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
Laundromat
Camper Van Beethoven Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
[ ? ]
Down here on the river [ ? ]
I got sand in my shoes
It's hotter than asphalt
It's hotter than pistols
I'm as bent as a crowbar
We all want some release
Sometimes she's the queen of the water, of the river
Down here on the tracks
We're the kings of the trash
I was born in a laundromat
I was born in a cul-de-sac
Some of us are brown
And some of us are white
Just give me some tension release
Just give me some tension release
Just like the queen of the trailer park
Sometimes she's the queen of the water, of the river
Down here on the tracks
We're the kings of the trash
She's the queen of the primo
She's the queen of the bondo
And i was born in a laundromat
I was born in a cul-de-sac
Just give me some tension release
Just give me some tension release
Just like the queen of the trailer park
Sometimes she's the queen of the water, of the river
It seems like Camper Van Beethoven's “Laundromat” is a tribute to the people who live on the margins of society. The lyrics express a sense of camaraderie among individuals who are marginalized and live on the outskirts of society, specifically those who reside in trailers and laundromats. The opening lines, “Down here on the north side, down here on the river,” suggest that the singer is walking along the riverbank of a less prosperous neighborhood. He notes, “it’s hotter than asphalt, it’s hotter than pistols, I’m as bent as a crowbar,” indicating the harsh living conditions.
The singer uses the phrase “queen of the trailer park” to speak about how people like him and the person he is talking about, can be in different positions at different times. When the woman is at her trailer park, she is the queen, but when she is on the river she is the queen of the water. The line “We're the kings of the trash” suggests that they don't have much, but they have found ways to make the most out of their situation. The repeated request for “tension release” demonstrates the struggle that they face just to stay afloat. The final lines, “She's the queen of the primo, She's the queen of the Bondo,” suggest that this woman, and perhaps those like her, are scrappy and resourceful, making do with what they have.
Line by Line Meaning
Down here on the north side
In this area on the north side of town
[ ? ]
Unknown, no context given
Down here on the river [ ? ]
In this area near/on the river
I got sand in my shoes
The artist's shoes are filled with sand
It's hotter than asphalt
The temperature is very hot
It's hotter than pistols
The temperature is extremely hot
I'm as bent as a crowbar
The singer is physically or emotionally exhausted
We all want some release
Everyone desires some relief or release from their problems
Just like the queen of the trailer park
Similar to the woman who is known as the queen of the trailer park
Sometimes she's the queen of the water, of the river
Occasionally she is referred to as the queen of the river/water
Down here on the tracks
In this area near/on the train tracks
We're the kings of the trash
We are the rulers of the garbage or waste
I was born in a laundromat
The singer came into existence inside a laundromat
I was born in a cul-de-sac
The singer was born in a dead-end street
Some of us are brown
Some people in this area have brown skin
And some of us are white
Some people in this area have white skin
Just give me some tension release
Please provide me with some form of release or relief from stress
Just like the queen of the trailer park
Similar to the woman who is known as the queen of the trailer park
Sometimes she's the queen of the water, of the river
Occasionally she is referred to as the queen of the river/water
Down here on the tracks
In this area near/on the train tracks
We're the kings of the trash
We are the rulers of the garbage or waste
She's the queen of the primo
She is the ruler or leader of the high-quality drugs
She's the queen of the bondo
She is the ruler or leader of the Bondo brand of automotive body filler
Just give me some tension release
Please provide me with some form of release or relief from stress
Just give me some tension release
Please provide me with some form of release or relief from stress
Just like the queen of the trailer park
Similar to the woman who is known as the queen of the trailer park
Sometimes she's the queen of the water, of the river
Occasionally she is referred to as the queen of the river/water
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: CHRIS PEDERSON, DAVID LOWERY, GREG LISHER, VICTOR KRUMMENACHER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind