1.) 90s alternative rock band 2.)… Read Full Bio ↴At least 2 bands have the name “Cake”.
1.) 90s alternative rock band 2.) 60s Girl pop band 3.) Underground 70s pop/funk band. 1.) Best-known for their ubiquitous hit "The Distance," Cake epitomized the postmodern, irony-drenched aesthetic of '90s geek rock. Their sound freely mixed and matched pastiches of widely varying genres -- white-boy funk, hip-hop, country, new wave pop, jazz, college rock, and guitar rock -- with a particular delight in the clashes that resulted. Their songs were filled with lyrical non-sequiturs, pop-culture references, and smirky satire, all delivered with bone-dry detachment by speak/singing frontman John McCrea. Cake's music most frequently earned comparisons to Soul Coughing and King Missile, but lacked the downtown New York artiness of those two predecessors; instead, Cake cultivated an image of average guys with no illusions and pretensions about their role as entertainers. At the same time, critics lambasted what they saw as a smugly superior attitude behind the band's habitual sarcasm. Perhaps there was something in Cake's doggedly spare, low-key presentation that amplified their ironic detachment even when they didn't intend it, but most reviewers pegged them as one-hit wonders after the success of "The Distance." Nonetheless, Cake managed a few more alternative radio hits in the years that followed, while largely retaining the same approach.
Cake was formed in Sacramento, California in 1991 by vocalist/songwriter John McCrea, who'd recently returned home after spending a few years in Los Angeles, unsuccessfully trying to break into the music business. The original lineup of Cake also featured guitarist Greg Brown, trumpeter Vince DiFiore, bassist Sean McFessel, and drummer Frank French; McFessel soon left to attend college, and was replaced by Gabe Nelson. In 1993, the band released their debut single, "Rock ‘n' Roll Lifestyle," on a local basis, and followed it with a self-produced, self-released, self-distributed album, Motorcade of Generosity. Motorcade found its way to the revived Capricorn label, which released the album nationally after Cake signed a contract with them. With the prospect of extensive national touring, both Gabe Nelson and Frank French left the band, and were replaced by bassist Victor Damiani and drummer Todd Roper. Re-released by Capricorn, "Rock ‘n' Roll Lifestyle" caught on at college radio in 1995, and was followed by two more singles, "Ruby Sees All," and "Jolene" (not the Dolly Parton song).
Cake's second album, Fashion Nugget, was released in 1996 and spawned a breakout smash in the Greg Brown-penned "The Distance," which dominated alternative radio that fall, and even turned into an unlikely sporting-event anthem. Mostly on the strength of "The Distance," Fashion Nugget charted in the Top 40 and sold over a million copies. It also spun off a somewhat controversial follow-up single in a cover of Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive"; although the band professed its sincere admiration for the song, some critics and listeners took it as a smarmy putdown, in part because of McCrea's deadpan vocals. In 1997, Greg Brown and Victor Damiani both left Cake and formed a new group, the new wave-influenced Deathray, which eventually released its debut album on Capricorn in 2000. Meanwhile, McCrea briefly considered putting Cake to rest, but brought original bassist Gabe Nelson back to replace Damiani instead. For Cake's next album, McCrea used a tag-team procession of guitarists -- five in all -- on different tracks; the result, Prolonging the Magic, was released in 1998. True to its sardonic title, it defied critical opinion to produce another big, alternative radio hit in "Never There," plus decently successful follow-ups in "Sheep Go to Heaven" and "Let Go."
Prolonging the Magic sold nearly as well as Fashion Nugget, and was also certified platinum. For the supporting tour, one of the album's guitarists, Xan McCurdy, officially joined Cake full-time. In the spring of 2000, the band signed a new deal with Columbia, and debuted in 2001 with their fourth overall album, Comfort Eagle, which became their highest-charting yet (at number 13). The lead single, "Short Skirt/Long Jacket," was a hit on alternative radio, and even earned some MTV airplay -- no longer an easy task for any artist -- with a video that featured reactions to the song by randomly selected people on the street. Following the completion of the album, drummer Todd Roper left the group to spend more time with his children, and was replaced on the supporting tour by Pete McNeal. Pressure Chief appeared in 2004. Redefining the meaning of independent -- the band was by then recording in a studio powered entirely by solar energy, and free of the corporate involvement of even so much as a utility bill -- released Showroom of Compassion some six years later in 2011.
Biography by Steve Huey
2. The Cake (which is currently being redirected to this page) was a psychedelic girl pop group from the 1960s with the album Slice of the Cake in 1968.
3. Cake, a 70s funk/pop band who’s most popular track was “Make Up Your Mind” in 1979.
Guitar
Cake Lyrics
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Waiting for your phone calls all to end
I'm sitting, watching wind blow
Watching time go, watching cars go by
I'ma waiting for these memories to begin
If I threw my guitar
Out the window so far down
Or would I smile
And watch it slowly fall, fall, fall?
Garbage trucks and taxi cabs
Don't seem like they can reach me here
The clamor of jackhammers seems so faint
Well, the way you treat me
Like the only slightly brings me down a lot
I don't think that I'll ever be the same, yeah
If I threw my guitar
Out the window so far down
Would I start to regret it?
Or would I smile
And watch it slowly fall, fall, fall,
Fall, fall, fall
Fall, fall, fall?
Fall, fall, fall
The Cake song "Guitar" tells the story of a man waiting for phone calls from a woman while sitting by the window of her 32nd floor apartment. He watches the passing of time, cars and wind, and eagerly anticipates the start of new memories. The lyrics truly show his disillusionment and willingness to throw his guitar outside the window to see it fall down. The noisy city of taxis, garbage trucks, and jackhammers seem far away, and he feels isolated in the woman's apartment.
The man seems unhappy and puzzled about his relationship with the woman. He feels neglected, and the woman's treatment of him has brought him down significantly. Throwing his guitar seems to be considered an option to deal with his frustration as he contemplates whether he would regret it or just watch it fall. The lyrics "I don't think that I'll ever be the same" suggest that the man may regret his decision if he goes through with it. The song perfectly blends melancholy and irony to emphasize the man's situation.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm sitting by the window of your 32nd floor apartment
I am currently occupying a seat beside the window within the confines of your apartment that is situated above 31 other buildings.
Waiting for your phone calls all to end
I am eagerly anticipating the conclusion of your telephone conversations.
I'm sitting, watching wind blow
I am seated and observing the movement of air.
Watching time go, watching cars go by
I am engaging in the activity of observing the passage of time and vehicles as they travel by.
I'ma waiting for these memories to begin
I am anticipating the creation of future memories.
If I threw my guitar
Out the window so far down
Would I start to regret it?
Or would I smile
And watch it slowly fall, fall, fall?
I am considering the possibility of discarding my musical instrument from a high location and questioning whether my emotions would cause me to feel remorseful or amused during its descent.
Garbage trucks and taxi cabs
Don't seem like they can reach me here
The clamor of jackhammers seems so faint
The presence of waste collection vehicles and taxicabs is not noticeable to me and the sound of construction devices is barely audible.
Well, the way you treat me
Like the only slightly brings me down a lot
I don't think that I'll ever be the same, yeah
Your less-than-satisfactory treatment of me has a significant emotional impact, possibly causing irreversible changes.
If I threw my guitar
Out the window so far down
Would I start to regret it?
Or would I smile
And watch it slowly fall, fall, fall,
Fall, fall, fall
Fall, fall, fall?
I am still considering the hypothetical scenario of throwing my instrument out the window and wondering how I would respond to the situation.
Lyrics © Stamen Music
Written by: JOHN M MCCREA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind