They sought and found little mainstream success, but the group's piledriver drum machines and brutal, slashing electric guitars were widely influential, especially for industrial rock. Albini's snide, malevolent singing and provocative lyrics garnered much attention.
Albini made a name for himself for his controversial "Tired of Ugly Fat?" column in the Chicago zine Matter, as well as irregular contributions to Forced Exposure. At the time, the band consisted of Albini and his drum machine, a Roland TR-606. (All of Big Black's recordings credit "Roland" as if "he" were a member of the band.)
The Lungs EP, the first effort to appear under the Big Black name, was recorded by Albini in his dorm room at Northwestern University. Intended primarily to recruit members to fill out the band, Lungs was released by Ruthless Records. The record is infamous for the variety of inserts, which included a lyric sheet in most copies, plus extras like condoms, dollar bills, stickers, concert tickets, photographs, silverware, razor blades, bloody bandages, and squirt guns. Heavily influenced by Public Image Limited and Killing Joke, Albini describes the amateurish Lungs as one of his few artistic regrets.
In 1983 Jeff Pezzati and Santiago Durango, both of Naked Raygun, joined the band on bass and guitar, respectively. They recorded two EPs together, switching to Homestead Records, and soon after Pezzati left the band. He was replaced by Dave Riley.
Riley was a longtime funk fan and had worked at a Detroit recording studio frequented by Sly Stone and George Clinton. His bass guitar work with Big Black was, to a degree, influenced by funk — not to suggest that he played like Bootsy Collins or Larry Graham, but he did bring a sinuous quality to the music. Even before Riley joined, there was evidence of an interest in funk: Big Black had already covered James Brown's The Payback.
The band made a name for itself nationally with its first album Atomizer, which featured more controversial lyrics by Albini, and strong contributions by Durango and Riley to the songs and arrangement — a working scheme the band had settled on because it took advantage of each member's strengths. Some listeners did not understand that their songs were either social commentary or sarcastic jokes (often both), and assumed that the band was sexist and racist. Albini responded to these accusations by making his lyrics even more offensive than before. Albini has stated that irritating "squares" was no challenge, but he took specific glee in offending "hipsters".
Albini drew much lyrical inspiration from misadventures and escapades he observed during his teen years in rural Missoula, Montana: for example, Cables was inspired by acquaintances who would visit a slaughterhouse to watch cattle get killed.
In 1987 the band switched labels again, this time to the cult Chicago-based indie label Touch and Go Records, when the band became disenchanted with Homestead Records after the label illegally released promotional-only copies of some limited-edition recordings. Big Black then released the Headache EP, which bore a sticker reading, "Not as good as Atomizer, so don't get your hopes up, cheese!" This was not a gimmick; the band truly thought Headache was inferior, and wanted to warn fans.
Shortly after, Durango announced that he was leaving the band to attend law school. Never expecting to make a career out of Big Black, the band realized this would be a good time to stop, not wanting to turn into the Rolling Stones. They broke up, and then released one final album, Songs About Fucking
Steve Albini went on to become a successful recording engineer (he dislikes the term "producer") for bands like Pixies, Nirvana, The Jesus Lizard, The Auteurs, Slint, Membranes, PJ Harvey, and many others, in addition to playing in Rapeman and Shellac.
The band are mentioned in the 1988 the Dead Milkmen song, Sri Lanka Sex Hotel, in the line: "Let's play Big Black at 3 a.m., And tell the neighbours they can all get fucked".
Dave Riley suffered a stroke in 1993 and was left paraplegic. He started a blog and wrote a book.
Santiago Durango released two EPs as Arsenal on Touch and Go, and is still a practicing lawyer. In his first case he helped recover Cynthia Plaster Caster's bronze casts of the genitalia of various rock and roll artists, including that of Jimi Hendrix. He handled some litigation for Touch and Go, and is currently an appellate defender.
Touch and Go acquired the rights to the Big Black back catalog, and reissued these (by this time) hard-to-acquire classics.
Big Black have been posthumously successful, with Q Magazine's August 2007 issue naming Songs About Fucking as the fifth loudest album of all time, just ahead of the Who's Live at Leeds and Public Enemy's It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back.
Big Black briefly reunited to play a few songs at Touch and Go Records 25th anniversary celebration on 9 September 2006. The line up was Steve Albini, Santiago Durango and Jeff Pezzati. They played Cables, Dead Billy, Pigeon Kill and Racer X in that order.
"I know what you're all thinking... 'what was all the fuss about?'" Albini said onstage that night. He later said that the reunion would not have happened but for the Touch & Go anniversary, and said the record label is "the most important thing to happen in music in my lifetime." Pezzati and Durango nodded in assent.
Big Black's career is chronicled in Our Band Could Be Your Life, a study of several important American underground rock groups.
In December 2019, longtime bassist Dave Riley passed away from throat and lung cancer. He was 59.
08 Bazooka Joe
Big Black Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When Joe comes back Joe's head will crack
When Joe's head cracks, when that big head cracks
It's "Welcome back, Joe. Welcome back, Joe."
You don't have to be alone Joe, you don't have to be alone Joe
Hang with me Joe, hang with me Joe, hang with me Joe
You don't have to be alone Joe, you don't have to be alone Joe
The Joe man is back
When that big head cracks
It's "Welcome back, Joe. Welcome back, Joe."
Hang with me Joe, hang with me Joe, hang with me Joe, hang with
me Joe
Oh, you don't have to be alone Joe, you don't have to be alone
Joe
Hang with me Joe, hang with me Joe, hang with me Joe
Hang with me Joe, hang with me Joe, hang with me Joe
Bazooka Joe, Bazooka Joe
It's been a long time Joe, been a long Joe, been a long time I
know
You don't have to be alone Joe, you don't have to be alone
Hang with me Joe, hang with me Joe, hang with me Joe
Say it ain't so Joe, say it ain't so Joe, say it ain't so Joe
You don't have to be alone Joe, you don't have to be alone Joe
Place for us Joe, there's a place for us Joe
We'll do all the things that you used to do, we'll do all the
things that you
Just the way it was Joe, just the way it was Joe, just the way
it was Joe
Hang with me Joe, hang with me Joe, hang with me Joe
Show you the ropes Joe, I'll show you the ropes Joe, show you
the ropes Joe
Hang with me Joe, hang with me Joe, hang with me Joe
Bazooka Joe, Bazooka Joe
It's been a long time I know, been a long I know, been a long
time I know
You don't have to be alone Joe, you don't have to be alone Joe
Place for us Joe, there's a place for us Joe
We'll do all the things that you used to do, we'll do all the
things that you
There are people that need us, people that need things that we
know
How to do Joe
Hang with me Joe, hang with me Joe, hang with me Joe
Place for us Joe, there's a place for us Joe
You don't have to be alone Joe, you don't have to be alone
Hang with me Joe, hang with me Joe, hang with me Joe
Bazooka Joe, Bazooka Joe
Bazooka Joe, Bazooka Joe
Bazooka Joe, Bazooka Joe
Bazooka Joe, Bazooka Joe
Bazooka Joe, Bazooka Joe
Welcome back, Joe
The lyrics to Big Black's song 08 Bazooka Joe are written from the perspective of someone who is welcoming back Bazooka Joe after a period of absence. The repetition of "hang with me Joe" and "you don't have to be alone Joe" seems to be an attempt to reel Joe back in and make him feel welcome, as if he might be hesitant to return. The line "When Joe's head cracks, when that big head cracks" is a metaphor for something violent or explosive happening, perhaps suggesting that Joe's return could lead to chaos. However, this is immediately followed by the welcoming phrase "Welcome back, Joe," which indicates that whatever happens, Joe will always have a home.
The song seems to be about the importance of community and connection, and how people need each other to feel like they belong. The idea of "showing Joe the ropes" suggests that the singer is willing to teach Joe anything he needs to know in order to fit back in with the group. The references to "all the things that you used to do" and "just the way it was Joe" indicate that there is a shared history between Joe and the group, and that they want to maintain that connection.
Overall, Big Black's song 08 Bazooka Joe is about the power of friendship and the importance of belonging to a community. The repetition of certain phrases throughout the song creates a sense of urgency and desperation, as if the singer is trying to convince Joe to come back at any cost.
Line by Line Meaning
The Joe man is back
Joe has returned
When Joe comes back Joe's head will crack
Joe will be overwhelmed with excitement
When Joe's head cracks, when that big head cracks
Joe will experience immense joy
It's "Welcome back, Joe. Welcome back, Joe."
Everyone is happy to see Joe return
You don't have to be alone Joe, you don't have to be alone Joe
Joe is not alone, he has friends
Hang with me Joe, hang with me Joe, hang with me Joe
Stay with me Joe, spend time with me Joe
Oh, you don't have to be alone Joe, you don't have to be alone Joe
Joe is not alone, he has friends
Bazooka Joe, Bazooka Joe
A nickname for Joe
It's been a long time Joe, been a long Joe, been a long time I know
Joe's absence was felt for a while
Say it ain't so Joe, say it ain't so Joe, say it ain't so Joe
Hope that Joe has returned for good
Place for us Joe, there's a place for us Joe
There is a spot for Joe among friends
We'll do all the things that you used to do, we'll do all the things that you
Activities with Joe will resume
Just the way it was Joe, just the way it was Joe, just the way it was Joe
Things are back to how they used to be
Show you the ropes Joe, I'll show you the ropes Joe, show you the ropes Joe
Teach Joe what he has missed while he was gone
There are people that need us, people that need things that we know
Joe and friends have skills needed by others
Hang with me Joe, hang with me Joe, hang with me Joe
Stay with me Joe, spend time with me Joe
Welcome back, Joe
Happy to see Joe return
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