The Dead Milkmen's songs found moderate success on alternative and college radio stations. Videos, notably Punk Rock Girl, even found their way onto MTV in the late 1980s. Topics for their music include satire on the 1980s music scene, toxic waste, jellyfish afterlifes, UFOs, conspiracy theories, and cover bands.
Irreverent absurdity fueled their initial popularity, particularly among college DJs. However, this genre was somewhat abandoned with the 1992 release of Soul Rotation, a much more subtle album.
After the Dead Milkmen went on indefinite hiatus in 1994, Genaro and Sabatino formed a new band, Butterfly Joe. Sabatino was also in the punk rock bands Narthex, Big Mess Orchestra, and Hunger Artists. Genaro was in a band called Touch Me Zoo. Linderman was in a band called Burn Witch Burn. Schulthise left music in the early 1990s after developing tendonitis, preventing him from playing bass, and committed suicide in 2004.
The Dead Milkmen took the stage again for two consecutive nights in November 2004 at the Trocadero Theatre in Philadelphia to play a show in memory of Dave Schulthise. Proceeds were donated to a variety of mental health organizations and to a Serbian monastery that Schulthise supported.
Not Crazy
Dead Milkmen Lyrics
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I've got everything I want at my fingertips
Just have to clap and lights turn on
I've got several piles of records
I don't know which one I'll put on next
I've got a hundred subscriptions to magazines I'll never read
I'm staring at the toys on my wall
Wondering what can be swallowed
Or take out an eyeball
Or what the people in China think about these things
When they make them
I'm not crazy
I'm merely entertaining the thought of going insane
The ball game must be over now
Maybe they'll show a movie
From the '80's
And I'll imagine what it would be like to live back then
At the age I am now
I'm staring at the back of her head
Trying to make her turn around
Feeling the meat on my cat
Wondering what it would be like to cook her
But I won't
'Cause that would cause a terrible fuss among my friends
And I'm not crazy
I'm merely entertaining the thought of going insane
I'm not crazy (x9)
The song "Not Crazy" by Dead Milkmen presents a cynical view of a person's life who seems to have everything, but their disposition toward existence is somewhat ominous. The first verse showcases the sense of ease in the singer's life, with everything at their fingertips. They have piles of records, magazines that they will never read and love mail. However, this idyllic scene turns dark as the singer wonders if anyone ever swallows their toys, takes out their eyeball, and what the people in China were thinking when they made them. He follows this up with a declaration of not being crazy but only entertaining the idea of going insane.
The second verse paints a picture of an individual consumed by the mundanity of life and seeking a distraction by staring at the back of a friend's head. Then the singer feels the meat on his cat and wonders what it would be like to cook it. They decide not to do it because it would cause uproar among their friends which further highlights the importance that the singer places on other people's opinions. The song finishes off with a repetition of the singer's earlier assertion of sanity.
Overall, "Not Crazy" speaks to the melancholy that underlines the lives of many individuals, even ones that would seem to have everything from the outside. While there is a veil of light and carelessness, the song highlights a profound darkness lurking beneath the surface.
Line by Line Meaning
This is living
I am satisfied with my life
I've got everything I want at my fingertips
I have easy access to everything I want
Just have to clap and lights turn on
My life is convenient and easy
I've got several piles of records
I have a lot of vinyl records
I don't know which one I'll put on next
I have many choices and don't know which one to pick
I've got a hundred subscriptions to magazines I'll never read
I have many subscriptions, but I am not interested in reading the magazines
I like mail
I enjoy receiving mail
I'm staring at the toys on my wall
I am looking at the toys I have on my wall
Wondering what can be swallowed
I am contemplating the possibility of swallowing something
Or take out an eyeball
I am thinking about removing an eyeball
Or what the people in China think about these things
I am curious about the opinions of people in China regarding these toys
When they make them
I am wondering what the manufacturing process is like for these toys
I'm not crazy
I am not mentally ill
I'm merely entertaining the thought of going insane
I am considering the idea of becoming mentally ill, but not actually doing it
The ball game must be over now
I assume the sports game has ended
Maybe they'll show a movie
Perhaps they will show a film
From the '80's
A movie from the 1980s
And I'll imagine what it would be like to live back then
I will envision myself living in the 1980s
At the age I am now
But with the same age as I am currently
I'm staring at the back of her head
I am looking at the back of a woman's head
Trying to make her turn around
I am attempting to get her attention
Feeling the meat on my cat
I am touching my cat's flesh
Wondering what it would be like to cook her
I am considering cooking my cat
But I won't
But I will not actually do it
'Cause that would cause a terrible fuss among my friends
Because my friends would be upset if I cooked my cat
I'm not crazy
I am not mentally ill
I'm merely entertaining the thought of going insane
I am considering the idea of becoming mentally ill, but not actually doing it
I'm not crazy (x9)
I am not mentally ill
Contributed by Oliver W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.