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'.
Searchin'
Green River Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh, I've been searchin', baby
For so long that I
Don't even know what I'm lookin' for
I've been searchin' and I
I've heard it's wrong
Do you think I really care?
Well, I've been lookin' for something to turn me on
I've been lookin' so, so far from home
Much too far
You know, there's one thing that I
I just can't stand
And you've known it from the beginning
When I see's you with that bastard hand-in-hand
I just want to cut off your goddamn wrist
They say good things come to those who wait
Well, I been waiting for so long
Good things come to those who wait
Seems I been waiting all my life
I been searchin', searchin', searchin', searchin' ow
I'll keep searchin' baby, since you know I will
Till I find out just what I want from life
Yeah, I'll keep searchin' 'till I
Till I gets my fill
And it ain't gonna come easy, no
They say good things come to those who wait
Well, I been waiting for so long
Good things come to those who wait
Seems I been waiting all my life
Good things come, hell I've been good I want to come
The lyrics of Green River's song Searchin' reflect the sense of dissatisfaction and restless searching that many young people experience while trying to figure out their place in the world. The song opens with the plea "give it to me now," indicating the singer's impatience and frustration with the slow pace of finding what he's been searching for. He sings, "I've been searching for so long that I don't even know what I'm looking for," conveying the sense that the quest for meaning and purpose can be overwhelming and confusing. Despite this uncertainty, the singer insists that he will not give up his search, declaring, "I'll keep searching baby, since you know I will, 'till I find out just what I want from life."
The second verse of the song takes on a more angry and bitter tone, as the singer expresses jealousy towards a person, presumably a romantic partner, who has found happiness with someone else. He sings, "When I see's you with that bastard hand-in-hand, I just want to cut off your goddamn wrist," revealing a violent impulse that underscores the intensity of his emotions. This verse also suggests that the singer's search is not just for personal fulfillment, but for a sense of validation and worthiness in the eyes of others.
The final verse returns to the theme of patience and perseverance in the face of a challenging journey. The singer acknowledges that the things he is searching for will not come easily, but insists that he will keep looking until he is satisfied. The lines "They say good things come to those who wait, well I been waiting for so long, good things come to those who wait, seems I been waiting all my life," suggest that the singer has been waiting for a long time and perhaps feels that he deserves to finally find what he's been looking for.
Overall, the lyrics of Searchin' capture the restlessness, dissatisfaction, and passion of youth, as well as the challenge of finding meaning and purpose in a confusing and uncertain world. The song speaks to anyone who's ever felt like they're searching for something elusive or intangible, and reminds us that even when the goal seems out of reach, persistence and determination can eventually pay off.
Line by Line Meaning
Give, give, give it to me now
I am eager and impatient to find what I'm looking for.
Oh, I've been searchin', baby
I've been searching for something for a long time.
For so long that I
The length of my search has been so significant that it has affected me deeply.
Don't even know what I'm lookin' for
Despite my prolonged search, I am still uncertain what exactly I desire.
I've been searchin' and I
I have been searching with persistence but still can't find what I seek.
I've heard it's wrong
Others have cautioned me that my search is misguided.
Do you think I really care?
I am not concerned about others' opinions of my search.
Well, I've been lookin' for something to turn me on
I am searching for something that excites or inspires me.
But I can't seem to find it anywhere
Despite my prolonged search, I have not come across what I desire.
I've been lookin' so, so far from home
I have traveled a great distance in my search.
Much too far
I may have gone too far in my quest for what I desire.
You know, there's one thing that I
There is one thing that bothers me.
I just can't stand
It is something that irritates me deeply.
And you've known it from the beginning
You are aware of this issue I have.
When I see's you with that bastard hand-in-hand
When I see you holding hands with that person I despise.
I just want to cut off your goddamn wrist
I am filled with hatred towards this person and want to cause them harm.
They say good things come to those who wait
I have been advised that patience is valuable in waiting for desirable things.
Well, I been waiting for so long
I have been waiting an extremely long time for something good to come to me.
Good things come to those who wait
Being patient is often rewarded with desirable outcomes.
Seems I been waiting all my life
I feel as though my entire life has been spent waiting for something good to happen.
I been searchin', searchin', searchin', searchin' ow
I have been frantically searching for what I desire.
I'll keep searchin' baby, since you know I will
I will not give up on my search because it is important to me.
Till I find out just what I want from life
I will continue my search until I discover what I truly desire in life.
Yeah, I'll keep searchin' 'till I
I will keep searching relentlessly until I reach my goal.
Till I gets my fill
I will continue searching until I am completely satisfied.
And it ain't gonna come easy, no
I understand that my search will be difficult and require effort and patience.
Good things come, hell I've been good I want to come
I believe that by being good and continuing to search, I will eventually find what I desire.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Jeff Ament, Mark Arm, Bruce Fairweather, Stone Gossard, Alex Vincent
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
GaetanoCozza
Green River was a hell of a great band. Probably the most underrated combo from Seattle. Check out the new Sub Pop reissue of both "Dry as a bone" and "Rehab doll".
NorthyRamone1973
Belting track. One of favourite songs of all time. Raw.
ANAL LIBRARIAN
How has nobody else commented on this song? It fucking rocks.
lachlan paul
Such an old soul in a young man was the word mark did with green river
TheBabesInToyland
Elle est énorme cette chanson
buttplug101
my fav song, fucking awesome!!!
Spikey Skippy
Soooooooooo Good. Thanks Guys. Steve you Rock
a mart
real music. fuckin raw and dirty
Wayne Kerr
was walking thru the Streets of Collyhurst late last night with this in me ears
fullmetalfreedom
Seattle Punk!!!