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
Fourteen
Beat Happening Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We were feeding them some cabbage
You were telling me that you have a black and white cat
We took a walk to [something, possibly soc-hop]
We jumped rope and played hop scotch
All the things I wanted to say
Staring at your face and looking away
But I couldn't trust you
I couldn't trust myself
It's not that you're bad, no
I just can't seem to let myself go
You see, to me, the best part of sex is walking home, holding hands, after swimming in the lake
To me, the best part of love is when you say, you'll be my friend
We were wearing our pajamas
We were eating some bananas
I wanted to tell you how I want to be your pal
All the things I wanted to say
Staring at your face and looking away
Now it's too late
The Beat Happening's song "Fourteen" is a nostalgic look back at a time of childhood innocence and adolescent infatuation. The lyrics describe two young kids, possibly age 14 or less, playing with rabbits, feeding them cabbage, and taking a walk. During their time together, the singer longs to confess their feelings, as they stare at the other person's face and look away unable to express their emotions. The chorus describes the person's difficulty in trusting either their love interest or themselves.
The reference to walking home and holding hands after swimming in the lake highlights their youthful innocence and creates a feeling of warmth and nostalgia. The song shows that the singer is not ready for the fullness of love and sex, but instead finds more pleasure in the pure form of companionship and friendship. The lines about wanting to be friends reveal the singer's uncertainty in their feelings. The song concludes with the realization that it's too late to say anything as they have lost their chance.
Overall, the song is a relatable reflection of the uncertainty and nervousness that comes with young love. The lyrics convey the honest and raw emotions that come with unrequited affection and the regrets that may be felt after the opportunity has passed.
Line by Line Meaning
We were playing with your rabbits
We were spending time together at your house, playing with your pet rabbits.
We were feeding them some cabbage
We were feeding the rabbits some cabbage as a treat.
You were telling me that you have a black and white cat
You were sharing with me that you have a black and white cat as a pet.
We took a walk to [something, possibly soc-hop]
We went on a walk to some unknown location, possibly a social event.
We jumped rope and played hop scotch
We played jump rope and hopscotch together.
All the things I wanted to say
I had a lot of thoughts and feelings that I wanted to express.
Staring at your face and looking away
I couldn't bring myself to look you in the eye while I had these thoughts and feelings.
All the things I wanted to tell
There were things that I wanted to share with you that were weighing on my mind.
But I couldn't trust you
I didn't feel like I could confide in you or trust you with my thoughts and feelings.
I couldn't trust myself
I was also struggling to trust my own judgement and ability to communicate effectively.
It's not that you're bad, no
I didn't think that you were a bad person, just that I had difficulty opening up to you.
I just can't seem to let myself go
I was having trouble letting my guard down and being vulnerable with you.
You see, to me, the best part of sex is walking home, holding hands, after swimming in the lake
My idea of intimacy and connection involves a romantic walk and physical touch after experiencing a fun activity together.
To me, the best part of love is when you say, you'll be my friend
For me, the most important aspect of a loving relationship is having a strong foundation of friendship.
We were wearing our pajamas
We had changed into our comfortable sleepwear.
We were eating some bananas
We were snacking on some bananas together.
I wanted to tell you how I want to be your pal
I wished to express my desire to be close friends with you.
Now it's too late
Unfortunately, I feel like the opportunity to share these thoughts and feelings with you has passed.
Lyrics © SC PUBLISHING DBA SECRETLY CANADIAN PUB.
Written by: Bret Lunsford, Calvin Douglas Johnson, Heather Lewis
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind