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.
MTC
Hüsker Dü Lyrics
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Gotta keep a date
Be at the corner
Mistake to be late
Half block away now
Bus is at the light
Driver's grinning madly
It's a run for your life
MTC, MTC
You did it again, you did it to me
Getting on the bus now
Throw away your change
Don't forget your transfer
Driver's acting strange
Bus is really crowded
Can't find a seat
Going real fast
Gonna crash in the street
Picking up the pieces
In a fight that never ends
Getting away this time
I know we'll meet again
Gotta gotta go now
Feeling the urgency to leave now
Gotta keep a date
Need to be on time for an appointment
Be at the corner
Arriving at the designated location
Mistake to be late
It would be a problem to arrive after the scheduled time
Half block away now
Almost reached the destination
Bus is at the light
The bus is stopped at a traffic light
Driver's grinning madly
The driver is smiling in a crazy way
It's a run for your life
It's a desperate rush to catch the bus
MTC, MTC
Metro Transit Corporation, Metro Transit Corporation
You did it again, you did it to me
You let me down once more
Getting on the bus now
Boarding the bus at this moment
Throw away your change
Discard any extra coins you have
Don't forget your transfer
Remember to take your transfer ticket
Driver's acting strange
The driver's behavior is odd
Bus is really crowded
The bus is full of people
Can't find a seat
Unable to locate an empty seat
Going real fast
The bus is moving at high speed
Gonna crash in the street
There might be a collision on the road
Picking up the pieces
Dealing with the aftermath
In a fight that never ends
Caught in a perpetual struggle
Getting away this time
Escaping the situation now
I know we'll meet again
I'm sure we'll encounter each other once more
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: NORTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind