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.
Square One
Beck Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I'm learning to enjoy the ride on the road to nowhere
I hope we get there soon
'Cause it's a place we've been before
Knocking on purgatory's door to find a place in the sun
A chameleon changing colors on demand
Taking detours in your mind
You'll be fine if you try
To keep your eyes on the consolation prize
When you lower your expectations
And you've run out of patience
It's all a part of the plan when you're lost in the world
And you're going down hard for the girl
I've been running the lights in the city
Saying 'who can I be running from?'
My demons told my skeletons 'he won't get very far'
When I got to the dark side of the moon
All the trouble I thought I knew, it left me out in the cold
Spinning out of control on a broken carousel
Now tell me this is life and it's alright
Chasing windmills in your mind
You'll be fine if you try
To keep your eyes on the consolation prize
On the road to tomorrow
Gonna have to beg, steal, or borrow
It's all a part of the plan when you're dead to the world
And you're going down hard for the girl
For the girl
For the girl
For the girl
For the girl
See you on the other side of love all alone (for the girl)
Sooner or later at the end of the world (for the girl)
See you on the other side of love all alone (for the girl)
Sooner or later at the end of the world (for the girl)
'Cause this is life and it's alright
Taking detours in your mind
You'll be fine if you try
To keep your eyes on the consolation prize
On the road to Valhalla
Karma riding shotgun with drama
It's all a part of the plan when you're lost in the world
And you're going down hard for the girl
In Beck's song "Square One," the lyrics delve deep into themes of existentialism, hope, and the journey of life. The opening lines, "I've been watching the wheels turning, but I'm learning to enjoy the ride on the road to nowhere," reflect the idea that life is a journey with no set destination. Life may feel like it is going nowhere, but it is essential to enjoy the ride while it lasts. The lyrics also speak to the idea of the journey being more important than the destination in lines such as "It's all a part of the plan when you're lost in the world," and "To keep your eyes on the consolation prize."
The song continues to explore the theme of the journey of life and how the ups and downs are all part of a bigger plan, with lines like "Taking detours in your mind, you'll be fine if you try," and "It's all a part of the plan when you're dead to the world." The song also touches on the idea of death and how it is inevitable, with lines like "See you on the other side of love all alone, sooner or later at the end of the world."
Overall, the song "Square One" is about finding hope and joy in the journey of life, embracing the journey even when it is difficult, and recognizing that the ups and downs are all part of a bigger plan.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been watching the wheels turning
I've been observing life moving forward
But I'm learning to enjoy the ride on the road to nowhere
But I'm learning to appreciate the journey, even if it doesn't lead to a specific destination
I hope we get there soon
I hope we find what we're looking for soon
'Cause it's a place we've been before
Because we've been in a similar situation before
Knocking on purgatory's door to find a place in the sun
Searching for a sense of purpose or meaning in life
A chameleon changing colors on demand
Adapting to different situations and environments as needed
'Cause this is life and it's alright
This is what life is like, but it's okay
Taking detours in your mind
Exploring different paths and possibilities in your thoughts
You'll be fine if you try
Things will work out if you make an effort
To keep your eyes on the consolation prize
To focus on the small victories or successes along the way
When you lower your expectations
When you adjust your goals or aspirations
And you've run out of patience
And you've become tired or frustrated
It's all a part of the plan when you're lost in the world
It's normal to feel uncertain or confused when navigating life's challenges
And you're going down hard for the girl
And you're trying hard for someone or something important to you
I've been running the lights in the city
I've been living in the fast-paced, urban environment
Saying 'who can I be running from?'
Wondering if there's anything chasing or threatening me
My demons told my skeletons 'he won't get very far'
My fears and insecurities are hindering my progress
When I got to the dark side of the moon
When I reached a place of loneliness or isolation
All the trouble I thought I knew, it left me out in the cold
All the problems I thought I understood left me feeling lost and alone
Spinning out of control on a broken carousel
Feeling like my life is out of control and going in circles
Now tell me this is life and it's alright
But even in difficult times, life is still worth living
Chasing windmills in your mind
Pursuing fantasies or unrealistic goals in your thoughts
On the road to tomorrow
On the path to the future
Gonna have to beg, steal, or borrow
Will have to struggle or improvise to get what is needed
It's all a part of the plan when you're dead to the world
It's natural to feel disconnected or disengaged from the world sometimes
For the girl
For someone special to me
See you on the other side of love all alone (for the girl)
Thinking about being separated from that special person
Sooner or later at the end of the world (for the girl)
Eventually, everyone will face the end, but she is still important to me
On the road to Valhalla
On a path toward some kind of reward or afterlife
Karma riding shotgun with drama
Feeling like fate and events beyond your control are influencing your life
And you're going down hard for the girl
And you're still trying hard for that special someone
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BECK DAVID CAMPBELL, GREGORY KURSTIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind