Crywank started in 2009 with Jay Clayton attempting to do some folk-punk influenced acoustic music with no previous experience playing guitar. The first album "James is going to die soon" was inspired by a painful break up. Jay stated that "I wrote these songs out of frustration and sadness and they ended up making me feel a lot better, I hope they have a similar effect on you".
In 2012 Crywank released their second album 'Narcissist On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown'. Described as "a collection of paranoid songs mostly about me trying to understand my own sadness along with the concept of sadness as a whole. It was fueled by self help books and pot."
In late 2012 Dan Watson joined Crywank on percussion, and in early 2013 they released tour demos for their third album 'Tomorrow Is Nearly Yesterday And Everyday Is Stupid' which was released in October 2013.
In 2016 Jay and Dan began couch surfing to afford to be able to tour as much as possible. Over the next four years they performed over 500 shows in over 30 countries and released four albums.
Crywank announced their breakup following a world tour in 2019, alongside the album ‘fist me til your hand comes out my mouth’’ a huge departure in sound and the first release to include songwriting from Dan and explained the tense relationship between Jay and Dan that had developed over the years on the road.
Their breakup tour was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic and the North American and European dates had to be rescheduled numerous times. During this time Jay was in a house fire, which led to the release of a solo Crywank album ‘Just Popping In To Say Hi’ that was written and recorded over three days.
Between 2022-2023 Crywank managed to continue their final tour and performed 100 shows in the USA and over 50 shows in the UK and Ireland, often with bass player Jules Noel (AKA Guard Petal). In 2024 it was announced that Crywank will no longer be breaking up and Jules would be joining the band.
The name Crywank comes from reclaiming a cruel nickname given to Jay during a period of depression. Jay has since said that if they knew how popular the band would have become they probably would’ve chosen a different name.
Chuck & Buck Suck & Fuck!
Crywank Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
from before I got overwhelmed by discourse.
If my deciduous years are an aperitif,
then shit is my main course.
So I have nothing more to give, now I am scared of narrative.
Let me stay still now.
Now I have more to do, than just remain inside my room.
Leave me alone now.
The lyrics to Crywank's "Chuck & Buck Suck & Fuck!" may seem vulgar and offensive upon first glance, but upon closer inspection, they reveal a deep sense of melancholy and nostalgia. The opening lines, "I miss everything even my milk teeth, from before I got overwhelmed by discourse," speak to the longing for a simpler time, perhaps childhood, before the weight of adult responsibilities and societal pressures took hold. The mention of milk teeth, or baby teeth, is especially poignant as it represents a loss of innocence and the passing of time.
The following lines, "If my deciduous years are an aperitif, then shit is my main course," further convey this sense of loss and a feeling of being trapped. The use of "deciduous years," or the years in which one's baby teeth fall out, as an "aperitif" or appetizer, implies that the best has already passed and sets the tone for the rest of the song.
The final lines, "So I have nothing more to give, now I am scared of narrative. Let me stay still now. Now I have more to do, than just remain inside my room. Leave me alone now," are a cry for help from someone who feels overwhelmed and lost. The fear of narrative could refer to the fear of telling their own life story, or perhaps the fear of being caught up in a larger societal narrative that they don't feel a part of. The plea to be left alone, to stay still, speaks to the desire for a moment of peace and quiet in a world that feels too overwhelming.
Line by Line Meaning
I miss everything even my milk teeth,
I long for my childhood and even the things I've lost or outgrown.
from before I got overwhelmed by discourse.
Before I was bombarded with societal pressures and expectations.
If my deciduous years are an aperitif,
If my childhood was just a small, insignificant taste of what's to come.
then shit is my main course.
Now I'm stuck in a difficult, overwhelming present.
So I have nothing more to give, now I am scared of narrative.
I feel as though I have nothing left to offer, and I fear the story of my life and how it will end up.
Let me stay still now.
I want to stay frozen in time and avoid dealing with life's challenges.
Now I have more to do, than just remain inside my room.
I know I need to face my problems and get out of my comfort zone.
Leave me alone now.
I need the space and time to work on myself and figure things out on my own.
Contributed by Ian F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.