Crimpshrine's origins are traced back to S.A.G. S.A.G. was formed in Berkeley, CA during the summer of 1982 by Jesse Michaels (of later Operation Ivy fame) (just 12 at the time) and Aaron Cometbus. The band mostly did just tape dubs with Jesse and Aaron trading off on instruments. It wasn't a functioning band until 1983 when Jeff Ott (at 12 years old) was brought in. Jeff played drums (even though they only had one drum). Jesse only sung, and Aaron played a guitar with only 3 strings. Later, they had changed their name to Revolution Through Apathy. S.A.G. had split up in early 1984. There were some rumors that Jesse was kicked out for smoking too much pot, so Jesse went one way and Aaron and Jeff went another. Jesse was Crimpshrine's original vocalist until he was not in the band. However, years later he came back and did some live backup vocals with Crimpshrine. There may be some tape dubs floating around, but other than that, the only released material that can be found by S.A.G. was one song- "I Had To Kill Some Ants Today" on Aaron Cometbus's "Lest We Forget" compilation. It was released in 1991 on tape by BBT Tapes. Other than that song, no other songs are known to be released by S.A.G. However, some S.A.G. lyrics were used in Operation Ivy in the end of Plea for Peace and some other songs such as Steppin' out.
After S.A.G.'s breakup, Aaron and Jeff switched off on instruments. Sometimes Aaron would play guitar and Jeff would play the synthesizer or piano or they would both play guitar. Eventually, Isaac (unsure of his last name) joined the band, first on violin, and then synthesizer. Lint from Operation Ivy played bass for a little while. This was the start of Crimpshrine. Finally, Crimpshrine became Jeff on guitar and Aaron playing drums and percussion. The only song used from those early Crimpshrine days on their later recordings was Tomorrow, which was originally an instrumental but eventually had words. In late 1984, Aaron was able to get a real drum set, and it was decided that Jeff would sing. The original plan was to have a female vocalist but that never happened. After going through 6 bassists (Ron, Chalky, Lint, and later Dave Ed, Spider, Suzie, David, Chris, Ben Weasel, and John J.) and one and a half years of confusion, Crimpshrine played their first show. However, their bassist decided to quit right before the show, so they had to get a replacement bassist learn 3 of their songs in 5 minutes. Pete Rypins joined the band in October of 1986 as the bassist and Crimpshrine finally began to play some real shows instead of playing in Jeff's basement most of the time. Their first demo was recorded in February of 1987. Then, they did 2 songs, Another Day and Rearranged, for the Turn It Around compilation. Their first EP, "Sleep, What's That?" was recorded in September of 1987 and released in January 1988 on Lookout Records.
They gained a second guitarist, Idon Bryant, prior to Sleep, What's That's release. He was not included on that album, but played on their second full-length, "Lame Gig Contest." It was rejected by Lookout Records, but put out by Musical Tragedies, a German label, with the lyrics translated from English to German in the sleeve. This is a very rare album to come across, however much of it was released in other Crimpshrine albums, such as Duct Tape Soup and The Sound of a New World Being Born.
The band was in various newspaper articles in their time, some describing them, others for their way of publicizing themselves. They would write "Crimpshrine" (which was a name they gave to a girl they knew with crimped hair) all over Berkeley High School's walls, as well as purple dots and other grafitti. Their principal actually supported the grafitti! One of their best articles was from in the Oakland Tribune, who went to BHS wanting to interview a band. They were interviewed by Maximum Rock N' Roll in 1988 as well.
After Lame Gig Contest came another EP, "Quit Talkin' Claude." Quit Talkin' Claude was released Claude was a renowned Berkeley scenester who was said to never shut up. Idon Bryant and Pete Rypins had left the band by that time. Pete was replaced by Paul Curran on bass. When Paul joined the band in 1988, Crimpshrine toured for awhile. His brother, Jack, was a roadie. Paul drove the Pinto they toured in. Jake was a roadie from time to time as well. He sang on one of their songs. Zak and Dennis were also roadies.
The 1989 release of Quit Talkin' Claude on Lookout Records was their farewell record, as they had split up. Quit Talkin' Claude was recorded in January of 1989 with Kevin Army, who worked with Operation Ivy and many other bands. After this release Crimpshrine was on some other compilations. Lookout released two retrospectives, containing some unreleased and hard-to-find Crimpshrine songs, The Sound of a New World Being Born and Duct Tape Soup. They made a split EP in 1988 with Boneyard and A Priori called Caution. It was released on Skene Records. They appeared on "The World's In Shreds" with the song Pretty Mess. It was an EP released in 1989 on the record label Shredder. Jawbreaker, Moral Crux, and A Priori appeared on this album as well. They appeared in 1993's "Benicia..." compilation put out by Take A Day on cassette. The song "Going Home" by Crimpshrine on that compilation is not known to be released on any other album. Other bands on it were Pinhead Gunpowder (Aaron's drumming) and Monsula. Crimpshrine were on some Lookout compilations. One of the obvious ones was The Thing that Ate Floyd, which contained many other of the Gilman era bands. They appeared with the song "Sanctuary" on Lookout's 1998 compilation Forward Till Death. They did a split with Mutley Chix in the No Idea Fanzine (issue 7). The Crimpshrine songs were Closed Doors Closed Minds, Caught Up, and Fucked Up Kid. Mutley Chix did Small Town, Big Hell and Lamp. Their real farewell album was a split single released in 1990 on the record label No Reality. It was called the Burning Bridges EP on their side. On the other side was Angel... Your Hair Looks Good! by G-Whiz. The two songs by Crimpshrine on their farewell album were Over the Years and The Direction of Things to Come. Over the Years was taken from their first demo which was recorded with Brian Edge at Gilman in January of 1987. It was recorded with Pete but not with Idon. The Direction of Things to Come was taken from their last studio recording session in January of 1989. It was recorded by Kevin Army. It featured Paul, Jeff, and Aaron.
Crimpshrine fell apart in 1989 and the members went their separate ways. Jeff went into Fifteen, Aaron got involved with countless bands such as Pinhead Gunpowder (with Billie Joe Armstrong) and Astrid Oto. Paul was in Go Sailor and Shotwell Coho, and also did a stint with Sweet Baby; he now plays bass and sings in both Surrender and Onion Flavored Rings. Idon has been in a fairly popular East Bay hardcore punk, Strychine. Pete resurfaced in Tilt, and has been playing with The Tantrums for over 10 years. Check them out at their homepage or at their Myspace page. Crimpshrine, the heart and soul of the East Bay, lives on through the other members projects and through the people that still listen to them and are inspired by them today.
Left Outside Again
Crimpshrine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The buildings in the city
Through reflective windows I
Can't see anybody.
The businessmen wear sunglasses
To cover up their eyes
It seems like I'm the only face
In a sea of suits and ties.
On the outside looking at the world
Wondering "Where do I fit in?"
Where do I fit in?
Not in somebody else's ideas
Of how I should live
Not when I've got so much more to give.
Everyone hurries to their destinations
Making sure to show no sign
Of emotions.
Inside cars they relax in fake security
They drive by
And they don't have to deal with me.
But now I've found comfort
In my isolation
Made the best out of a bad situation
Found a few friends who feel
The same way.
We were outcasts in their world
But we're building our own world today
In the song "Left Outside Again," Crimpshrine describes the experience of feeling like an outsider in a big city. The singer walks in the shadows of the buildings and can't see anybody through the reflective windows. The only faces he sees are those of the businessmen wearing sunglasses to cover up their eyes. The lyrics convey a sense of isolation and disconnection from the community. The persona feels left outside again and wonders where he fits in. He does not want to conform to somebody else's ideas of how he should live, and he believes he has so much more to give.
The song highlights the divide between the haves, in suits and ties or driving in cars, and the have-nots, like the singer, who is left outside looking at the world. He describes how people hurry to their destinations, showing no emotions, and how they do not have to deal with him or others who feel the same way. However, the persona finds comfort in his isolation, and he has built a new world with a few friends who share his sentiment. They may be outcasts in the larger world, but they have created their own, more accepting world.
Overall, "Left Outside Again" captures a feeling of alienation, disillusionment, and the search for identity in a society that values conformity. It speaks to those who feel left out and left behind, and who seek to create their own communities of acceptance and solidarity.
Line by Line Meaning
Walking in the shadows of
Moving cautiously among the tall buildings of the city
The buildings in the city
The towering architecture surrounding the singer
Through reflective windows I
Gazing into the glass facades of the skyscrapers
Can't see anybody.
Unable to discern any human figures through the reflective surfaces
The businessmen wear sunglasses
The corporate elite obscuring their gaze behind darkened lenses
To cover up their eyes
Hiding their true intentions and feelings
It seems like I'm the only face
The singer perceives themselves as the sole unique individual in a sea of conformity
In a sea of suits and ties.
Surrounded by a mass of indistinguishable corporate uniforms
Left outside again
Experiencing exclusion and isolation once more
On the outside looking at the world
Observing society from an outsider's perspective
Wondering "Where do I fit in?"
Questioning one's place and purpose in the world
Where do I fit in?
Repeating the previous thought for emphasis
Not in somebody else's ideas
Rejecting the notion of conforming to societal expectations
Of how I should live
Disagreeing with the notion of adhering to a predetermined lifestyle
Not when I've got so much more to give.
Believing that the self has untapped potential and value to contribute
Everyone hurries to their destinations
The vast majority of people consumed with fulfilling their obligations and responsibilities
Making sure to show no sign
Actively concealing any outward displays of inner life or emotion
Of emotions.
Suppressing any feelings of vulnerability or passion
Inside cars they relax in fake security
Finding a false sense of comfort and safety within their vehicles
They drive by
Individuals in their automobiles pass by the artist
And they don't have to deal with me.
The artist's presence goes unnoticed and unacknowledged by those driving by
But now I've found comfort
The artist has recently discovered a sense of ease and serenity
In my isolation
Finding peace and contentment in solitude
Made the best out of a bad situation
Turning a negative situation into a positive one through resilience and optimism
Found a few friends who feel
Discovering companions who share similar experiences and perspectives
The same way.
Who can relate to the singer's feelings of isolation and alienation
We were outcasts in their world
Others labeled the singer and their friends as social misfits or undesirables
But we're building our own world today
Creating a sense of belonging and community outside of societal norms and expectations
Contributed by Jayce C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.