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.
The Bucket
Cows Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I need the money
I can't keep a job
Cuz I'm too fucking stupid
So I'm in the alley
And I'm through the window
Yeah, this one is easy
I see there's nobody around
Well, how did this happen?
The whole place is empty
There ain't nothing in there
I hear the alarm
Then I see the camera
Then I see the spotlight
And I know that I've put my foot in the bucket again
Yes, he was my best friend
A long time and way back
And he looks like shit so
I invite him over
But the next day he's back
And he's got his duffel
Then he's sleeping over
The next thing I know he's moved in
So I come home from working
He's got ten people in there
I can't thrown them out
Cuz they won't listen
And the windows busted
And the couch cushion's smoking
Someone is bleeding
My foot's in the bucket again
In Cows' song "The Bucket," the singer is faced with financial struggles due to his inability to hold down a job. As a result, he resorts to burglary as a means of making money. Upon breaking into a building, he realizes that there is nothing of value inside and decides to leave. However, he triggers the alarm and is caught on camera, leading to his inevitable arrest.
The second verse focuses on the singer's relationship with his friend, who overnight becomes a full-time houseguest with whom he can't seem to get rid of. The situation quickly spirals out of control as the friend invites over more people and causing destruction in their shared living space. The singer ends up trapped once again, represented by the metaphorical "foot in the bucket."
Overall, "The Bucket" speaks to the frustration and hopelessness that can come with financial instability and unstable relationships. The repeated metaphor of the "foot in the bucket" serves to represent the singer's continuous failures and inability to escape his circumstances.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't wanna do it
I am reluctant to do this thing
But I need the money
I require funds to support myself
I can't keep a job
I cannot maintain steady employment
Cuz I'm too fucking stupid
Due to my limited intelligence
So I'm in the alley
I find myself in a narrow street
And I'm through the window
And I have entered the building illegally
Yeah, this one is easy
This heist is straightforward
I see there's nobody around
I observe a lack of people nearby
Well, how did this happen?
How did I get myself in this situation?
The whole place is empty
The building contains nothing of value
There ain't nothing in there
There is absolutely nothing of worth located here
I hear the alarm
I become aware of the security alarm sounding
Then I see the camera
I notice the surveillance camera recording me
Then I see the spotlight
Next I observe the intense light shining upon me
And I know that I've put my foot in the bucket again
I am cognizant that I have once again made a regrettable mistake
Yes, he was my best friend
He was my closest companion
A long time and way back
We have been friends for a considerable duration
And he looks like shit so
His appearance is rather unsavory
I invite him over
I extend to him an invitation
But the next day he's back
Soon after, he returns
And he's got his duffel
He has retrieved his bag
Then he's sleeping over
He begins to spend the night at my residence
The next thing I know he's moved in
Before I realize it, he has taken up permanent residence with me
So I come home from working
Upon completing my job duties for the day
He's got ten people in there
He has welcomed ten individuals into my home
I can't thrown them out
I am incapable of expelling them from my residence
Cuz they won't listen
For they will not adhere to my requests
And the windows busted
Subsequently, the window has been shattered
And the couch cushion's smoking
In addition, the sofa cushion is emitting smoke
Someone is bleeding
An individual is visibly bleeding
My foot's in the bucket again
I find myself in yet another predicament
Contributed by Adrian I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Los Huxley’s
I don’t wanna do it but i need the money…
Scott Raygor
In the bucket again-!!!!!
What !!??