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
When I Win The Lottery
Camper Van Beethoven Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I lost two teeth, where I don't know
People see me coming and they move to the other side of the road
I robbed a liquor store or two
I made myself at home a few times
Borrow myself a car when I need it
I got me a shack at the bottom of the road
Fixing cars and giving tows
On the lottery
When I win the lottery
Gonna buy all the girls on my block
Color TV and a bottle of French perfume
When I win the lottery
Gonna donate half my money to the city
So they have to name a street or a school or a park after me
When I win the lottery
Never ran a flag
Up a pole
Like Mr. Red White and Blue down the road
But I never call myself a hero for killing a known communist
Now I could walk into any old bar
And find a fight without looking too hard
But I never killed someone I don't know
Just cause someone told me to.
And when I win the lottery
Gonna buy the house next to Mr.
Red, White and Blue
And when I win the lottery
Gonna buy post 306
American legion, paint it red with five gold stars
When I win the lottery
When the end comes to this old world
The righteous will cry and the rest will curl up
God won't take the time
To sort your ashes from mine
Cause we zig and zag between good and bad
Stumble and fall on right and wrong
Cause the tumbling dice with the luck of the draw
Just leads us on
And when I win the lottery
Gonna buy all the girls on my block
Silver plated
Six shooters with a quart of the finest highland scotch
Cause when I win the lottery
The righteous will shake their heads and say
That God is good, but surely works in mysterious ways
When I win the lottery.
The song "When I Win The Lottery" by Camper Van Beethoven is a critique of the American Dream and the system of social and economic inequality in American society. The singer of the song is a working-class man who has had a rough life, having lost an eye and two teeth, and is looked down upon by society. He has committed crimes, such as robbing liquor stores, and has a difficult time making ends meet. However, he still invests all his money in the lottery, hoping for a better future. Despite his struggles, the singer has a sense of humor about his situation and a desire to make the most of what he has.
The chorus of the song reveals the singer's aspirations for when he wins the lottery. He wants to buy gifts for the girls in his neighborhood, donate to the city, and buy a house next to his American flag-waving neighbor. He also wants to buy a local American Legion post and paint it red with gold stars. The singer's plans are a mix of altruism, vanity, and poking fun at American symbols and values. The final verse suggests a fatalistic worldview, where the singer believes that luck determines where one ends up in life, and no one's ashes are worth sorting in the end.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I lost an eye in Mexico
I've been through a lot and lost some body parts along the way
I lost two teeth, where I don't know
I've been hurt and damaged so much that I can't keep track of it all
People see me coming and they move to the other side of the road
Because of my reputation, people avoid me and are afraid to engage with me
I robbed a liquor store or two
I've made some bad choices and done some illegal things in my past
I made myself at home a few times
I've squatted in some places where I didn't belong and didn't pay rent
Borrow myself a car when I need it
I don't own a car, so I have to rely on borrowing or stealing one when necessary
I got me a shack at the bottom of the road
I live in a run-down, makeshift dwelling that's barely livable
Fixing cars and giving tows
To make a living, I use my limited skills to repair vehicles and provide roadside assistance
I spend all my money
I have very little money, so what little I have goes quickly and isn't enough for my needs
On the lottery
I have a small hope that I can win the lottery and escape my current situation
When I win the lottery
In my imagination, I spin a fantasy about what I would do if I ever won the lottery
Gonna buy all the girls on my block
One of my first priorities would be to try to impress the women in my area with gifts
Color TV and a bottle of French perfume
I would buy luxurious items for the women to show off my newfound wealth and taste
Gonna donate half my money to the city
I have some desire to give something back to the community that I've taken from in the past
So they have to name a street or a school or a park after me
My ego is such that I would want people to remember my name and my good deeds for generations to come
Never ran a flag
Up a pole
Like Mr. Red White and Blue down the road
I'm not extremely patriotic or interested in showing off my allegiance to my country
But I never call myself a hero for killing a known communist
I have a moral code that prevents me from glorifying killing, even if it's for political reasons
Now I could walk into any old bar
And find a fight without looking too hard
Because of my reputation, people are always looking for a reason to pick a fight with me
But I never killed someone I don't know
Just cause someone told me to.
Despite my tough exterior, there are some things that I won't do, such as murder someone just because of hearsay
When the end comes to this old world
The righteous will cry and the rest will curl up
I believe that when the apocalypse comes, only those who are truly virtuous will survive
God won't take the time
To sort your ashes from mine
God doesn't have a personal vendetta against anyone, so in the end, it won't matter who was good or bad
Cause we zig and zag between good and bad
Stumble and fall on right and wrong
Cause the tumbling dice with the luck of the draw
Just leads us on
The line between right and wrong is blurry, and often we make mistakes that we can't undo. Ultimately, life is unpredictable and we have no control over what happens to us
Silver plated
Six shooters with a quart of the finest highland scotch
I would buy flashy, masculine items to establish my dominance and power over others
The righteous will shake their heads and say
That God is good, but surely works in mysterious ways
Even those who try to do good in the world might be confused about why good things happen to bad people
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: CHRIS PEDERSON, DAVID LOWERY, GREG LISHER, VICTOR KRUMMENACHER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind