their behavior. However, the most striking aspect of the song is its chorus, consisting of three words: "Disappointment, heartache, pain". This repetition emphasizes the cyclical nature of the singer's emotional landscape, which is filled with pain and loneliness. The final word of the chorus, "despair", solidifies the sadness of the song, offering a bleak conclusion to the singer's reflections on the holiday season.
Line by Line Meaning
I had sex on Christmas
I engaged in sexual activity on the day of Christmas
I had sex three times today
Today I engaged in sexual activity three separate times
Three different women taught be how to be bored in their own separate, sweet, little ways
I had different experiences with each woman but they all had a certain level of boredom that they expressed in their own unique ways that I found mildly endearing
I feel like hell on Christmas
Emotionally and mentally, I feel terrible on Christmas day
And I feel like hell today
Currently, I am feeling really bad
I feel like Hell
I am feeling absolute emotional and mental pain
When I wake-up, I can tell that I'm never gonna make you stay
I know that the person I want will never stay with me
I didn't get no presents on Christmas
I received no gifts on Christmas day
And I sure didn't get none today
I did not receive any gifts today either
Learned my lesson
I have gained knowledge from my experiences
Life is one long session of disappointment, heartache, pain
Through life, there are many situations that bring disappointment, heartache, and pain
Disappointment
A feeling of sadness or dissatisfaction when something does not meet expectation
Heartache
Intense emotional pain and distress
Pain
Physical or emotional suffering
And despair
A state of complete hopelessness
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: PETER TOWNSHEND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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damon dailly
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