The original line-up consisted of lead singer Shannon Selberg, who later took up the bugle, guitarist Thor Eisentrager, bass guitarist Kevin Rutmanis, and drummer Sandris Rutmanis (soon to be replaced by Norm Rogers). The band had a hardcore sound characterized by blurred guitars, however the Cows took the formula a step further, creating a unique and unconventional style.
Stripping away anything that remotely resembled pop - including melody and catchy hooks and riffs - the Cows offered punk rock in its crudest form. John Dougan in All Music Guide described the group's distorted sound as "a feral racket that sounded as is if the guitars were being played with metal files". Lyrically, their songs dealt with just about anything, from losers in life to sex and bodily fluids. And Selberg's shrieking vocal style and general lunacy on stage provided the Cows with a bizarre, yet often engaging focus.
In 1987, the Cows released their debut album, Taint Pluribus, Taint Unum, landing a record deal with Amphetamine Reptile for the release of their second LP, Daddy Has A Tail. And by the time Cunning Stunts arrived in 1992, critics began to cite improvements.
However, while the Cows exhibited a more solid playing technique and greater songwriting focus, they stayed true to their punk roots and anti-commercial stance. "We play music that we like", said Eisentrager once. "We know how the world works. We're not trying to make music for mass consumption. Sometimes you get frustrated, but it's all about music. Episodically you get pissed off, but we've had a fair shake with the band, and we've had good tours. Basically we wish more people could get their hands on the records, but we know what we're doing and like what we do. It's not like somebody is trying ... to ignore us. It's just the nature of the beast".
After the release of Orphan's Tragedy in 1994, Roger decided to leave the Cows, fuelling rumors of a breakup. The rumors were silenced, however, with the release of Whorn in 1996. The album featured a new drummer, Freddy Votel.
In the wake of Whorn, talk of a band breakup emerged a second time when Selberg relocated from Minneapolis to New York City. But a new album again served as notice that the Cows were a healthy unit. Released in 1998, the eclectic Sorry In Pig Minor also saw the Cows, for the first time, exploring new ground. Although evidence of the old Cows remained, Sorry In Pig Minor was more varied in scope and texture. The opener, Cabin Man, was vintage Cows, yet tunes like the Latin-flavored El Shiksa and the jazzy Felon Of Troy proved that the group could handle more than punk.
After more than a decade of noise rock, the Cows disbanded in 1998.
They have a star on Minneapolis' First Avenue. Their singer, Shannon Selberg, has gone on with music, fronting the noise rock band The Heroine Sheiks.
Down Below
Cows Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I didn't really know
They didn't get along
They'd grab what they could throw
They would start right after light
It would go through half the night
Why so, I didn't know
But that was half the show
One day I'm sitting home
She was out front in just her robe
I thought I caught her eye
I wasn't sure
The day was going slow
So I went down to say "hello"
She said she could talk a while but then I'd have to go
She had to walk the streets
So she could smoke and drink and eat
If she didn't have the dough
She didn't have a home
The drinks began to flow
She moved over right up close
Then we heard the phone
She said, "Shit, you gotta go, he's coming home"
That night it woke me up
I saw the cherries popping off
Somebody'd called a squad
I had to know
They said he came out of nowhere
And he'd found that I'd been there
He spread her face around the place and then he run
Now she's done
It was down below
They were down below
The lyrics of Cows' song "Down Below" depict a neighborly couple who are constantly in a state of turmoil. The singer does not know them well but is familiar with their dysfunctional behavior. The couple argues frequently, often throwing things at each other, and their disagreements can last well into the night. The singer observes this from a distance without understanding the root of their issues.
One day, the female half of the couple is outside of her home in a robe when she catches the singer's eye. He approaches her and strikes up a conversation, during which she reveals that she has to turn to prostitution in order to support herself. As they continue to talk, they begin to drink alcohol, and the woman becomes increasingly flirtatious. However, their interaction is cut short when her partner calls and tells her he is on his way home.
Later that night, the singer hears commotion outside and sees police cars congregating in front of the couple's home. He learns that the woman's partner had beaten her severely after discovering that the singer had been talking to her in the afternoon. The lyrics convey the sadness and frustration that result from witnessing others' hardships, particularly when those hardships involve domestic violence.
Line by Line Meaning
The couple down below
Referring to the couple who lived in the apartment below the singer
I didn't really know
The singer didn't have much interaction or knowledge about the couple
They didn't get along
The couple had a troubled relationship
They'd grab what they could throw
The couple would physically fight and throw objects at each other
They would start right after light
Their fights would often start early in the evening and continue late into the night
It would go through half the night
Their fights would sometimes last for hours
Why so, I didn't know
The singer doesn't know why the couple fought so much
But that was half the show
The couple's frequent fights were a source of entertainment for the artist
One day I'm sitting home
The artist was at home one day
She was out front in just her robe
The woman from the couple downstairs was outside wearing only a robe
I thought I caught her eye
The singer believed that the woman made eye contact with him
I wasn't sure
The artist was uncertain about the woman's intentions
The day was going slow
The singer was bored and didn't have much to do
So I went down to say "hello"
The singer went downstairs to talk to the woman
She said she could talk a while but then I'd have to go
The woman was willing to talk to the singer for a short period of time, but then he would have to leave
She had to walk the streets
The woman was a sex worker who had to walk the streets to find clients
So she could smoke and drink and eat
The money she made from sex work was used to support her lifestyle and vices
If she didn't have the dough
If she didn't make enough money from sex work
She didn't have a home
The woman didn't have a place to live if she couldn't pay rent
The drinks began to flow
The artist and the woman started drinking alcohol
She moved over right up close
The woman moved closer to the artist
Then we heard the phone
They heard a phone ringing
She said, "Shit, you gotta go, he's coming home"
The woman's partner was coming home, so the singer had to leave quickly
That night it woke me up
Later that night, the artist was woken up
I saw the cherries popping off
The singer saw police lights flashing
Somebody'd called a squad
Someone had called the police
I had to know
The singer wanted to find out what had happened
They said he came out of nowhere
The police told the artist that the woman's partner had appeared suddenly
And he'd found that I'd been there
The partner had discovered that the artist had been at their apartment
He spread her face around the place and then he run
The partner physically assaulted the woman and then fled the scene
Now she's done
The woman had been killed by her partner
It was down below
The tragic event happened in the apartment below the artist's
They were down below
Referring to the couple who lived in the apartment below the artist
Contributed by Andrew S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.