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
Form Another Stone
Camper Van Beethoven Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I am lashed to the earth, I hear the sounds of her footsteps going around,
She swells and recedes
Grasping the summer soon she thinks she's holding on when she's not
Hear the sounds of the sun's set going down, it dies with a whisper
And I cry into the sea but the echoes of my tears follow me, fall down in to winter
I look for my strength on the inside, I know it's there, but to find it
Takes it out, it knocks me down, I cry for a whisper
From another stone to melt away, this one might take years (but that's alright)
Until I turn around to hear the sound of the horses' thundering around in my head
I'm wondering aloud...
Think another thought while the wheels turn around over me rubbing me into the
Background...
The lyrics to Camper Van Beethoven's song "From Another Stone" tell the story of a person who is struggling to resist the damage caused by a whispering wind. The wind, personified as a female figure, is described as swelling and receding while grasping onto the summer. The singer acknowledges that they are lashed to the earth, but they are still looking for their strength on the inside. They hear the sounds of the sun setting and cry into the sea, but the echoes of their tears follow them into winter. They are tied to the sun as it burns their back, and they cry to harden from another stone to melt away.
The singer appears to be in a state of crisis, but is determined to find their strength and persevere. They want to find their voice, but are struggling to resist the damage caused by outside forces. The repeated image of echoes following the singer suggests that they are haunted by their own thoughts and emotions, and are struggling to break free from them. The line "From another stone to melt away, this one might take years (but that's alright)" exemplifies the singer's perseverance and wishes for liberation in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
Tied to the wind, she tries to whisper damage to my sense, but I resist
Despite the negative forces around me, I refuse to let them harm my senses and perceptions.
I am lashed to the earth, I hear the sounds of her footsteps going around,
I feel grounded and in touch with the natural world, and I'm aware of the continuous cycle of life around me.
She swells and recedes
Nature has a constant ebb and flow which I recognize and acknowledge.
Grasping the summer soon she thinks she's holding on when she's not
People sometimes try to hold on to fleeting moments which they know are slipping away, but they try anyway.
Hear the sounds of the sun's set going down, it dies with a whisper
The end of something can be quiet and subtle, like the sun setting, yet the impact can still be profound.
And I cry into the sea but the echoes of my tears follow me, fall down in to winter
Even when I'm alone and great emotions hit me, their echoes can resonate until the next season when I might feel differently.
I look for my strength on the inside, I know it's there, but to find it
My internal convictions and power are present within me, even when I forget them.
Takes it out, it knocks me down, I cry for a whisper
At times, I let external factors take away my strength and resilience, leaving me feeling powerless and searching for guidance.
I am tied to sun burns my back and the heat seeps my bones, I cry to harden
The heat and energy of the sun can be both a source of pain and strength, but I seek to become more resilient for whatever challenges come my way.
From another stone to melt away, this one might take years (but that's alright)
Evolution and transformation take time and effort, but learning from past experiences can be beneficial and worthwhile.
Until I turn around to hear the sound of the horses' thundering around in my head
When I pause and reflect, my thoughts can become clear and focused, like the sound of horses galloping.
I'm wondering aloud...
I voice my thoughts and considerations out loud, questioning and contemplating the world around me.
Think another thought while the wheels turn around over me rubbing me into the Background...
While life moves forward and people go about their daily business, I consider and reflect in the background, trying to make sense of things.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: KRUMMENACHER, LISHER, LOWERY, MOLLA, SEGEL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind