Since its formation in 1991, the band line-up has included Neil Fallon (vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards), Tim Sult (lead guitar, backing vocals), Dan Maines (bass, backing vocals) and Jean-Paul Gaster (drums and percussion). To date, Clutch has released thirteen studio albums, and several rarities and live albums. Since 2008 the band have been signed to their own record label, Weathermaker.
Clutch (originally called “Glut Trip” and stemmed from “Moral Minority”) was formed in 1991 by Dan Maines (bass), Jean-Paul Gaster (drums), Tim Sult (guitar), and Roger Smalls (vocals) in Germantown, Maryland. Smalls soon departed and was replaced by Neil Fallon, a longtime schoolmate of the other members at Seneca Valley High School. The band quickly gained notice through constant touring. The 12" single “Passive Restraints” on the Earache label was Clutch’s first commercial release, garnering attention from other labels. Their debut LP, Transnational Speedway League, was released in 1993. It was followed by a self-titled album two years later that gained Clutch mainstream exposure. The band moved to the larger Columbia label for the 1998 album The Elephant Riders. They followed it in 1999 with a self-released groove-based album Jam Room.
On April 28, 2009 Clutch released Slow Hole to China, a collection of unreleased tracks.
On June 10, 2012, the band released a new single, “Pigtown Blues”, on iTunes, backed with an acoustic version of “Motherless Child” from Strange Cousins from the West.
On March 16, 2013 Clutch released their tenth album Earth Rocker which entered the Billboard Top 200 chart at #15 giving Clutch their highest chart position to date. It would remain on the chart for a total of 5 weeks. The album also reached #4 on iTunes’ overall Top 100 album charts and was #1 in their rock chart. Earthrocker won “Album of the Year” 2013 from British publication Metalhammer, and was rated highly on many rock/metal magazines’ and websites’ end-of-the-year “Top Tens”.
In an interview on January 7, 2015 with music and entertainment company 88 Miles West, Fallon stated that the band was heading to Dripping Springs, Texas, to record their upcoming eleventh album. Fallon states the venture to Texas was due to the relocation of record producer Machine, with whom they worked on Blast Tyrant and Earth Rocker, and who recently opened a new studio there. He stated in the interview that “Septemberish, give or take a couple of months” is when they hope to release the new album.
Their eleventh studio album is titled Psychic Warfare, and was released October 2, 2015. Fallon said the concept is influenced by science fiction author Philip K. Dick. “His general philosophy and questions have always crept into my lyrics, because I share an interest in it,” he adds. “On Earth Rocker, ‘Crucial Velocity’ was definitely a Philip Dick song for me. On this record, ‘X-Ray Visions’ certainly is.”. Gaster described the new material as more diverse than ever.
In April 2018, Neil Fallon announced through the radio station The Eagle Rocks that the band's twelfth studio album would be titled Book of Bad Decisions. The album will be released on September 7, 2018. The album was recorded at Sputnik Sound Studio in Nashville, Tennessee with producer and engineer Vance Powell.
On November 13, 2020 Released The Weathermaker Studios Vol. 1. A collection of re-recorded hits and 4 unreleased covers and songs.
On September 16,2022 Clutch released their 13th Studio album: Sunrise on Slaughter Beach.
Between 2004-2018 Clutch created seven straight top 10 releases on Billboard’s Independent Album Chart.
Neil Fallon – vocals, rhythm guitar, harmonica, keyboards, percussion
Tim Sult – lead guitar
Dan Maines – bass guitar
Jean-Paul Gaster – drums, percussion
Burning Beard
Clutch Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Every day I wake up to a bowl of clover honey and let the locusts fly in
Lobsterbacks attack the town again
Wrap all my things in aluminum
Beams of darkness streak across the sky
Pink rays from the ancient satellite
Every time I look out my window same three dogs looking back at me
The power of the Holy Ghost
The power of the Holy Ghost
Shadow of the New Praetorian
Tipping cows in fields Elysian
Saturnalia for all you have
The seven habits of the highly infected calve
Swan diving off the tongues of crippled giants
International Business Machine
Choking on bits of barley bread crumbs
Oh this burning beard I have come undone
Oh this burning beard I have come undone
It's just as I've feared, I have, I have come undone
Bugger, bugger, bugger dumb the last of academe
Okkam's razor makes the cutting clean
Shaven like a banker, lilac vegetal
Break the glass ceiling and golden parachute on down
The power of the Holy Ghost comes to town
Remove the shadow of the New Praetorian
Tipping cows in fields Elysian
Saturnalia for all you have
The seven habits of the highly infected calve
The seven habits of the highly infected calve
“Burning Beard” by Clutch is a song that presents a dystopian view of the present world. It talks about the daily routine of a person who wakes up to reality, which is portrayed as a dark and surreal experience. The song starts with the singer waking up and drinking coffee while watching the CNN news, indicating that daily life is becoming more and more uncertain. The line "Lobsterbacks attack the town again" refers to oppressive forces attacking the town, and thus the singer starts to protect their belongings by wrapping them in aluminum.
The lyrics mention “Beams of darkness" crossing the sky, which is possibly an allusion to alien invasion or increased military might. The song's overall theme highlights the corrupt power structures that are in place and the loss of control by ordinary people. The singer feels helpless and sees the world around them spiraling out of control. The song mentions the power of the Holy Ghost, which may be a reference to religion failing to provide solace in such times.
The song's chorus repeats the line, "Oh, this burning beard, I have come undone." The burning beard may be symbolic of the stress and anxiety felt by the singer, which is causing them to unravel. The song also alludes to some historical figures such as Praetorians and Okkam's Razor. Praetorians were an elite group of soldiers who served as bodyguards in ancient Rome while Okkam's Razor refers to the principle of selecting the simplest explanation for a phenomenon.
Line by Line Meaning
Every day I wake up we drink a lot of coffee and watch the CNN
Every day, I start my day by drinking coffee and watching CNN news with someone else.
Every day I wake up to a bowl of clover honey and let the locusts fly in
Every day, I start my day with honey and allow locusts to enter and roam around my house.
Lobsterbacks attack the town again
The British soldiers invade the town again.
Wrap all my things in aluminum
I protect all my possessions by wrapping them with aluminum material.
Beams of darkness streak across the sky
Dark clouds cover the sky, indicating a stormy or gloomy weather.
Pink rays from the ancient satellite
The sunlight reflects in a pink color from an old satellite.
Every time I look out my window same three dogs looking back at me
Whenever I glance through my window, I see the same three dogs staring back at me.
Every time I open my windows cranes fly in to terrorize me
Whenever I open my windows, cranes enter to scare me.
The power of the Holy Ghost
The strength of the Holy Ghost is prevalent.
Shadow of the New Praetorian
The presence of a new dictator's shadow looms over.
Tipping cows in fields Elysian
Pushing cows over in the beautiful fields of Elysium.
Saturnalia for all you have
Enjoying a period of deliberate hedonism where people are allowed to indulge in everything they have.
The seven habits of the highly infected calve
The usual ways farmers deal with diseased young cows.
Swan diving off the tongues of crippled giants
Diving gracefully but dangerously off the words of bigger yet seemingly helpless people.
International Business Machine
A reference to the multinational technology company IBM.
Choking on bits of barley bread crumbs
Struggling to breathe as barley bread crumbs get stuck in the throat.
Oh this burning beard I have come undone
Feeling a burning sensation in the facial hair as stress and pressure take their toll.
It's just as I've feared, I have, I have come undone
Things have gone terribly wrong, and I am falling apart.
Bugger, bugger, bugger dumb the last of academe
Rejecting the teachings of the last remaining academics.
Okkam's razor makes the cutting clean
Using the principle of Occam's razor to adjust and understand the truth simplest and most thoroughly.
Shaven like a banker, lilac vegetal
Looking clean-shaven and smelling fragrant like a wealthy banker.
Break the glass ceiling and golden parachute on down
Shattering limitations to attain success and enjoy a lavish lifestyle.
Remove the shadow of the New Praetorian
Eliminate the influence of the new dictator.
The power of the Holy Ghost comes to town
The power of the Holy Ghost arrives in the city.
Tipping cows in fields Elysian
Pushing cows over in the beautiful fields of Elysium.
Saturnalia for all you have
Enjoying a period of deliberate hedonism where people are allowed to indulge in everything they have.
The seven habits of the highly infected calve
The usual ways farmers deal with diseased young cows.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: DAN MAINES, JEAN-PAUL GASTER, MICHAEL SCHAUER, NEIL FALLON, RICHARD TIMOTHY SULT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MeanMule
My 10 year old son listened to clutch yesterday, today he woke up with a full beard.
@New_Zealand_Music
Lol
@EmpyrionBlackthorn
Goddamn that made me laugh my ass off.
@New_Zealand_Music
Wow, the same thing happened to my daughter. Lol
@asiamatron
Lol.
@NLWOM
Hilarious!🤣🤣🤣🤣
@stevep6428
By far the best sounding band I have ever heard live. And the guys were super nice.
@strangewayfaringstranger
You know digesting Clutch lyrics takes a lot. There is a lot of meaning, metaphors, historical context, ancient myths, and a lot of in between.
"Hey what are you going to school for?"
"Studying in Burning Beard, the understanding of Clutch lyrics."
@TheZigzagman
It's always so layered. One song can reference everything from Greek myth to Shakespeare to Frank Zapa.
@billieprescott1
Clutch + a motor vehicle of any kind = a speeding ticket for this guy.