Beck was born in Los Angeles, California, to David Campbell (a musician and son of a Presbyterian minister) and Bibbe Hansen (a former dancer for The Velvet Underground, founding member of the satirical band Black Fag, and visual artist). When his parents separated, Beck stayed with his mother and brother in Los Angeles, where he was influenced by that city's diverse musical offerings—everything from hip-hop to latin music—and his mother's art scene – all of which would later reappear in his recorded and published work.
Although Beck's work defies easy description, his eclecticism and genre experiments have sparked comparisons with Prince, though Beck was undoubtedly a less prolific artist, and drew on an absurdist, free-flowing lyrical style totally original when first exposed to mainstream audiences (indeed, some critics labeled him and his breakthrough single Loser as novelties - see below). Despite this individualism, Beck's music was very much a product of the 90s and the media age in general, with hip hop, indie/underground rock, electronic music and genre-benders like the Beastie Boys as notable touchstones; in addition, some critics could not resist likening his head-spinning lyrical aesthetic to a post-modern Bob Dylan sensibility.
After dropping out of high school in the mid-1980s, Beck educated himself and traveled widely. In Germany, he spent time with his grandfather, fluxus artist Al Hansen. His artistic relationship with his grandfather may have influenced both his album art and sense of musical collage. He began the musical activity in 1988. The late-80's found him in New York City as part of the punk-influenced anti-folk music movement.
Beck returned to Los Angeles at the turn of the decade, destitute but motivated. During this time, Beck sought out (or snuck onto) stages at venues all over Los Angeles, from punk clubs to coffee shops. Some of his earliest and most thought-provoking recordings were achieved by working with Tom Grimley at Poop Alley Studios, a part of WIN Records.
In this atmosphere of heady creativity the founders of Bong Load Custom Records discovered Beck. Their 1993 12" vinyl Loser, from an initial run of 530 copies, created a sensation on college and alternative radio that led to a furious bidding war between labels to sign Beck. Eventually, he chose Geffen Records, who offered him terms that included an allowance for the release of independent albums while under contract (he may have owed Bong Load another album or two).
In 1994, Geffen's official debut release of Mellow Gold made Beck a mainstream smash success; it also led to his iconic status as the "slacker" representative of the alternative rock scene, although the title of the song had been ironic.
At the same time, he released Stereopathetic Soulmanure on Flipside Records and One Foot in the Grave on independent K Records. Beck took his act on the road with the 1995 Lollapalooza tour. Still, some critics panned him as a one-hit wonder. Audiences' (especially at Lollapalooza) familiarity with Loser only, and their general disinterest in his other work only reinforced his image as a one-hit wonder. It's been said said that Beck released Stereopathetic Soulmanure and One Foot in the Grave to shake the Gen X-ers that associated themselves with him and made "Loser" their slacker anthem.
The one-hit wonder label was put to rest with the release of 1996's Odelay, a collaborative effort with The Dust Brothers, producers of Paul's Boutique. The lead single, "Where It's At", received heavy airplay and its video was in constant rotation on MTV. Within the year, Odelay had received perfect reviews in Rolling Stone and Spin magazines, having been listed on countless "Best of" lists (it topped the Pazz & Jop Critics Poll for 'Album of the Year'), receiving double-platinum status, and earning an impressive number of industry awards, including two Grammys.
Odelay was followed in 1998 by Mutations. Produced by Nigel Godrich of Radiohead fame, it was intended as a stopgap measure before the next album proper. Recorded over two weeks, during which Beck recorded one song a day, the sessions produced 14 songs. Mutations was a departure from the electronic density of Odelay, and was filled with folk and blues influences. Songs on the album consisted of older tracks, some even dating back as far as 1994.
In 1999, Geffen released the much-anticipated Midnite Vultures, an orgy of sexual and culinary innuendo supported by a world tour. For Beck, it was a return to the high-energy performances that had been his trademark as far back as Lollapalooza.
After Midnite Vultures came Sea Change in 2002, another airy and emotional album with producer Nigel Godrich, which became Beck's first U.S. Top 10 album, reaching # 8. Sea Change was conceptualized as an album with one unifying theme—the stages following the end of a relationship. The album also featured string arrangements by Beck's father and a sonically dense mix reminiscient of Mutations. The Sea Change tour featured The Flaming Lips as Beck's opening and backing band.
In September 2003, Beck returned to the studio to work on his sixth major-label album. Guero was produced by the Dust Brothers and Tony Hoffer and features a collaboration with Jack White of The White Stripes; it marked a return to Odelay-era sound. The album was released in March of 2005 and despite critical acclaim, the album received a more lackluster response from Beck's indie-oriented fanbase.
Beck married Marissa Ribisi in April 2004, shortly before the birth of their son, Cosimo Henri Hansen. 2004 also saw the release of "10 Years of Mellow Gold," a short documentary about Beck's first album.
Beck's next album, The Information was released on October 3, 2006. It is a largely electronic and ambient, filled with blips and beeps. It was produced by Nigel Godrich, who worked on "Sea Change" and a longtime Radiohead and Thom Yorke producer. The first single was Nausea, an acoustic rock hip hop song. The next single was Cellphone's Dead, and the third single was Think I'm In Love.
His next single, Timebomb, was released on iTunes on August 21, 2007, and the limited edition vinyl 12" was released on November 2, 2007, with an instrumental version of the song on the B-side. In December, 2007, it was announced that Timebomb had been nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance.
Modern Guilt was the eighth studio album by Beck. It was released on July 8, 2008. The album fulfilled Beck's recording contract with Interscope Records. Outside of North America, the record was released by XL Recordings. Its three singles were Chemtrails, Gamma Ray, and Youthless.
Modern Guilt features two contributions by Cat Power and was produced by Beck and Danger Mouse.
The album entered both the Billboard 200 and the Canadian Albums Chart at number four, and gave Beck his first ever Top 10 placing on the UK Albums Chart, peaking at number nine. The album has also been Beck's best charting album in Australia, reaching 13. It sold 84,000 copies in its first week. Although successful, this does not match the first week sales of The Information, which were 99,000. In December 2008, Modern Guilt was nominated for Best Alternative Album at the 51st Grammy Awards.
Song Reader, a project Beck released in December 2012, is 20 songs presented only as sheet music, in the hopes that enterprising musicians will record their own versions. The idea of Song Reader came about nearly fifteen years prior, shortly after the release of Odelay. When sent a book of transcribed sheet music for that album, Beck decided to play through it and grew interested in the world before recorded sound. He aimed to keep the arrangements as open as possible, to re-create the simplicity of the standards, and became preoccupied with creating only pieces that could fit within the Great American Songbook. In 2013 Beck began playing special Song Reader concerts with a variety of guests and announced he was working on a record of Song Reader material with other musicians as well as possibly a compilation of fan versions.
In the summer of 2013, Beck was reported to be working on two new studio albums: one a more self-contained acoustic disc in the vein of One Foot in the Grave and another described as a "proper follow-up" to Modern Guilt. Beck expects to release both albums independently. He released two standalone singles over the course of the summer: the electro ballad Defriended and the chorus-heavy I Won't Be Long. A third single, Gimme, appeared on September 17.
In October 2013, it was announced that Beck signed to Capitol Records. Beck released his twelfth studio album entitled Morning Phase on 21 February 2014. For the recording of Morning Phase, Beck reunited with many of the same musicians with whom he had worked on the critically acclaimed 2002 album Sea Change. On January 20, 2014, the album's first single Blue Moon was released. Beck released the second single, Waking Light, on February 4, 2014.
4 years later, on October 13th, 2017, Beck released the second album that was supposed to come out alongside Morning Phase. This album was called Colors. Colors is very different from Beck's previous albums, in which he takes a stab at pop music. Beck's expertise, mixing genres, works in this album when he mixes Alternative Rock, hip hop, and a lot of Pop. The album's earliest single, "Dreams", was released in June 2015, and three more ("Wow", "Dear Life", "Up All Night") were released between June 2016 and September 2017. The title track was released as a single in April 2018. The album won the Best Alternative Music Album and Best Engineered Album (Non-Classic) at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards.
After a short wait, Beck released Hyperspace on November 22, 2019. There was little marketing for this album. The whole album is a collaboration with Pharrell Williams, as he produced almost every song on the album. The album's first single was "Saw Lightning" released on April 15, 2019, and had a folk-pop sound to it. It doesn't fit with the rest of the album's synth lo-fi sound. Other singles were "Hyperlife" and "Uneventful Days" on October 17, 2019, and "Dark Places" on November 7, 2019.
2) BECK can refer to a fictional rock band from the Japanese Anime series BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad. The fictional BECK's songs feature in the BECK Original Sound Track. BECK's style and members are highly influenced by various different artists. From vocals in the style of Zack De La Rocha from Rage Against the Machine, guitar influenced by Tom Morello of the same band, the band is highly influenced by rap-rock.
As the series develops, other influence appear, including guitar in the style of Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page, and Red Hot Chili Peppers John Frusciante. During the series, the band covers a famous The Beatles song, 'I've got a Feeling'. The name BECK could have possibly been influenced by the first artist Beck, mentioned above. Harold Sakushi, the original author of the series, has confirmed that BECK is generally based around the Red Hot Chili Peppers, being his favourite band.
Soul Suckin' Jerk
Beck Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Throwing chicken in the bucket with the soda pop can
Puke-green uniform on my back
I had to set it on fire in a vat of chicken fat
I leaped on the counter like a bird with no hair
Running through the mini mall in my underwear
I got lost downtown, couldn't find a ride home
Sun went down, I got frozen to the bone
As I took a little nap, the cops picked up us both
I tried to explain, I was only trying to get warm
I knew I never ever should have burnt my uniform
He said, "Too bad, better bite the bullet hard, son"
I didn't have no teeth so I stole his gun
And I crawled out the window with my shadow on a spoon
Dancing on the roof, shootin' holes in the moon
Get busy
Get busy
You know it
I ain't gonna work for no soul sucking jerk
I'm gonna take it all back and I ain't saying jack
I ain't gonna work for no soul sucking jerk
I'm gonna take it all back and I ain't saying jack
Standing right here with a beer in my hand
And my mouth is full of sand and I don't understand
Fourteen days I been sleeping in a barn
Better get a paycheck tattooed on my arm
Whistling Dixie with the Dixie cup filled
With the barbecue sauce and the dental floss chill
Big fat fingers pointing into my face
Telling me to get busy cleaning up this place
I got bent like a wet cigarette
And she's coming after me with a butterfly net
Riding on a bloodhound ringing the bell
Black cat wrapped in a road map of hell
Pencil on my leg and I'm trying not to beg
Taking turns baking worms with the bacon and eggs
Now they got me in a birdcage flapping my jaw
Like a pretzel in the stars just waiting to fall
So give me what I got to get so I can go
'Cause I ain't washing dishes in the ditch no more
I ain't gonna work for no soul sucking jerk
I'm gonna take it all back and I ain't saying jack
I ain't gonna work for no soul sucking jerk
I'm gonna take it all back and I ain't saying jack
No, no, no, no, no
Soul sucking jerk
Soul sucking jerk
You soul sucking jerk
Soul sucking jerk
Ain't gonna work for no soul sucking jerk
I'm gonna take it all back and I ain't saying jack
No
Ain't gonna work
For no soul suckin' jerk
I ain't gonna work
For no soul suckin' jerk
I ain't gonna work
The lyrics to Beck's "Soul Suckin' Jerk" depict a disgruntled employee who rebels against the monotony and oppressiveness of his job. The singer is seen working at a fast-food restaurant, where he experiences frustration and humiliation on a daily basis. He sets his uniform on fire and runs through the mall in his underwear, highlighting his desperation to escape his daily routine. He eventually steals a gun and escapes from his job, refusing to return to work for a "soul suckin' jerk."
The lyrics can be interpreted through different lenses, including a critique of consumerism, capitalism, and societal conformity. The catchy chorus, "I ain't gonna work for no soul suckin' jerk," embodies a sense of rebellion and independence that resonates with people who feel trapped by the demands of contemporary work culture. The song's energetic beats, rock influences, and Beck's signature style complement the lyrics and reinforce the message of anti-establishment sentiment.
Line by Line Meaning
I got a job making money for the man
I started working for a higher authority to earn money.
Throwing chicken in the bucket with the Soda pop can
I was working in a fast food restaurant throwing chicken in the bucket along with soda pop cans.
Puke green uniform on my back
I had to wear an ugly green uniform as a part of my job.
I had to set it on fire in a vat of chicken fat
I burned my uniform in a vat of chicken fat because I hated it so much.
I leaped on the counter like a bird with no hair
I jumped on the counter like a naked bird to get attention and be free.
Running through the mini mall in my underwear
I ran through a small shopping center wearing just my underwear.
I got lost downtown couldn't find a ride home
I lost my way in the city and couldn't find a way to go back home.
Sun went down I got frozen to the bone
It got dark and cold outside, and I was freezing.
Til a hooker let me share her fake fur coat
A prostitute let me share her fake fur coat to stay warm.
As I took a little nap the cops picked up us both
As I was taking a nap, the police came and arrested both me and the hooker.
I tried to explain I Was only trying to get warm
I tried to explain to the police that I was only trying to stay warm.
I knew I never ever should have burnt my uniform
I regretted burning my uniform because it caused me trouble.
He said 'too bad, better bite the bullet hard son'
The police officer told me to face the consequences and stop complaining.
I didn't have no teeth so I stole his gun
Since I had no teeth, I stole the police officer's gun.
And I crawled out the window with my shadow on a spoon
I escaped through the window with just my shadow and a spoon.
Dancing on the roof, shooting holes in the moon
I was dancing on the roof and shooting holes in the moon with the stolen gun.
Get busy, get busy, you know it
I was told to start working hard, to get busy.
I ain't gonna work for no soul suckin' jerk
I refuse to work for someone who sucks my soul and spirit.
I'm gonna take it all back and I ain't sayin' jack
I will take back what I deserve and won't say a word about it.
Standing right here with a beer in my hand
I am standing here, holding a beer in my hand.
And my mouth is full of sand and I don't understand
My mouth is filled with sand, and I am confused.
Fourteen days I been sleeping in a barn
I have been sleeping in a barn for fourteen days now.
Better get a paycheck tattooed on my arm
I need to get a tattoo of my paycheck on my arm to know its value.
Whistlin Dixie with the Dixie cup filled
I am whistling Dixie while holding a Dixie cup filled with something.
With the barbecue sauce and the dental floss chill
The Dixie cup is filled with barbecue sauce and dental floss kept cool.
Big fat fingers pointing into my face
Someone with fat fingers is pointing at my face.
Telling me to get busy cleaning up this place
They asked me to work hard, clean up the place, and get busy.
I got bent like a wet cigarette
I got easily bent and defeated like a soaked cigarette.
And she's coming after me with a butterfly net
Someone is chasing me with a butterfly net.
Ridin' on a bloodhound ringing the bell
I am on a bloodhound riding and ringing a bell.
Black cat wrapped in the road map to hell
A black cat is wrapped in a road map leading to hell.
Pencil on my leg and I'm trying not to beg
I have a pencil on my leg and am trying not to beg for help.
Taking turns bakin' worms with the bacon and eggs
I am baking worms in turns along with bacon and eggs.
Well they got me in a bird cage flappin' my jaw like a pretzel in the Stars just waitin' to fall
I am stuck in a bird cage talking endlessly and waiting for the worst to happen.
So give me what I got to get so I can go
Give me what I deserve so that I can leave this place.
Cause I ain't washin' dishes in the ditch no more
I will not do the dirty dishes in a ditch anymore.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Beck Hansen, Carl Stephenson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@deniskuzel6246
I got a job making money for the man
Throwing chicken in a bucket with a soda pop can
Puke-green uniform on my back
I had to set it on fire in a vat of chicken fat
I leaped on the counter like a bird with no hair
Running through the minimall in my underwear
I got lost downtown, couldn't find a ride home
Sun went down, I got frozen to the bone
'Til a hooker let me share her fake fur coat
As I took a little nap, the cops picked up us both
I tried to explain I was only trying to get warm
I knew I never ever should have burned my uniform
He said, "Too bad, better bite the bullet hard, son."
I didn't have no teeth, so I stole his gun
And I crawled out the window with my shadow on the spoon
Dancing on the roof, shooting holes in the moon (gettin' busy)
'Cause I ain't gonna work for no soul-suckin jerk
I'm gonna take it all back and I ain't sayin' jack
I ain't gonna work for no soul-suckin jerk
I'm gonna take it all back and I ain't sayin' jack
I'm standing right here with a beer in my hand
And my mouth is full of sand and I don't understand
Fourteen days, I been sleeping in a barn
Better get a paycheck tattooed on my arm [beck.com: headache and a paycheck]
Whistling Dixie with the Dixie cup filled
With the barbecue sauce and the dental floss chill
Big fat veins pointing into my face
Telling me to get busy cleaning up this place
I got bent like a wet cigarette
And she's coming after me with a butterfly net
Riding on a bloodhound, ringing a bell
Black cat wrapped and I'm rolling out to hell
Pencil on my leg and I'm trying not to beg
Taking turns baking worms with the bacon and eggs
Now they got me in a birdcage flapping my jaw
Like a parcel of stars just waiting to fall [beck.com: pretzel in the stars]
So give me what I got to get so I can go
'Cause I ain't washing dishes in a ditch no more
I ain't gonna work for no soul-suckin jerk
I'm gonna take it all back and I ain't sayin' jack
I ain't gonna work for no soul-suckin jerk
I'm gonna take it all back and I ain't sayin' jack
No no no no, soul sucking jerk, soul sucking jerk
No soul sucking jerk, soul sucking jerk
I ain't gonna work for no soul-suckin jerk
I'm gonna take it all back and I ain't sayin' jack
Ain't gonna work for no soul-suckin jerk
Ain't gonna work for no soul-suckin jerk
@ihatemyself1743
I got a job making money for the man
Throwing chicken in the bucket with the
Soda pop can
Puke green uniform on my back
I had to set it on fire in a vat of chicken fat
I leaped on the counter like a bird with no hair
Running through the mini mall in my underwear
I got lost downtown couldn't find a ride home
Sun went down I got frozen to the bone
'Til a hooker let me share her fake fur coat
As I took a little nap the cops picked up us both I tried to explain I
Was only trying to get warm
I knew I never ever should have burnt my uniform
He said 'too bad, better bite the bullet hard son'
I didn't have no teeth so I stole his gun
And I crawled out the window with my shadow on a spoon
Dancing on the roof, shooting holes in the moon
Get busy, get busy, you know it
I ain't gonna work for no soul suckin' jerk
I'm gonna take it all back and I ain't sayin' jack
I ain't gonna work for no soul suckin' jerk
I'm gonna take it all back and I ain't sayin' jack
Standing right here with a beer in my hand
And my mouth is full of sand and I don't understand
Fourteen days I been sleeping in a barn
Better get a paycheck tattooed on my arm
Whistlin Dixie with the Dixie cup filled
With the barbecue sauce and the dental floss chill
Big fat fingers pointing into my face
Telling me to get busy cleaning up this place
I got bent like a wet cigarette
And she's coming after me with a butterfly net
Ridin' on a bloodhound ringing the bell
Black cat wrapped in the road map to hell
Pencil on my leg and I'm trying not to beg
Taking turns bakin' worms with the bacon and eggs
Well they got me in a bird cage flappin' my jaw like a pretzel in the
Stars just waitin' to fall
So give me what I got to get so I can go
Cause I ain't washin' dishes in the ditch no more
And I ain't gonna work for no soul suckin' jerk
I'm gonna take it all back and I ain't sayin jack
And I ain't gonna work for no soul suckin' jerk
I'm gonna take it all back and I ain't sayin jack
@joesnorts5232
i did this song in sign language for a talent show....i didn't win ...but the faces of the crowd, Priceless.
@vibrationalkeys3320
L0L'Ss!!
@vibrationalkeys3320
cheers
@jeffcraven2437
My girlfriend's deaf and I just showed her this song and she saw your comment and had a shit eatin' grin...
@mfmatthew420
@@jeffcraven2437 this is one of the funniest most unique funniest comment threads I've seen
@jiggygnorrus2688
Lol. Hahahaha I luv it! The faces! They had no idea what was going on probably!!
@lennyrose5852
I unironically wish I could write a song as good as this one
@Badspinache
Getting old sucks. Nearly 30 years ago. This song brings me back to those care free days. Goin to bed at night with this cd on my stereo stoned out of my mind. Without any kind of worry. Then i woke up and suddenly im in my 40s. But i wouldnt trade it for anything. Im so happy i grew up then and not in todays insane world. The 80s and 90s were the best time to be a kid.
@hinjurock
This song brings back good memories of the early 90's. I was renting a room in a warehouse where my drummer was living illegally and selling weed to all the stoner kids in our small town. Those were the days. I fucking miss the 90's.
@pipi3126HD
HinjuRock just be happy you lived it bro! I’m 22 right now I’d kill to be in the position u were in at that time