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.
Mustache Man
Cake Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You reach for something high but it's a mountain that you find
He's a king dust demon with an icepick smile
His music fills your feathers as you feel your passions fly
With the mustache man on the carpet of his van
You can feel your fatty tissues giving way to sweaty hands
And the woofers keep distorting and the tweeters kiss the girls
I have wasted so much time
I have wasted so much time
He is like a politician who is practicing a speech
He is racing, he is pacing, he is sleeping on his beat
As the sky begins to darken and the waves begin to roll
You can feel the oceans rising as you're losing all control
And meanwhile back at the Candlerock Lounge
It is past 11:30 and your friends are getting down
They're applying purple eyeshadow, drinking warm beer
They're wondering where you went to when you told them you'd be here
I have wasted so much time
I have wasted so much time
I have wasted so much time
I have wasted so much time
The lyrics to Cake's "Mustache Man" exude a sense of confusion and disorientation in the face of a manic mustached man who seemingly dominates everything around him. The imagery is surreal, with "launching loony thoughts into the bending of your mind" and "music fills your feathers as you feel your passions fly," suggesting a loss of control as the mustache man takes over. The singer feels that they have wasted so much time, perhaps referring to the time they spent following this madman.
The mustache man is depicted as a "king dust demon," with his smile wielded like an icepick, suggesting danger and instability. The imagery continues, as the singer finds themselves in the carpeted van, feeling their "fatty tissues" give way to sweaty hands. The chaotic scene is further emphasized by the "woofers keep distorting and the tweeters kiss the girls," painting a picture of a driven beat that is disorienting and unfamiliar.
The second verse continues the sense of chaos, suggesting that the mustache man is like a politician practicing a speech, racing and pacing, sleeping on his beat. The steady rise of the oceans is a further metaphor for the chaos and loss of control, contrasting the frantic energy of the music.
Meanwhile, back at the Candlerock Lounge, the singer's friends are getting down and applying purple eyeshadow, while they wonder where the singer is. The sense of missing out is palpable, concluding with the refrain "I have wasted so much time," suggesting that we can never truly know if we have spent our time wisely until it's too late.
Line by Line Meaning
Launching loony thoughts into the bending of your mind
Filling your mind with craziness, making you think in unpredictable ways
You reach for something high but it's a mountain that you find
Trying to achieve something great but facing unexpected obstacles
He's a king dust demon with an icepick smile
A mysterious figure with a chilling and intimidating presence
His music fills your feathers as you feel your passions fly
His music inspires and drives you to pursue your desires
With the mustache man on the carpet of his van
In the company of the strange and enigmatic musician in his van
You can feel your fatty tissues giving way to sweaty hands
Feeling nervous and uncomfortable in the situation
And the woofers keep distorting and the tweeters kiss the girls
The music equipment is malfunctioning and producing unpleasant sounds
His horn-rimmed glasses lights a square beneath his curls
The musician's glasses highlight his unique and quirky appearance
He is like a politician who is practicing a speech
A comparison to someone rehearsing or preparing for an important event
He is racing, he is pacing, he is sleeping on his beat
Feeling anxious and restless while trying to maintain a rhythm or pace
As the sky begins to darken and the waves begin to roll
A description of an approaching storm or difficult situation
You can feel the oceans rising as you're losing all control
Emphasizing the feeling of helplessness and chaos in a situation
And meanwhile back at the Candlerock Lounge
Shifting the focus to a different location and situation
It is past 11:30 and your friends are getting down
Implying that others are partying and enjoying themselves
They're applying purple eyeshadow, drinking warm beer
Detailing the scene and setting for context
They're wondering where you went to when you told them you'd be here
Suggesting that the artist has abandoned their plans or social obligations
I have wasted so much time
A recurring theme throughout the song, highlighting regret and lost opportunities
I have wasted so much time
A repetition of the same theme
I have wasted so much time
Reemphasizing the same regret
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, BMG Rights Management
Written by: VINCENT ROBERT DIFIORE, JOHN M MCCREA, XAN DIEUDONNE MCCURDY, CHRISTOPHER GABRIEL NELSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Zach J
Launching loony thoughts into the bending of your mind
You reach for something high but it's a mountain that you find
He's a king dust demon with an icepick smile
His music fills your feathers as you feel your passions fly
With the mustache man on the carpet of his van
You can feel your fatty tissues giving way to sweaty hands
And the woofers keep distorting and the tweeters kiss the girls
His horn-rimmed glasses lights a square beneath his curls
I have wasted so much time
I have wasted so much time
He is like a politician who is practicing a speech
He is racing, he is pacing, he is sleeping on his beat
As the sky begins to darken and the waves begin to roll
You can feel the oceans rising as you're losing all control
And meanwhile back at the Candlerock Lounge
It is past 11:30 and your friends are getting down
They're applying purple eyeshadow, drinking warm beer
They're wondering where you went to when you told them you'd be here
I have wasted so much time
I have wasted so much time
I have wasted so much time
I have wasted so much time
sneedle
this song was like the theme song of my middle school years, i heard it on an american dad episode and once i found the whole song i was hooked. i always had this song playing on loop on my laptop whenever i was doing homework, if i was doing literally anything, i'd have this song playing on crappy little earbuds that hardly worked. this song is still an absolute joy to listen to even now
JMacSD
Damn you should have been one of my kids, those jerks won't listen to any Cake songs voluntarily.
miss darla
Criminally underrated band. Love CAKE!
Zen Jenga
they still got it. such an awesome band with a very original sound. John McCrea is a genius.
mattc2653
I don’t even think it’s as much being a genius as it is having the balls to stick to ur guns and make something unique over making something that will sell. But yeah genius stuff I love cake
SURLY BADGERS
so true
Blue
This is my favorite song of Cake..laugh so hard when I watch the MV and listen to this song~ Happy happy vibes! 😎❤💯
Nate Walking
One of the best bands I've ever seen alive. Incredible fun. When they played The Distance as the encore it was such a blast of emotion and energy that I was crying.
ADRIAN
CAKE....Unique Sound....Great Musicians, Great Songs, Great Video Clips.....Great Band.
Michelle Warren
CAKE: One of Sacramento's finest bands!Love Sacramento, proud to be 4th Generation Sacramento native.my son 5th Generation :-)