Hüsker Dü broke with the anti-traditionalist ethos of most early hardcore bands. Their early songwriting shows the influence of folk, 1960s pop music, blues, and other forms (although often buried under a thick layer of angst and aggression), and has a strong melodic sense. The lyrics made astute, sharp, personal and social commentary, showing a great deal of vulnerability and sympathy for their subjects. Hüsker Dü's songwriting was widely admired, and their live shows were often a venue for brilliant improvisational playing. (A feedback-laden solo guitar performance from an early-'80s soundcheck tape merited release via the avant-garde Telus Magazine.) Hüsker Dü were also, however, widely regarded as somewhat unusual-sounding in their early prime, due to the instruments' non-standard tones: Mould's guitar is described below, while Hart's drums were considered 'thumpy' (and he consistently played slightly behind the beat); Norton played bass fairly laconically even at fast tempos, using his fingers rather than a pick. The band's sound can be considered an organic synthesis of these elements -- a unit that was quite powerful in combination, yet perhaps difficult to parse singly.
A particular strength of the group was the two powerhouse singer/songwriters, Mould and Hart. The tension between their musical styles (Mould was generally the angrier songwriter, Hart the more melodic one), and their willingness to collaborate, made the sum of their contributions greater than their parts. Another strength was Mould's unique, resonant guitar sound, described by a critic at the time as "molten metal pouring from the speakers." Mid-period Hüsker Dü songs are immediately recognizable via Mould's incandescent guitar tone, achieved by splitting the signal in the studio between amplified and direct tones and adding a light stereo chorus effect. Mould's technique involved playing resonant drone notes on the high strings. Although a trio, Hüsker Dü generally sounded extremely large on record and live.
The group is also notable as one of the first 1980s American underground rock bands to contract with a major record label, a move that blazed the trail for the rise of alternative rock a few years later. Another key Minneapolis band who served as an alternative rock icebreaker was The Replacements, who had a friendly rivalry with Hüsker Dü.
Mould has gone on to release other albums, including a recent solo double album release called Body of Song. Prior to that he took a stint as a writer for World Championship Wrestling (WCW) scripting scenarios and fights.
Grant Hart died from cancer on September 14, 2017.
Books About UFOs
Hüsker Dü Lyrics
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Checking out the latest books on outer space
Going to the fruit stand to buy a dozen oranges
Then she and the books and the oranges go back to her place
She tells the same old story to everyone that she knows
She's just sitting in her room reading books about UFOs
Perched in a lawnchair and staring into the sky
I know that somewhere in some faraway galaxy
That some gray men with telescopes are gazing right into her eyes
Her live revolves around all of the planets
And she is constantly aware of all the changes that occur
I'm going to turn into a lens and focus all my attention
On finding a new planet and naming it right after her
The lyrics to Hüsker Dü's song Books About UFOs tell the story of a young woman whose world revolves around the study of outer space, specifically, unidentified flying objects. The song details her daily routine, as she walks down a sunny street to the library to check out the latest books on UFOs, and then heads to a fruit stand to buy a dozen oranges. With her books and oranges in tow, she heads back to her place, where she reads and researches, telling the same old story to everyone she knows.
The singer, who is seemingly in love with her, observes her from a distance, sometimes seeing her sitting on the rooftop, perched in a lawn chair and staring into the sky. He acknowledges that somewhere out there, in some faraway galaxy, the 'gray men' with telescopes are gazing right into her eyes, implying that she is not alone in her obsession with outer space. Her life seems to revolve entirely around the planets, as she is constantly aware of all the changes that occur. The singer, in turn, wants to focus all his attention on finding a new planet and naming it after her.
The song seems to explore the idea of being consumed by a particular interest or obsession, with the young woman at the center of the story representing the extreme end of this spectrum. The lyrics suggest that there is a whole universe out there, waiting to be explored, and the young woman's love for outer space is a reflection of this possibility. At the same time, the song acknowledges that there is a certain element of escapism at work, as the young woman seems to be using her obsession to distance herself from the realities of the world around her.
Line by Line Meaning
Walking down a sunny street to the library
She is walking on a cheerful, sunlit street to the library
Checking out the latest books on outer space
She borrows the latest books on outer space when she visits the library
Going to the fruit stand to buy a dozen oranges
She buys twelve oranges from the fruit stand after her visit to the library
Then she and the books and the oranges go back to her place
She takes the books and oranges back to her place
She tells the same old story to everyone that she knows
She narrates the same story she heard from the books to everyone she knows
She's just sitting in her room reading books about UFOs
She spends her time sitting in her room, reading books about UFOs
Sometimes I see her sitting on the rooftop
Sometimes, I notice her sitting on the rooftop
Perched in a lawnchair and staring into the sky
She sits on a lawnchair on the rooftop, gazing into the sky
I know that somewhere in some faraway galaxy
The artist believes that in a distant galaxy
That some gray men with telescopes are gazing right into her eyes
Gray aliens with telescopes are looking at her
Her live revolves around all of the planets
Her life revolves around studying planets
And she is constantly aware of all the changes that occur
She is always up-to-date with all the changes happening around planets
I'm going to turn into a lens and focus all my attention
The singer will concentrate entirely on
On finding a new planet and naming it right after her
The singer plans to discover a new planet and name it after her
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: GRANT HART
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind