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
I Don't Mind
Bob Mould Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A game in which I seem
To never find out just what I am
I don't know if I'm an actor or ham
A shamen or sham
But if you don't mind
I don't mind
How can I undo
The tangle of these webs I keep weaving
I don't know if I should be believing
Deceptive, perceiving
But if you don't mind
I don't mind
I used to bet that you didn't care
But gambling never got me anywhere
Each time I used to feel so sure
Something about you made me doubt you more
How can you convince me
When everything I see
Just makes me feel you're putting me down
And if it's true this pathetic clown'll
Keep hanging around
That's if you don't mind
I don't mind
I used to bet that you didn't care
But gambling never got me anywhere
Each time I used to be so sure
Something about you made me doubt you more
I used think you hate me when you call me on the phone
And sometimes when we go out I wish I'd stayed at home
And when I'm dreaming or just lying in my bed
I think you've got it in for me
Is it all in my head is it in my head
How can you convince me
When everything I see
Just makes me feel you're putting me down
And if it's true this pathetic clown'll
Keep hanging around
That's if you don't mind
I don't mind
I don't mind
The lyrics to Bob Mould's song I Don't Mind pertain to the inner thoughts and doubts of the singer. He begins by addressing the concept of reality, stating that it is akin to a dream and that he is unable to determine his true identity. He presents a possibility that he may be an actor or a sham, and he admits that he is lost without a clue. The singer is unable to comprehend the confusion that he is experiencing and the webs that he keeps weaving, which may be considered to symbolize his life.
The singer then expresses doubt about his relationship with someone, suggesting that he used to bet that the other person didn't care. He admits that gambling led him nowhere and that he doubts the other person's intentions more and more. Despite this, the singer is unable to escape their relationship or the hold that the other person has over him. He acknowledges his own feelings of inadequacy and questions the authenticity of the other person's feelings towards him.
The lyrics in I Don't Mind are introspective and poignant. They highlight the complexity of human relationships and the struggle to understand oneself. The song urges us to examine our own doubts and insecurities, and it reminds us that we are not alone in our struggles.
Line by Line Meaning
Reality's a dream
The nature of reality is so uncertain that it can feel like a dream.
A game in which I seem
Life can feel like a game in which the singer is merely a participant.
To never find out just what I am
The singer never feels like they really know who they are or what their purpose is.
I don't know if I'm an actor or ham
The artist is unsure if they are being genuine or just acting a part for others.
A shamen or sham
The artist is unsure if they are a true spiritual guide or just a phony.
But if you don't mind
The singer does not want their uncertainty to interfere with their relationship with their partner.
I'm lost without a clue
The singer is completely lost and directionless.
How can I undo
The artist is trying to figure out how to solve their problems.
The tangle of these webs I keep weaving
The artist feels trapped in their own self-created problems and is struggling to get out of them.
I don't know if I should be believing
The artist is questioning their perspective on reality and what they should consider to be true.
Deceptive, perceiving
The singer is unsure if their own perception of reality is deceiving them.
But if you don't mind
The artist is prioritizing their relationship with their partner over their existential confusion.
I used to bet that you didn't care
The singer once assumed that their partner did not care about them.
But gambling never got me anywhere
This assumption did not serve the singer well and only caused them more problems.
Each time I used to feel so sure
The singer used to be more confident in their understanding of their relationship with their partner.
Something about you made me doubt you more
However, something about their partner's behavior has caused the artist to doubt their feelings.
How can you convince me
The artist is asking their partner to help alleviate their doubts.
When everything I see
The singer is constantly seeing things that make them question their relationship.
Just makes me feel you're putting me down
The singer feels like their partner is belittling them or not taking them seriously.
And if it's true this pathetic clown'll
The artist worries that if their doubts prove to be justified, they will feel even worse about themselves.
Keep hanging around
Despite their doubts, the artist still wants to stay with their partner.
That's if you don't mind
The artist is once again emphasizing that their partner's opinion is important to them.
I don't mind
The singer is willing to put aside their own doubts and feelings of confusion for the sake of their relationship.
I used think you hate me when you call me on the phone
The artist has anxiety about the way their partner behaves towards them, even in mundane situations like phone calls.
And sometimes when we go out I wish I'd stayed at home
The singer sometimes regrets going out with their partner because it feels more stressful than enjoyable.
And when I'm dreaming or just lying in my bed
The singer's anxiety and uncertainty is present both when they are awake and asleep.
I think you've got it in for me
The singer worries that their partner is actively working against them.
Is it all in my head is it in my head
The artist is questioning whether their anxiety and doubts are actually based in reality or just their own perception.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Peter Shelley
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Rube's Good-Brain Coffee
That's hilarious and a great story. For the record, I first got into the Buzzcocks after reading an interview in which you said how much you love them. That was about twenty-five years ago.
Incidentally, I remember watching you at the Cat's Cradle (Chapel Hill) in much the same way. The crowd was lame, so I tried to be as supportive as I could. I complained to my friend and she said, 'Look at them: They're old!'
I didn't think that was any excuse -- just a bunch of hipsters too cool for school, really.
On your blog you said: 'Here's a tip: You give us love, we give you rock.'
Exactly.
God bless ya, Bob. Thanks for all you've given us over all these years -- and hopefully more to come!
Mr C
Would love to see Bob doing a whole album of early punk tracks.
Allan Wood
YES! YES! 100 times YES!!! This and Send Me A Postcard make me certain it would be amazing. Just knock it out in the studio and release it online!!
Antanix
Perfect cover, respectful of the original, great tribute to a great band, by a great man.
m b
masterpiece of a masterpiece!
Mr C
Yes! Buzzcocks and 'anything' that Bob Mould did, my two favorite bands!!!
XLBiker13
THANK YOU! Awesome cover!! The Buzzcocks ruled! And so did Husker Du! And everything you did subsequently has meant so much to me. THANK YOU for all of it!!!
Rafael Ramone
Great fuckin' cover! Long live to Hüsker Dü and Buzzcocks! They are both my favorite bands!
Rube's Good-Brain Coffee
That's hilarious and a great story. For the record, I first got into the Buzzcocks after reading an interview in which you said how much you love them. That was about twenty-five years ago.
Incidentally, I remember watching you at the Cat's Cradle (Chapel Hill) in much the same way. The crowd was lame, so I tried to be as supportive as I could. I complained to my friend and she said, 'Look at them: They're old!'
I didn't think that was any excuse -- just a bunch of hipsters too cool for school, really.
On your blog you said: 'Here's a tip: You give us love, we give you rock.'
Exactly.
God bless ya, Bob. Thanks for all you've given us over all these years -- and hopefully more to come!
Ronald Williams
Man, I think I read that same interview!
Joe Clark
I saw Bob do a cover of Surrender during the Black Sheets of Rain tour... Awesome!