The group's trademark violin-coated melodies and their ironic take on American culture put them one step away from being a novelty act in the eyes of many critics. But as the band would move from irreverently playful to experimental with their intricate, psychedelic pop meanderings they carved out their own niche in the music world. CVB consciously played with building a mystique about the band, using articles, liner notes and press interviews to weave a bizarre mythology about the band, to the point where it is still often difficult to distinguish fact from fiction.
CVB had roots in the earlier projects Sitting Duck and Estonian Gauchos, proto-CVB projects from which some of the earliest CVB songs originated. Original bandmembers from CVB's early recordings, including 'Telephone Free Landslide Victory,' included David Lowery, Chris Molla, and Anthony Guess, all of whom also did time in Eric Curkendall's project Box O'Laffs.
The core touring and recording contingent of this band consisted of David Lowery, Victor Krummenacher, Jonathan Segel and Greg Lisher with Anthony Guess on drums from early 1985 to fall 1985 for their first album, 'Telephone Free Landslide Victory'. Guess left the band in late 1985 following the tour and went on to collaborate with numerous other musicians and bands, including Pile of Disaster, World Entertainment War, Calm Down Juanita, the Hollywood Lightweights, Billy Dwayne & the Creepers, Travis Morrissey & The Good Ship, and his current project, I Die Everyday.
Chris Pedersen took over drumming in the late 80's and since reformation in 2000, with Cracker drummer, Frank Funaro. After signing to Virgin Records in 1988 and releasing two eclectic yet slightly more accessible LPs, they disbanded in 1990; singer David Lowery went on to found the band Cracker (with guitarist Johnny Hickman, a former member of Estonian Gauchos), while the other members - guitarists Greg Lisher and David Immerglück, bassist Victor Krummenacher and drummer Chris Pedersen - devoted themselves full-time to the Monks of Doom, which had begun several years earlier as a non-Lowery side project. Violinist Jonathan Segel went on to play with Granfaloon Bus, Dieselhed, Hieronymus Firebrain, Jack & Jill and more. Segel and Krummenacher also continue to release solo recordings. More recently Segel has been involved in experimental music, including collaborations with Fred Frith and Joelle Leandre. Krummenacher and Segel collectively run their own record label, Magnetic. Chris Pedersen moved to Australia and currently plays drums for the dub band Daktari.
In 2000, ex-members regrouped to compile the experimental rarity set Camper Van Beethoven Is Dead. Long Live Camper Van Beethoven. In 2002, they released Tusk. Allegedly recorded in 1987, it had all the same tracks as the Fleetwood Mac album of the same name, and a parody of the original album's cover art. A series of reunion tour dates followed with many of the band's former members. The group officially reformed in 2004 to record New Roman Times, their first official studio album in 15 years. A live concert disc was also released entitled In The Mouth of the Crocodile, capturing a 2004 reunion performance in Seattle. Also, segments of a 2004 performance in Chicago were released the following year as Discotheque CVB: Live In Chicago, which was only available at a limited number of record stores. The band continue to play live and co-host the Annual Cracker Camper Van Beethoven Campout, a 3-day alternative music festival in Pioneertown, CA held every September.
CVB's 1985 staple "Take the Skinheads Bowling" was covered by Teenage Fanclub and used as the title track for the 2002 Michael Moore film Bowling for Columbine. A portion of the original Camper Van Beethoven recording can be heard as an introduction to the DVD release of the film. The song has also been covered by many other artists, most notably Manic Street Preachers and Sugarlust, who play it in every show they do; they all have skinheads and it has become their signature cover song.
Members of Camper Van Beethoven collaborated with Eugene Chadbourne on a number of records under the name Camper Van Chadbourne.
The band's official site is campervanbeethoven.com
Crossing Over
Camper Van Beethoven Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That says he was here a long time ago.
I wonder if he'll ever pass this way again.
But I know that no one ever goes home again.
I'm crossing over county lines,
I'm tired of drinking 3.2 beer.
I'm crossing over in my mind,
Back in the woods along the dirt tracks, there is a house.
An old woman on the porch with three dogs one of them blind.
Who knows what will happen, or what blind dogs see?
I wish there was someplace I really wanted to be
Camper Van Beethoven's song "Crossing Over" is a melancholy track that delves into themes of nostalgia, lost time, and the search for a sense of home. The opening lines describe a stone in the woods that commemorates someone who passed through a long time ago. The singer expresses a sense of wonder over whether this person will ever return, but also acknowledges the impossibility of truly going home again. The song then shifts into a chorus about physically crossing county lines and mentally trying to forget the past five years of one's life. The sense of aimlessness and restlessness is palpable throughout the track.
The second verse moves on to describe a house in the same woods, where an old woman with three dogs (one blind) lives. The singer laments that they have nowhere in particular they want to be, perhaps suggesting that the search for a sense of home is a futile one. The song ends with a repetition of the chorus, emphasizing the singer's need to move on and leave their past behind.
The lyrics of "Crossing Over" are open to interpretation, but they seem to reflect a sense of disillusionment with one's current circumstances and perhaps even a fear of settling down. The image of the house with the blind dog could represent a longing for a simpler, more authentic way of life, but the singer ultimately seems to reject this possibility. Instead, they continue to wander both physically and mentally.
Line by Line Meaning
Back in the woods under ashes, there is a stone.
In the remnants of a burned down forest lies a rock that indicates someone had previously been there.
That says he was here a long time ago.
The stone indicates that this person had been there prior, for an extensive duration.
I wonder if he'll ever pass this way again.
The singer is curious if this person from the past will return to the same location.
But I know that no one ever goes home again.
However, the artist understands that once someone departs, they are never able to return back to the place they once called home.
I'm crossing over county lines,
The artist is traversing across designated geographical borders between neighboring counties.
I'm tired of drinking 3.2 beer.
The singer is unhappy with the low quality of the beer in that region.
I'm crossing over in my mind,
The singer is also mentally transitioning and reflecting on their prior experiences.
Forget about the last five years.
The artist wants to erase the past five years of their life and start a new chapter.
Back in the woods along the dirt tracks, there is a house.
There is an old house located deep within the forest trails.
An old woman on the porch with three dogs one of them blind.
An elderly woman with three canines, one of which is visually impaired, is situated on the porch of that house.
Who knows what will happen, or what blind dogs see?
No one can predict the future, nor can the audience assume what the blind dogs can sense.
I wish there was someplace I really wanted to be
The artist is longing for a specific destination or location to feel passionate about and draw them in.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: CHRIS MOLLA, DAVID LOWERY, JONATHAN SEGEL, VICTOR KRUMMENACHER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind