The group took their name from the name of a Flintstones character, which, in turn, was a parody of singer Mel Torme's nickname; the Velvet Fog. The group first came together in the Minneapolis area in 1989 as a country-rock reaction to the punk and hardcore music that dominated the Twin Cities' musical scene at the time; eventually Golden Smog became something of a fixture at local clubs, where they would play a handful of shows annually. Golden Smog's lineup has often changed, though Run Westy Run guitarist Kraig Jarret Johnson as well as guitarists Dan Murphy (Soul Asylum) and Gary Louris (the Jayhawks) were relative constants.
The definitive beginning of Golden Smog is hard to pinpoint given the mercurial nature of the band's lineup. Some point back to a show in January of 1987 when a band billed as 'The Take It To The Limit Band' played an all Eagles cover show at the Uptown Bar in Minneapolis. This band consisted of Dan Murphy and Dave Pirner (both of Soul Asylum), Jim Boquist (later of Son Volt), and Martin Zellar (Gear Daddies). The show ended with a cover of then Bangles hit song Walk Like An Egyptian. This same band later played a The Rolling Stones themed show in 1989 under the name "Her Satanic Majesty's Paycheck."
Between these early covers shows, and Golden Smog's first album, it is unclear what happened. It's hard to claim that these early shows were by Golden Smog, but rather in hindsight they were played in the spirit of the early Golden Smog. In 1992, Dan Murphy, Gary Louris, Marc Perlman (bassist for The Jayhawks), Kraig Johnson, and Chris Mars (the Replacements) released Golden Smog's first CD, a covers EP entitled On Golden Smog. This was followed four years later in 1996 by their full-length debut, Down By The Old Mainstream, recorded at Pachyderm Recording Studio with a lineup that included Kraig Johnson, Dan Murphy, Gary Louris, Marc Perlman, Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy, and Honeydogs drummer Noah Levy (all of whom recorded under pseudonyms as a result of contractual obligations). A few years later the band reformed with Jody Stephens (of Big Star) taking over for Noah on the drums (Jody had previously played with the band during a New Years Eve show in Chicago in 1996). This new incarnation of Golden Smog released Weird Tales in 1998.
In 2005 a new incarnation of the smog formed and recorded a new album in Spain. The new album is entitled Another Fine Day and was released on July, 18th 2006 on the Lost Highway Records. This album features both Jody Stephens and Linda Pitmon from Zuzu's Petals on drums. This album, like the previous couple is of a more coherent band, although Jeff Tweedy is only featured on a few songs. In the summer of 2006, the Smog played a couple of shows in Minneapolis and New York City. These shows were without Tweedy, as he had previously stated that he was too busy to tour with the band. A six-show mini-tour occured in September of 2006. In 2007 Golden Smog released an EP on Lost Highway called Blood On The Slacks.
Scotch On Ice
Golden Smog Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Getting ice for my scotch
Never bending my ear
Just chilling my beers
She don't say much
She's cold to the touch
Sometimes it's rough
She likes what I got
She takes what I give her
She feels so real
Just don't look into her eyes
If I come home late
The love is still great
Doesn't follow the trends
[Incomprehensible], how she bends
She likes it on top
Little cream, a lil' crop
And it's getting better
She likes what I got
Takes what I give her
She feels so real
Just don't look into her eyes
Oh, you give me so much pleasure
Oh, I wish you were alive
Oh, it gives me so much pleasure
Oh, it makes me feel alive
She likes what I got
Takes what I give her
She feels so real
Just don't look into her eyes
Oh, you give me so much pleasure
Oh, I wish you were alive
Oh, it gives me so much pleasure
Oh, it makes me feel alive
She comes in a box
My own private fox
She's pretty in pink
She cleans in the sink
She don't say much
She's cold to the touch
Doesn't complain
Travel to Spain
She likes it rough
With her handcuffs and stuff
She comes up tough
There's a cream on the crop
She's passing my socks
Getting ice for my scotch
Never bending my ear
Just chilling my beers
The song "Scotch on Ice" by Golden Smog is an interesting song with lyrics that can be interpreted in different ways. The song revolves around a relationship between a man and a doll, or a sex toy, despite the lack of an explicit reference to it. He describes the doll as being beautiful, just how he wants it, lively, and available anytime he needs her. The lyrics "Sometimes it's rough / With her handcuffs and stuff" might suggest that he uses the doll for more than just companionship, but also for some sort of sexual gratification.
He also talks about the doll's cold touch, which makes it believable that she is made of plastic, thus heightening the description of her lifelessness. The lyrics "Just chilling my beers" suggest that he treats her as his fridge, and he enjoys it when she is still, just as the ice is. The line "Doesn't complain / Travel to Spain" indicates that he prefers her over women, who he perceives as being emotional and complicated.
The chorus seems to suggest that the doll gives the singer nothing but pleasure, but he acknowledges that she is not capable of love or life. Despite this, he still finds himself attached to her, and the song ends with him observing how beautiful she is and the things she does for him, from passing him his socks to getting ice for his scotch.
Line by Line Meaning
She down on my socks
She's kneeling in front of me.
Getting ice for my scotch
She's fetching some ice to cool my drink.
Never bending my ear
She's not talking too much.
Just chilling my beers
She's making sure my beers stay cool and refreshing.
She don't say much
She's a silent type of person.
She's cold to the touch
She's not warm or affectionate.
Sometimes it's rough
Our relationship can be difficult.
With her handcuffs and stuff
She likes to play rough and use restraints during intimacy.
She likes what I got
She's attracted to my possessions or status.
She takes what I give her
She's happy with whatever I provide her.
She feels so real
She's a tangible and physical presence.
Just don't look into her eyes
She's not an emotional person, and looking into her eyes might reveal nothing.
If I come home late
If I return home after being away for a while.
The love is still great
Our love for each other is still strong despite my absence.
Doesn't follow the trends
She's not someone who follows popular ideas or fashion trends.
[Incomprehensible], how she bends
She's very flexible, physically or mentally.
She likes it on top
She enjoys being in control during intimacy.
Little cream, a lil' crop
She likes to use some form of food or a crop during intimacy.
And it's getting better
Our relationship is improving.
Oh, you give me so much pleasure
I feel a lot of pleasure from our relationship.
Oh, I wish you were alive
I'm enjoying her company, but she's not really alive.
She comes in a box
She's a sex doll that was shipped in a box.
My own private fox
She's my own personal pleasure object.
She's pretty in pink
She is aesthetically appealing.
She cleans in the sink
She's easy to take care of and clean.
Doesn't complain
She's easygoing and doesn't complain about things.
Travel to Spain
She's a doll that can be easily transported, even to Spain.
She likes it rough
She enjoys rough and aggressive intimacy.
There's a cream on the crop
The cream on the crop may be some form of cream or a euphemism for something else used during intimacy.
She's passing my socks
She's picking up my socks.
Getting ice for my scotch
She's getting ice to cool my drink.
Never bending my ear
She's not talking or complaining too much.
Just chilling my beers
She's making sure my beers stay cold and refreshing.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DANIEL DAVID MURPHY, GARY LOURIS, GARY MICHAEL LOURIS, KRAIG JARRET JOHNSON, MARC R. PERLMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind