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.
Summer Girl
Beck Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With her black tongue tied round the roses
Fist pounding on a vending machine
Toy diamond ring stuck on her finger
With a noose she can hang from the sun
Put it out with her dark sunglasses
Walking crooked down the beach
And I know I’m gonna steal her life
She doesn’t even know what’s wrong
And I know I’m gonna make her die
Take her where her soul belongs
And I know I’m gonna steal her life
Nothing that I wouldn't try
Hey, my cyanide girl
Hey, my cyanide girl
My cyanide girl
Hey, my cyanide girl
I saw her, yeah I saw her with her hands tied back
And her rags were burning
Crawling out from a land filled life
Scrawling her name upon the ceiling
Throw a coin in a fountain of dust
White noise, her ears are ringing
Got a ticket for a midnight hanging
Throw a bullet from a freight train leaving
And I know I’m gonna steal her life
She doesn’t even know what’s wrong
And I know I’m gonna make her die
Take her where her soul belongs
And I know I’m gonna steal her life
Nothing that I wouldn't try
Hey, my cyanide girl
Hey, my cyanide girl
My cyanide girl
Hey, my cyanide girl
The lyrics of Beck’s “Summer Girl” are open to interpretation and can be seen as a dark and twisted love song. The song starts with the singer describing a girl with a black tongue, pounding on a vending machine, and wearing a toy diamond ring. The description of this woman is both intriguing and ominous, and sets the tone for the rest of the song.
As the lyrics progress, the singer reveals his intention to “steal her life” and take her where her soul belongs. He references a noose she can hang from the sun, dark sunglasses, and a beach where bones are bleaching. These images convey a sense of danger and death. The line “she doesn’t even know what’s wrong” could suggest that the woman is both unaware of the singer’s sinister intentions and possibly going through something darker herself.
The chorus includes the haunting repetition of “Hey, my cyanide girl” which could be interpreted as the singer recognizing the toxicity of their relationship or his desire to be with someone who is dangerous and deadly. The lyrics continue with the woman’s hands tied back and her rags burning, as if she is a prisoner or a victim of some sort. The singer ends the song with the line “nothing that I wouldn’t try” which suggests he will go to any lengths to be with this woman, even if it means putting their lives at risk.
Overall, the lyrics of “Summer Girl” can be interpreted as a dark commentary on the complexities of love and attraction.
Line by Line Meaning
I saw her, yeah I saw her
The singer has spotted the girl previously
With her black tongue tied round the roses
The girl has a sense of darkness and rebellion about her
Fist pounding on a vending machine
She is frustrated or angry about something and taking it out on the vending machine
Toy diamond ring stuck on her finger
She may have a fascination with sparkle, even if the ring is fake
With a noose she can hang from the sun
She is capable of self destructive behavior that could lead to a dangerous outcome
Put it out with her dark sunglasses
She has the power to block out the light or hide reality
Walking crooked down the beach
She may be unbalanced or walking aimlessly
She spits on the sand where their bones are bleaching
Her behavior is disrespectful and she may have a disregard for the past
And I know I’m gonna steal her life
The artist has intentions of controlling or taking advantage of the girl
She doesn’t even know what’s wrong
The girl may be unaware or naive about the danger she is in
Take her where her soul belongs
The singer believes he can direct the girl's life and soul as he desires
Nothing that I wouldn't try
The artist is willing to go to great extreme or lengths to control the girl
Hey, my cyanide girl
The singer views the girl as a metaphor for poison or danger
I saw her, yeah I saw her with her hands tied back
The girl has been restrained or held captive before
And her rags were burning
The things she has or her identity may be in danger or at risk
Crawling out from a land filled life
The girl wants to escape a life that seems to be holding her back or suffocating her
Scrawling her name upon the ceiling
The girl wants to leave her mark or make her presence known
Throw a coin in a fountain of dust
She may be wishing for something that cannot come true or is impossible
White noise, her ears are ringing
The girl is experiencing chaos or confusion that is affecting her senses
Got a ticket for a midnight hanging
The artist may have made plans for her end or demise
Throw a bullet from a freight train leaving
The artist has intentions of terminating their relationship in a sudden or unexpected manner
Hey, my cyanide girl
The artist continues to view the girl as a metaphor for poison or danger
Hey, my cyanide girl
The singer reiterates the metaphor for the girl's dangerous nature
My cyanide girl
The girl is seen as lethal or deadly
Hey, my cyanide girl
The singer repeats his controlling and dangerous attitude towards the girl
Contributed by Elliot N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
My Name Is
I saw her, yeah I saw her with her black tongue tied
Round the roses
Fist pounding on a vending machine
Toy diamond ring stuck on her finger
With a noose she can hang from the sun
And put it out with her dark sunglasses
Walking crooked down the beach
She spits on the sand where their bones are bleaching
And I know I'm gonna steal her eye
She doesn't even know what's wrong
And I know I'm gonna make her die
Take her where her soul belongs
And I know I'm gonna steal her eye
Nothing that I wouldn't try
Hey, my sun-eyed girl
Hey, my sun-eyed girl
I saw her, yeah I saw her with her hands tied back
And her rags were burning
Crawling out from a landfilled life
Scrawling her name upon the ceiling
Throw a coin in a fountain of dust
White noise, her ears are ringing
Got a ticket for a midnight hanging
Throw a bullet from a freight train leaving
And I know I'm gonna steal her eye
She doesn't even know what's wrong
And I know I'm gonna make her die
Take her where her soul belongs
And I know I'm gonna steal her eye
Nothing that I would not try
Hey, my sun-eyed girl
ThyWorldToday
This song has been out since 2005 and still no one looks at the lyrics, do only I understand becks jokes
I saw her, yeah I saw her with her black tongue tied
Round the roses
Fist pounding on a vending machine
Toy diamond ring stuck on her finger
With a noose she can hang from the sun
And put it out with her dark sunglasses
Walking crooked down the beach
She spits on the sand where their bones are bleaching
And I know I'm gonna steal her eye
She doesn't even know what's wrong
And I know I'm gonna make her die
Take her where her soul belongs
And I know I'm gonna steal her eye
Nothing that I wouldn't try
My sun-eyed girl
My sun-eyed girl
I saw her, yeah I saw her with her hands tied back
And her rags were burning
Crawling out from a land filled life
Scrawlin' her name upon the ceiling
Throw a coin in a fountain of dust
White noise, her ears are ringing
Got a ticket for a midnight hanging
Throw a bullet from a freight train leaving
And I know I'm gonna steal her eye
She doesn't even know what's wrong
And I know I'm gonna make her die
Take her where her soul belongs
And I know I'm gonna steal her eye
Nothing that I would not try
My sun-eyed girl
i'm not kidding you these are the real lyrics, if you don't believe me read the sign
0:36
Bảo Tuấn Cao Thiên
"Girl"
I saw her, yeah I saw her with her black tongue tied
Round the roses
Fist pounding on a vending machine
Toy diamond ring stuck on her finger
With a noose she can hang from the sun
And put it out with her dark sunglasses
Walking crooked down the beach
She spits on the sand where their bones are bleaching
And I know I'm gonna steal her eye
She doesn't even know what's wrong
And I know I'm gonna make her die
Take her where her soul belongs
And I know I'm gonna steal her eye
Nothing that I wouldn't try
Hey, my sun-eyed girl
Hey, my sun-eyed girl
I saw her, yeah I saw her with her hands tied back
And her rags were burning
Crawling out from a landfilled life
Scrawling her name upon the ceiling
Throw a coin in a fountain of dust
White noise, her ears are ringing
Got a ticket for a midnight hanging
Throw a bullet from a freight train leaving
And I know I'm gonna steal her eye
She doesn't even know what's wrong
And I know I'm gonna make her die
Take her where her soul belongs
And I know I'm gonna steal her eye
Nothing that I would not try
Hey, my sun-eyed girl
Birdienumnum
In my opinion, beck is the most talented alternative artist to come out of the 90s. "Odelay" is a masterpiece.
Arrington 77
I couldn’t agree more!!
guiller
I 10000% agree!
Lenny Boncasa
@guiller
S
John Wallace
In my top 5 of all time….soo good
Nick Somebody369
Sublime. Beck is a close second
STAKWELL
I hate that I haven't heard of this guy. Just looking through his discography, he is very talented. Guess it is better late than never.
Harsya Kurnia Adha
You're not the only one..... I guess Grammy really revive one's popularity, and the fact that he won over Beyonce really help
STAKWELL
Exactly my friend. Beyonce didn't need that award, she is one the most successful and influential artist in music history by simply keeping up with times and not forgetting why she is adored in the first place. The Grammies made the right choice by giving Beck the award and I know lots of people out there including myself, haven't heard the likes of him. Super creative, lots of substance, vision and incredibly infectious. Loving the music.
Kelly Wosahla
never too late to appreciate such talent.