Green River had little impact outside of Seattle, but their influence within Seattle's music scene would eventually be felt around the world. Their influence reached to both of their contemporaries (Soundgarden, The Melvins) and later Seattle bands (Nirvana, Alice in Chains) sharing the Sub Pop label. Green River's impact continued to live on through the bands who formed after their break-up in 1988: Mother Love Bone, Pearl Jam, Love Battery, and Mudhoney.
They were possibly the first band in Seattle to mix metal, punk, and glam, leading to the sound known later as "grunge." Mark Arm, the group's singer, is widely credited as being the first person to use the term, although in a different manner that is widely used. He has since shown contempt for the label.
They were heavily influenced by the still-obscure Californian proto-grunge/hardcore punk band Tales of Terror, something Green River themselves were not ashamed of or subtle enough not to wear on their sleeves; as they covered Tales of Terror's song 'Ozzy' (re-titled 'Ozzie') from their sole album on their 1987 EP, Dry as a Bone. Tales of Terror, at some point; through touring, wound up in Seattle during the early 80s and played gigs Green River members attended. Apparently they were so 'blown away' by the band that they derived a significant amount of their own style from Tales of Terror. Kurt Cobain himself, as a fan of Green River; also ended up acknowledging Tales of Terror's music as an influence, as evidenced by their presence on his Top 50 albums ever. This influence even still reached Mark Arm and Steve Turner's subsequent band Mudhoney, as decades later, they named a song after Tales of Terror for their 2008 record 'The Lucky Ones'.
Green River had three official releases: Come On Down (EP, 1985), Dry As A Bone (EP, 1987), and Rehab Doll (Full-length 1988). They have an anthology album as well from 1990 entitled Dry as a Bone/Rehab Doll that as its name suggests, combines the two releases plus some bonus material. They have also been included on nine compilations, spanning from the late 80's to the mid 90's.
A Green River reunion occurred on November 30, 1993 during a Pearl Jam concert in Las Vegas, Nevada. Participating in the reunion were Arm, Turner, Gossard, Ament and Chuck Treece, who filled in on drums for Vincent, who at that time was living in Japan. The band performed the songs "Swallow My Pride" and "Ain't Nothing to Do" before leaving the stage.
Green River reunited for four shows in 2008. The line-up for the shows included Ament, Arm, Turner, Vincent, Gossard, and Fairweather. The first show was a warm-up show on July 10, 2008 at the Sunset Tavern in Seattle. The band next played on July 13, 2008 at Marymoor Park near Seattle to honor Sub Pop's 20th anniversary. Green River played another live show on November 28, 2008 at Dante's in Portland, Oregon. Afterward, the band played on November 29, 2008 at the Showbox in Seattle to celebrate The Supersuckers' 20th anniversary. Green River played on May 22, 2009 and May 23, 2009 at the Showbox in Seattle to celebrate the Melvins' 25th anniversary.
Green River was said to have tentative plans to record a new studio album when the band members' schedules permit, to possibly tour and to release remixed and remastered versions of the band's output containing bonus material.
So far only the latter has occurred. In 2016 they released a remixed and remastered version of their 1984 Demo Tape that was never officially released. Most notably, it contains the Green River original song 'Leech' that was subsequently given (or 'stolen' by) to the Melvins and re-titled 'Leeech' because they felt the song 'wasn't of much use' to them but that some people actually consider to be one of or simply their 'best' (hence the Melvins wanted it).
2018 saw the reissue of their debut EP, Come on Down with a demo version of their Deep Six compilation song 'Your Own Best Friend' from that same session as a bonus track. A year later, in 2019, Deluxe versions of Dry as a Bone and Rehab Doll were released; which included a good amount of unreleased material as well as a third release from their personal archive: A live recording from their 1984 era entitled 'Live at the Tropicana 1984'.
Porkfist
Green River Lyrics
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Porkfist is the biggest man
Porkfist big grip on all I see
See saw see saw him swingin' at me
Ham hock hack hack keep 'em in line
Grab grab grab all this is mine
The bigger the hand the bigger the man
The tighter the fist the harder he hits
Porkfist swings at the little pigs
The fatter the wrists the stronger the grip
The tighter the fist the harder he hits
Porkfist swings at the little pigs
I am
I am
I am
I am the biggest beast in this pen!
Porkfist
Porkfist
Porkfist has the biggest hands
Porkfist is the biggest man
Porkfist has the biggest hands
Porkfist is the biggest man
The song "Porkfist" by Green River is a hard-hitting grunge track that boasts of the sheer physical strength of its titular character, Porkfist. The song opens with the chorus that repeatedly asserts Porkfist's physical dominance - he has the biggest hands and is the biggest man. The verses depict Porkfist as an imposing figure who lays claim to everything he sees, with lyrics such as "Grab grab grab all this is mine." The lyrics go on to explain that Porkfist's size and strength give him a formidable grip and a hard punch, which he uses to take on his adversaries - "Porkfist swings at the little pigs." This is a metaphorical reference to the little people whom Porkfist sees as easy targets for his strength.
The song's lyrics can be interpreted as a commentary on toxic masculinity and the glorification of physical strength and violence. Porkfist represents the embodiment of these traits, with his massive size and overpowering strength. The repeated assertion of his physical attributes serves to emphasize the power dynamic he represents. The song seems to be cautioning against the dangers of a society that rewards and celebrates aggressive behaviors and physical dominance, leading to bullies like Porkfist.
Line by Line Meaning
Porkfist has the biggest hands
This person named 'Porkfist' has unusually large hands.
Porkfist is the biggest man
Based on his large hand size, 'Porkfist' is considered the biggest man around.
Porkfist ----(?) all I see
The rest of the lyrics imply that 'Porkfist' is a dominating force, likely in a violent context.
Grab grab grab all this is mine
'Porkfist' is aggressively claiming ownership of anything within reach.
The bigger the hands the bigger the man
This line emphasizes the perceived importance of large hand size in relation to masculinity and dominance.
The fatter the wrists the stronger the grip
Not only does 'Porkfist' have large hands, but his thick wrists also suggest he has a powerful grip.
The tighter the fist the harder he hits
This lyric implies that 'Porkfist' is capable of inflicting significant damage due to his strong hands and tight fists.
Porkfist swings at the little pigs
The use of the phrase 'little pigs' suggests that 'Porkfist' is targeting smaller, weaker individuals in his violent actions.
I am I am I am I am I am
This repetition of 'I am' seems to suggest a sense of power, confidence, or even arrogance.
The biggest beast in this land
This line reinforces 'Porkfist's' reputation as a dominant, formidable presence in his surroundings.
Porkfist (3x)
This repetition of the name 'Porkfist' further establishes his presence in the song and his perceived dominance.
[REPEAT CHORUS 2x]
The chorus reinforces the theme of 'Porkfist's' dominance based on his physical attributes.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Jeff Ament, Ian Fairweather, Sotne Gossard, Mark Mclaughlin, Alex Vincent
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind