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.
Rema Rema
Big Black Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Rema-Rema, Rema-Rema, Rema-Rema, ha ha ha ha
Rema-Rema, Rema-Rema, Rema-Rema, ha ha ha ha
Someone's in the bathroom, someone's in the hall
Someone's in the kitchen, making?
Rema-Rema, Rema-Rema, Rema-Rema, Rema-Rema, ha ha ha ha
Rema-Rema, Rema-Rema, Rema-Rema, ha ha ha ha
Rema-Rema, Rema-Rema, Rema-Rema, ha ha ha ha
Someone's in the kitchen, someone's in the hall
Someone's in the bathroom, making mm mm mm??
Rema-Rema, Rema-Rema, Rema-Rema, ha ha ha ha
Jimmy sleeps on junkie's back
Jimmy sleeps on junkie's back
Why don't you watch Jimmy's back? ha ha ha ha
Rema-Rema, Rema-Rema, Rema-Rema, ha ha ha ha
The lyrics to Big Black's "Rema Rema" seem to be relatively nonsensical, with repeated mentions of the phrase "Rema-Rema," giggling, and random descriptions of people in different rooms of a house. However, there are a few lines that offer some insight into the meaning behind the song.
For example, the repeated line "Jimmy sleeps on junkie's back" suggests that the song is about drug addiction and the ways in which it can create power imbalances and dangerous situations. The line "Why don't you watch Jimmy's back?" could be seen as a plea to those around someone struggling with addiction to offer support and protection.
Overall, the song seems to be commenting on the chaos and confusion that can result from addiction, with the repetitive and disjointed lyrics reflecting the feeling of being trapped in a cycle of drug use and its consequences.
Line by Line Meaning
Rema-Rema, Rema-Rema, Rema-Rema, ha ha ha ha
Repeating the name of a person or an event, with laughter indicating a lack of concern or seriousness about it.
Someone's in the bathroom, someone's in the hall
There are people in various parts of the house, possibly suggesting a lack of privacy or intimacy.
Someone's in the kitchen, making?
Someone is making something in the kitchen, with the implication that the singer does not know or care what it is.
Rema-Rema, Rema-Rema, Rema-Rema, Rema-Rema, ha ha ha ha
Repeating the name of a person or an event, with laughter indicating a lack of concern or seriousness about it.
Ha ha ha ha
Outburst of laughter, possibly indicating a mocking or sarcastic tone.
Someone's in the kitchen, someone's in the hall
There are people in various parts of the house, possibly suggesting a lack of privacy or intimacy.
Someone's in the bathroom, making mm mm mm??
Someone is in the bathroom making sounds, with the implication that the singer does not know or care what they are doing.
Rema-Rema, Rema-Rema, Rema-Rema, ha ha ha ha
Repeating the name of a person or an event, with laughter indicating a lack of concern or seriousness about it.
Jimmy sleeps on junkie's back
A reference to someone named Jimmy who is in a dangerous or precarious situation.
Jimmy sleeps on junkie's back
A reference to someone named Jimmy who is in a dangerous or precarious situation.
Why don't you watch Jimmy's back? ha ha ha ha
Sarcastic question suggesting that the listener is not doing enough to help Jimmy, with laughter indicating a lack of concern or seriousness about the situation.
Rema-Rema, Rema-Rema, Rema-Rema, ha ha ha ha
Repeating the name of a person or an event, with laughter indicating a lack of concern or seriousness about it.
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY, BMG Rights Management
Written by: DOROTHY PRIOR, GARY ASQUITH, MARCO PIRRONI, MARK ALAN COX, MICHAEL DEREK ALLEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@fishfry4302
8 years late but here’s the lyrics:
Rema-Rema
Rema-Rema, Rema-Rema, Rema-Rema, ha ha ha ha
Rema-Rema, Rema-Rema, Rema-Rema, ha ha ha ha
Someone's in the bathroom, someone's in the hall
Someone's in the kitchen, making?
Rema-Rema, Rema-Rema, Rema-Rema, Rema-Rema, ha ha ha ha
Rema-Rema, Rema-Rema, Rema-Rema, ha ha ha ha
Ha ha ha ha
Rema-Rema, Rema-Rema, Rema-Rema, ha ha ha ha
Someone's in the kitchen, someone's in the hall
Someone's in the bathroom, making mm mm mm??
Rema-Rema, Rema-Rema, Rema-Rema, ha ha ha ha
Jimmy sleeps on junkie's back
Jimmy sleeps on junkie's back
Why don't you watch Jimmy's back? ha ha ha ha
Rema-Rema, Rema-Rema, Rema-Rema, ha ha ha ha
@bigmaz4002
It’s a fucking nut when you find a big black song you haven’t heard before.
@bigmaz4002
@@yannleroch1760 yess I love the original as well.
@JANXDPDX
a cover of Rema Rema's song "Rema Rema" from the 1980 album Wheel In The Roses on 4AD
@KingMob.
Good cover of a classic post-punk noise UK band... Who were largely forgotten.
@chuchlander345
I feel like I should be watching this live at an abandoned steel mill
@sebastian4451
rema rema sin parar, que felicidad! rio arriba rio abajo hay que disfrutar
@fishfry4302
8 years late but here’s the lyrics:
Rema-Rema
Rema-Rema, Rema-Rema, Rema-Rema, ha ha ha ha
Rema-Rema, Rema-Rema, Rema-Rema, ha ha ha ha
Someone's in the bathroom, someone's in the hall
Someone's in the kitchen, making?
Rema-Rema, Rema-Rema, Rema-Rema, Rema-Rema, ha ha ha ha
Rema-Rema, Rema-Rema, Rema-Rema, ha ha ha ha
Ha ha ha ha
Rema-Rema, Rema-Rema, Rema-Rema, ha ha ha ha
Someone's in the kitchen, someone's in the hall
Someone's in the bathroom, making mm mm mm??
Rema-Rema, Rema-Rema, Rema-Rema, ha ha ha ha
Jimmy sleeps on junkie's back
Jimmy sleeps on junkie's back
Why don't you watch Jimmy's back? ha ha ha ha
Rema-Rema, Rema-Rema, Rema-Rema, ha ha ha ha
@mantasour
saw a guy that looked like a young steve albini today..
I almost asked to take a picture with him..he looked just like him
@samthomasmusic
@Randomassyoutubechannel Steve isn't a bug
@saftovooey4569
Was he an idiot communist too?