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.
Meanwhile Rick Jame....
Cake Lyrics
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Dances in a fever at the castle rock
Dust-devil cypress and ripening fruit
Ascending quick into the author's bathroom
Fawn, Jo and Tootsie are out on a wire
Lettuce-toothed junkies all full of desire
And there's nothing I can do
Meanwhile, Rick James takes her nude
And there's nothing I can do
And there's nothing I can say to you
I've got a lot of work to do
I guess I'll leave it up to you
Uninvited, we'll stay if we want
Searching through your closets for your grandfather's gun
We will swim in your kidney, kidney-shaped pool
Scratching at the bottom for another clue, yeah
Fawn, Jo and Tootsie are out on a wire
Lettuce-toothed junkies all full of desire
Meanwhile, Rick James takes her nude
And there's nothing I can do
Meanwhile, Rick James takes her nude
And there's nothing I can do
(Meanwhile, Rick James takes her nude)
And there's nothing I can say to you
(Meanwhile, Rick James takes her nude)
And there's nothing I can do
And there's nothing I can say to you
I've got a lot of work to do
I guess I'll leave it up to you
The lyrics of Cake's song "Meanwhile Rick James..." are full of cryptic and surreal imagery that appear to represent different situations and emotions. The first verse describes a scene where a flock of people is dancing in a feverish state while ascending quickly into the author's bathroom. This could be interpreted as a representation of a sense of alienation and disillusionment with the world, as people are desperately seeking escape but not finding it in traditional ways.
The second verse introduces the characters of Fawn, Jo, and Tootsie, who are described as lettuce-toothed junkies full of desire. This could be a reference to the destructive power of addiction and the way it can consume people's lives. Meanwhile, Rick James takes someone nude, and the singer laments that he cannot do anything about it. This could symbolize a feeling of powerlessness and frustration in the face of larger societal issues that seem impossible to solve.
The chorus repeats the idea that there is nothing the singer can do to change the situation, and he leaves it up to the listener to interpret and take action. The final verse introduces the idea of uninvited guests who will stay and search through closets for a grandfather's gun. This could represent a sense of paranoia and fear, as people try to protect themselves from imagined threats. Overall, the lyrics of "Meanwhile Rick James..." are open to interpretation but offer a bleak and surreal commentary on society's problems.
Line by Line Meaning
Dis empowered, the scattering flock
A feeling of being disempowered has caused the group to scatter.
Dances in a fever at the castle rock
They are celebrating with feverish excitement at the castle rock.
Dust-devil cypress and ripening fruit
The scene is set with swirling dust and ripening fruit.
Ascending quick into the author's bathroom
The setting is moving quickly into the author's bathroom.
Fawn, Jo and Tootsie are out on a wire
Fawn, Jo, and Tootsie are in a precarious position on a wire.
Lettuce-toothed junkies all full of desire
Junkies with terrible teeth are full of desire.
Meanwhile, Rick James takes her nude
At the same time, Rick James has taken her clothes off.
And there's nothing I can do
There is nothing I can do to stop this from happening.
And there's nothing I can say to you
There are no words I can say to make this better.
I've got a lot of work to do
I have other things I need to focus on.
I guess I'll leave it up to you
I will leave it up to you to handle this situation.
Uninvited, we'll stay if we want
We will stay even if we are not invited.
Searching through your closets for your grandfather's gun
We are searching through your closets looking for your grandfather's gun.
We will swim in your kidney, kidney-shaped pool
We will swim in your kidney-shaped pool.
Scratching at the bottom for another clue, yeah
We are desperately searching for another clue.
(Meanwhile, Rick James takes her nude)
At the same time, Rick James has taken her clothes off.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John M McCrea
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind