Born in Malone, New York, Mould lived in several places, including Pine City, Minnesota and the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, where he attended Macalester College. There, he formed Hüsker Dü in the late 1970s, with drummer/singer Grant Hart and bass guitarist Greg Norton.
Mould released his first solo album after Hüsker Dü broke up; 1989's Workbook eschewed Mould's trademark wall-of-noise guitar for a stripped-down sound featuring acoustic guitars and cellos. 1991's jagged Black Sheets of Rain put Mould in more familiar territory, recalling Hüsker Dü's loudest, angriest moments. Mould also started a record label, Singles Only Label, which released singles from up and coming bands such as Grant Lee Buffalo.
Mould then formed the group Sugar, a college/alternative radio favorite in the mid-1990s. Along with extensive touring, Sugar released two albums, an EP and a B-sides collection before splitting.
Mould returned to solo recording, releasing a self-titled album in 1996 (which is often referred to as Hubcap because of the cover photo) and 1998's The Last Dog and Pony Show. During a stint living in New York City in the late-1990s, Mould's tastes took a detour into dance music and electronica. Those influences were clear on his 2002 release Modulate, which featured a strong electronica influence to mixed critical reviews. To pursue this sound, Mould also began recording under the pseudonym LoudBomb (an anagram of his name). He has released one CD so far under this name.
Mould took a brief break from the music world to get involved with another passion of his, professional wrestling, when he joined WCW as a scriptwriter for a brief period. Creative differences with some of the other writers of the league led to Mould leaving the company and returning to music. The liner notes for Modulate thank some of the wrestlers he associated with, most notably Kevin Nash and Kevin Sullivan.
In addition to his solo work, Mould is also a live DJ in collaboration with Washington DC-area dance music artist Richard Morel, under the collective banner Blowoff. A recording under that banner was released in September 2006. Mould has been asked to do remixes for a variety of dance and alternative rock artists. A recent remix of the Interpol song "Length Of Love" has led to more critical acclaim for the veteran artist.
For much of the 1990s, Mould toured playing solo acoustic renditions of his catalog (occasionally switching to electric guitar midway through his set). In 2005 his solo album Body of Song was cross-announced with his first band tour since 1998. Brendan Canty, best known as the drummer for Fugazi, and Mould's Blowoff collaborator, Morel, played drums and keyboards, respectively, for the 2005 tour. Mould's latest album, District Line, was released in February 2008.
Though his homosexuality was previously something of an open secret, Mould was outed in the early 1990s; he is now openly gay. Though it was often rumored during his Hüsker Dü days that he and bandmate Hart were an item (Hart was also gay, and both acknowledge taking partners on tour), both have flatly denied ever having been romantically involved.
In 2006, Mould contributed the song "If I Can't Change Your Mind" to the album Wed-Rock, an album to promote same-sex marriage.
On September 29, 2005, Mould's song "Circles" was featured on The OC as Marissa Cooper was starting her first day at her public school in Season 3. Mould's song "Dog on Fire" is the theme song for The Daily Show. They Might Be Giants perform the current version. The song "See a Little Light" has been used more than once in various television applications: It was used in the closing scene of the original un-aired test pilot episode of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, it became one of the principal theme songs for the HBO series The Mind of the Married Man and was also used in a television commercial for TIAA-CREF (August 2007). Mould also composed the theme for the TLC program, In a Fix.
Mould and director Cameron Crowe are close friends; the character Bob Sugar (played by Jay Mohr) in Crowe's 1996 film Jerry Maguire is named for both Mould and his former band, Sugar.
Mould appeared on an episode of IFC's The Henry Rollins Show on June 15, 2007.
Mould also played lead guitar in the house band for the film of John Cameron Mitchell's Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Mould also participated in a Hedwig tribute album, Wig in a Box, on which he covered the song "Nailed."
Solo Discography
Workbook LP (Virgin, 1989)
See A Little Light Single (Virgin, 1989)
Wishing Well + 4 Tracks Single (Virgin, 1989)
Black Sheets of Rain LP (Virgin, 1990)
Poison Years Compilation LP (Virgin, 1994)
Egøverride Single (Rykodisc, 1995)
Bob Mould LP (Rykodisc, 1996)
The Last Dog and Pony Show LP (Rykodisc, 1998)
Modulate LP (Granary Music, 2002)
Live Dog 98: The Forum, London UK Live LP (Granary Music, 2002)
Long Playing Grooves (released under anagram LoudBomb) LP (Granary Music, 2002)
Body of Song (Yep Roc, 2005)
District Line (Granary Music, 2008)
Silver Age (Edsel 2012)
Beauty & Ruin (Merge Records, 2014)
Patch the Sky (Merge Records, 2016)
Sunshine Rock (Merge Records, 2019)
Bootlegs
The Calm Before the Storm (Kiss The Stone, 1994)
Bands Produced
Soul Asylum, Made To Be Broken LP
Articles of Faith, Give Thanks and In this Life LPs
Magnapop, Hot Boxing LP
Verbow, Chronicles LP
The Zulus, Down on the Floor LP
Impaler, If We Had Brains... We'd Be Dangerous LP
Low, Tonight the Monkeys Die Remixes EP
http://www.bobmould.com
http://modulate.blogspot.com
American Crisis
Bob Mould Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To come of age in the '80s was bad enough
We were marginalized and demonized
I watched a lot of my generation die
Welcome back to American crisis
No telling what the price is
We click and we tweet and we spread these tales of blame
Here's the newest American crisis
Thanks to the evangelical ISIS
People suffer in the streets each day
While you take a little change from the offering tray
It's another American crisis
You can see how the lie divide us
World turning darker every day
In a fucked up USA
Can you look in the mirror and tell me everything's alright?
This American crisis keeps me wide awake at night
You're one of us
Or one of them
If you're one of them
Don't come near me again
Ringing in my head only goes away
When I yell all the things that I shouldn't say
Ringing in my head never goes away
Pro-life, pro-life
Until you make it in someone else's wife
You'll be struck down in your house of corruption
Free speech, free speech
Got stolen by a pack of thieves
This American crisis keeps me wide awake at night
You're one of us
Or one of them
If you're one of them
Don't come near me again
Silence was death
Never forget
Silence was death
Silence
Bob Mould's song "American Crisis" is a clarion call about the state of the United States of America in 2020. The song opens with the lines - "I never thought I'd see this bullshit again / To come of age in the '80s was bad enough", that alludes to the Reagan era and the violence and institutionalized marginalization of different communities in America in that time. The singer then goes on to lament the new American crisis that he sees unfolding before his eyes with every passing day - the nation in flames, people suffering in the streets, and the rise of what he calls the "evangelical ISIS". The lyrics express outrage at the hypocrisy and corruption of the political and religious leaders who are quick to promise "pro-life" and "free speech" but are willing to throw both out of the window when it suits their vested interests.
Mould's lyrics are brutally honest and searing in their critique of the country he loves but fears is losing its way. He asks his listeners if they can "look in the mirror and tell me everything's alright?" and accuses those who enable the crisis of being a part of the problem. The chorus of "American Crisis" is a repeating refrain of "You're one of us / Or one of them / If you're one of them / Don't come near me again", that speaks to the deep divisions in the country and the unwillingness of some to engage in any substantive dialogue.
The song ends with the lines - "Silence was death / Never forget / Silence", that urges everyone to speak up and make their voices heard. Mould's song is not just a critique, it's a rallying cry for change and for American citizens to take back their country from the brink of destruction.
Line by Line Meaning
I never thought I'd see this bullshit again
I never thought that I would live long enough to see this type of situation repeating itself.
To come of age in the '80s was bad enough
Growing up and maturing in the '80s had its challenges.
We were marginalized and demonized
We were pushed to the fringes of society and were unfairly portrayed.
I watched a lot of my generation die
I witnessed the deaths of many individuals in my age group.
Welcome back to American crisis
We are once again facing a significant problem in America.
No telling what the price is
We are unsure of the cost we will have to pay.
Wake up every day to see a nation in flames
Every morning we awaken to witness a country that is figuratively burning.
We click and we tweet and we spread these tales of blame
We point fingers and share accusations on social media platforms.
Here's the newest American crisis
This is the latest major issue affecting our country.
Thanks to the evangelical ISIS
This problem is due in part to the evangelicals and their extremist beliefs.
People suffer in the streets each day
Individuals endure hardship and agony on the streets regularly.
While you take a little change from the offering tray
You, on the other hand, take small amounts of money from the offering plate.
It's another American crisis
This is one more difficulty added to the long list of American crises.
You can see how the lie divide us
The falsehoods that exist create a division amongst us.
World turning darker every day
The situation is becoming increasingly more depressing.
In a fucked up USA
The United States is presently in a state of disarray.
Can you look in the mirror and tell me everything's alright?
Can you be truthful with yourself and say that everything is okay?
This American crisis keeps me wide awake at night
I am unable to sleep because of this ongoing crisis.
You're one of us
You are a part of our group.
Or one of them
Alternatively, you could be a member of their group.
If you're one of them
If you belong to their group.
Don't come near me again
I do not wish to be in the proximity of individuals from their group.
Ringing in my head only goes away
The only way to stop these haunting thoughts in my mind is to scream the words I shouldn't say.
When I yell all the things that I shouldn't say
By yelling the things I ought not to voice, the ringing in my head stops.
Pro-life, pro-life
Individuals who believe in the importance of preserving life.
Until you make it in someone else's wife
Your views on respecting and preserving life may change if it was your wife being violated.
You'll be struck down in your house of corruption
You will be punished for your corrupt actions.
Free speech, free speech
The right to speak one's mind freely.
Got stolen by a pack of thieves
This right was taken by a group of malicious individuals.
Silence was death
Keeping quiet led to destruction and death.
Never forget
It is essential that we never forget this.
Writer(s): Robert Arthur Mould
Contributed by Maria H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ed W.
There's nothing better than Bob Mould's anger coming through in a high energy song. The man has a gift.
Reuben T.
Listen to sacrafice/let there be peace by him, its reallllly good
WTF WTF
Yes he definitely has a “gift” and the kind which just keeps on giving
David Ames
Not true. E everything since Husker has been mediocre by comparison.
Dougie Destructor
This man IS a gift <3
undefined Lust
@Fred Mossberg Do you remember?
CugnoTheSwiss
Bob Mould hasn't screamed this much since Zen Arcade
Reuben T.
If you liked or loved this somg then I recomend the song sacrafice/let there be peace by him. its really good and its on his earlier album black sheets of rain which is also realy good
richinmusic
That is exactly what I said when I heard this song. Wow...almost 60 and still angrier and more relevant than most 20-somethings.
Citronius
@Caribou1983 arteries shopping NO-HO-DES