Codeine released their first album Frigid Stars on the German label Glitterhouse in 1990. The album was released on Sub Pop the following year.
Their second release, the Barely Real EP was issued in 1992. Immerwahr rejected several of the songs after the recording session. Some of these songs were re-recorded for the final album. The song w. is a solo performance on piano by David Grubbs (of Bastro, Squirrel Bait and Gastr del Sol). A somewhat different full-band version of the song appears on Codeine's next album, but titled Wird.
Brokaw left the band after the release of Barely Real to play full-time with his other band Come. He was replaced by Douglas Scharin of the band Rex.
Codeine's next and final release was the full-length album The White Birch, released in 1994. David Grubbs also participated on the album. After this release the band broke up. Stephen Immerwahr has since then been playing with the band Raymond, while Douglas Scharin continued in June of 44 and later HiM.
The band reformed in May 2012 for a Mogwai-curated ATP I'll Be Your Mirror in London. They played their final reunion show in July 2012 in New York.
Washed Up
Codeine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A pile a bones
Once sucked down
Now come ashore
Things
keep washing up
Keep washing
In the sky
Spotlights search
The ghosts of birds
The ghosts of things gone by
How can we live
Forget
But not forgive?
The lyrics in Codeine's song "Washed Up" capture a haunting and melancholic feeling of things lost and forgotten, yet resurfaced. The slow and gradual buildup of a pile of bones can be interpreted as a metaphor for the gradual accumulation of things lost, which eventually lead to the feelings of being washed up. The lines "Once sucked down, now come ashore" further emphasize this notion of things that were once buried or forgotten suddenly rising up to the surface.
The repetition of "Keep washing up" can be seen as a reflection of how the things we try to hide or forget about keep resurfacing, almost as if they're haunting us. This idea is reinforced in the following lines when the "ghosts of things gone by" are mentioned. The searchlights in the sky can be interpreted as a metaphor for the way we try to find and bring to light these things we've lost, yet they remain elusive.
The final line, "How can we live, forget, but not forgive?" encapsulates the overarching theme of the song. While we may try to forget and move on, there's always an underlying feeling of not being able to truly forgive ourselves or others. The haunting and introspective lyrics, combined with the slow and mournful melody, make "Washed Up" a powerful and poignant song.
Line by Line Meaning
Slowly build
Gradually accumulating
A pile a bones
A collection of remains
Once sucked down
Once submerged
Now come ashore
Now exposed
Things
Objects
keep washing up
continue to appear
Keep washing
persistently emerging
Keep washing up
keep resurfacing
In the sky
Up above
Spotlights search
Lights scour
The ghosts of birds
The remnants of avian life
The ghosts of things gone by
The remains of entities of the past
How can we live
How can we exist
Forget
Erase from memory
But not forgive?
Yet still hold a grudge?
Contributed by Luke R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@JonJonJonJonJonJonJonJon
Doesn't get any better. This album is unreal. Could be perfection.
@forgottenpillow
I really had to lose everything to find such beautiful music 🖤
@hombreg1
I used to listen to this song back when I was in the nuthouse. Good days.
@Dischordalchorous
Found it by accident circa 2007. Just broke up w my partner. Was always into doom metal. Saw a review of it, heard some, and know I had to have it. Used to prefer Frigid Stars, but this is truly their magnum opus. Good news : 1992 Dessau sessions have been released!! I love the production, taking advantage of the sound field to create the most beautiful haunting polychords.
@electricmagazine1
My favourite Codeine track. Very, very depressive.
@denielle4eva
best organized sound I've ever heard
@shatteredgods777
Indie Doom
@MourirSarin
i absolutely love this. mY fav song from white birch.
@mikesilva5085
I interviewed them after a show in London in the early 90s- very upbeat guys and down to earth . Wasn’t sure about the lead singers dark green DM’s though .
@elijahhuspek9924
This album is fucking genius. Why can't more people realize how beautiful this is? Oh well. More for me.