The group began as a side project of Eli Janney and Fugazi drummer Brendan Canty. Canty soon left the project and by 1991 Janney had gone on to recruit three former members of D.C. hardcore punk group Soulside - Scott McCloud, Johnny Temple, and Alexis Fleisig - to complete the line-up. Girls Against Boys are perhaps most notable for employing dual bass guitars, a rarity in rock music, and for their second album, "Venus Luxure No.1 Baby", a heavy yet nuanced entry into early 1990s post-hardcore. Their third album Cruise Yourself raised their profile, film director Kevin Smith used a song in each of his first two films. House of GvsB showed their sound taking a more soulful approach to their noiserock with a semi-successful single "Superfire", at which point they signed to Geffen. Their major label debut saw them take a more industrial disco approach similar to Nine Inch Nails while retaining their postpunk feel, the album failed to launch the band into the mainstream and the band went on hiatus until their contract ended. Among the many side projects undertaken was Scott McCloud's jazzy New Wet Kojak. The band reunited in 2002 to record 'You Can't Fight What You Can't See', released on Jade Tree Records which was a welcome return to their pre-Geffen sound and a critical success. The band have also recorded music for the soundtrack of the film Series 7: The Contenders, appeared as themselves in the film 200 Cigarettes and acted as Gina Gershon's backing band for her reality tv series! The band recently performed Venus Luxure for the Don't Look Back concerts, and continue to record http://epitonic.bandcamp.com/album/the-ghost-list-ep & play live, despite other commitments, including Scott McCloud's other project Paramount Styles.
Bug House
Girls Against Boys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just went along
Somebody tripped the zero G switch
Somebody hit the zero G
Thank god for the carpet on the ceiling
Thank god for the carpet right now
If I can only show you a good time
I'm already tired of waiting
Already tired of waiting around
In a Bug House
Lay down
In a Bug House
Lay down
In a dreamboat
out of tune
I'm all out of tune
Sally Love
Sally Love
So I put in my call to the men in white
I put in my call to the men in white
They gonna take me from the bug house
gonna take me from the bug house
I'm out of tune
The lyrics to Girls Against Boys' "Bug House" convey a feeling of disorientation and confusion. The first verse, "She said I just went along / Just went along," suggests a feeling of resignation and going with the flow, possibly indicating a lack of control over one's life. The second verse adds to this sense of disorientation with the lines "Somebody tripped the zero G switch / Somebody hit the zero G," which conjures images of weightlessness and loss of gravity. The reference to a carpet on the ceiling and thanking God for it adds a surreal and almost humorous element to the situation.
The chorus, "In a Bug House / Lay down / In a Bug House / Lay down," may refer to a feeling of being trapped or confined, as if one is in a bug house or terrarium. The following lines, "In a dreamboat / out of tune / I'm all out of tune," suggest further feelings of being adrift and disconnected from reality.
The final verse refers to putting in a call to "the men in white," who may be medical professionals, indicating that the confusion and disorientation being expressed in the song may be the result of a mental illness or breakdown.
Overall, the lyrics to "Bug House" create a disorienting and surreal mood, suggesting an experience of chaos and confusion.
Line by Line Meaning
She said I just went along
She admitted that she was simply going along with something without any real conviction
Just went along
Reemphasizing the previous line - this was an act without sincerity
Somebody tripped the zero G switch
Somebody did something reckless and dangerous
Somebody hit the zero G
Again, emphasizing the danger and thrill-seeking behavior
Thank god for the carpet on the ceiling
The dangerous act was performed in a controlled environment, minimizing the danger
Thank god for the carpet right now
Gratitude for surviving such a thrill-seeking act
If I can just make it thru tonite
Expressing the desire to survive or get through a difficult situation
If I can only show you a good time
The goal is to have fun and enjoy the moment, even if it's dangerous or reckless
I'm already tired of waiting
Impatience and eagerness to get on with things
Already tired of waiting around
Reiterating the impatience and desire for action
In a Bug House
Metaphor for feeling trapped, confined, or insane
Lay down
Optional instruction to relax or give in to a situation
In a dreamboat
Metaphor for living in a fantasy or idealized world
out of tune
Feeling disconnected or not aligned with reality
I'm all out of tune
Reemphasizing the feeling of disconnection and not being in sync with reality
Sally Love
A reference to a person or object of affection
Sally Love
Repetition of the previous line, possibly to emphasize the significance of 'Sally Love'
So I put in my call to the men in white
Seeking outside help or intervention to deal with a difficult or overwhelming situation
I put in my call to the men in white
Reiterating the desire for outside help or a change in circumstances
They gonna take me from the bug house
Expectation or hope that things will change and the feeling of being trapped or insane will be remedied
gonna take me from the bug house
Reiterating the expectation or hope for change
I'm out of tune
Closing statement reiterating the feeling of disconnection and being out of sync with reality
Contributed by Thomas K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.