Hüsker Dü was a punk band from Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota, active from… Read Full Bio ↴Hüsker Dü was a punk band from Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota, active from 1979 to 1987. The band consisted of Bob Mould (guitars, vocals), Greg Norton (bass) and Grant Hart (1961 – 2017) (drums, vocals). Mould and Hart split the song-writing duties. The band was never widely popular, but had an impact much larger than sales might indicate. "Husker Du" is Danish/Norwegian for "Do You Remember" (also a popular children's game as Hūsker Dū?). Hüsker Dü first gained notice as a hardcore band, with thrashing tempos & screamed vocals, but also with a melodic, soulful edge that became more pronounced in the band's mid-career, as they drifted away from their early sound. They were also a striking trio on stage — far different from the typical hardcore band of the time — with Mould's hulking, doughy presence shouting angrily at stage left, offset by the generally unkempt, long-haired Hart flailing on the drums, and the lanky, good-natured Norton, who sported a waxed handlebar moustache for most of the band's career.

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.

Data Control
Hüsker Dü Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

A nine digit number
For every living soul
That is all they talk about
At Data Control
They know everything about you
Keeping secrets is too hard
Your life is all recorded for you
In holes punched in computer cards

Data Control (digital readout)
Data Control (perforated feed out)
Data Control (microfilm files)
Data Control (1984 style)

A multinational corporation
A stockholder's dream
A nightmare of diversity
A defense system so supreme
Too technical to talk about
Too complex for layman's brains

It's enough to make you paranoid
Or drive you crazy losers sane

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Hüsker Dü's song Data Control speak about the dangers of a world where every living soul is reduced to a nine-digit number and all their personal information is controlled and kept in computer systems by a corporation called Data Control. The song shows how people's privacy and secrets are no longer safe, and all aspects of their lives are recorded and monitored. The lyrics describe Data Control as a multinational corporation that is a stockholder's dream, but a nightmare for diversity and personal freedom. The defense system of Data Control is said to be so supreme that it is too technical to understand. The song suggests that this dystopian control over personal information could drive people crazy or make them paranoid.

The chorus repeats the phrase "Data Control" four times, followed by words that describe the different aspects of the control systems used by Data Control. "Digital readout" describes how digital screens and displays show the information, "perforated feed out" refers to the process of printing out personal information from the computer, "microfilm files" imply how information is stored in a small format and "1984 style" is a reference to George Orwell’s famous novel '1984', known for depicting a dystopian society where Big Brother controls everyone's personal data and privacy.

Line by Line Meaning

A nine digit number
Refers to Social Security Numbers which are unique to every person and used for identification purposes

For every living soul
Everyone is required to have a Social Security Number

That is all they talk about
Refers to the fact that personal identification is often required in various processes

At Data Control
Refers to the phenomenon of data collection, storage and control

They know everything about you
Refers to collection of personal data which can be used to reveal much about a person

Keeping secrets is too hard
When everything is recorded, it's difficult to keep secrets

Your life is all recorded for you
Everything that happens in life is recorded

In holes punched in computer cards
Refers to the use of punched cards for storing data

Data Control (digital readout)
Refers to the technological aspect of data control

Data Control (perforated feed out)
Refers to the way data is stored using punched cards

Data Control (microfilm files)
Another way to store data, using microfilm

Data Control (1984 style)
Reference to George Orwell's book '1984' which depicts a dystopian society where the government controls everything, including personal data

A multinational corporation
Refers to the companies that collect and store personal data

A stockholder's dream
Companies that control data are profitable and thus, attract investment

A nightmare of diversity
Data control creates a world where diversity is suppressed as everything is accounted for

A defense system so supreme
Data control is often sold as a crucial aspect of national security

Too technical to talk about
The technicalities of data control make it difficult to discuss

Too complex for layman's brains
The average person would not have detailed understanding of how data collection and storage works

It's enough to make you paranoid
The idea that everything is recorded can make people feel like they are being watched and monitored constantly

Or drive you crazy losers sane
The idea of having all personal data recorded can drive people crazy, or make them want to hide every detail about themselves to remain sane

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: GRANT VERNON HART

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS