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.
No Promise Have I Made
Hüsker Dü Lyrics
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If I could change you, well it wouldn't change a thing
Well now you know and now you shouldn't be afraid
No promise have I made
Tell me a story tell me just another lie
Well I can tell you set your expectations high
Well now I've faced up to you facing me betrayed
Well there's some green and there's some white and there's some gold
But brighter colors I have left you to behold
It's your good fortune there's a fortune to be paid
No promise have I made
The opening lines of No Promise Have I Made reflect a sense of helplessness and resignation. The first line, "If I could change my mind what changes would it bring," suggests a sense of frustration and futility. The singer is questioning whether anything could be done to change their current situation, or if it's simply a matter of trying to accept things as they are. The second line, "If I could change you, well it wouldn't change a thing," reinforces this sense of powerlessness, indicating that the singer has come to the realization that they have no control over the actions or feelings of the person they're addressing.
In the chorus, the singer makes it clear that they're not making any promises to the person they're addressing. "Well now you know and now you shouldn't be afraid / No promise have I made" suggests that the person may have been expecting something from the singer, but they shouldn't count on it. There's a sense of detachment here, as if the singer has resigned themselves to the fact that they can't offer any guarantees or assurances.
The final verse features a bit of wordplay, with the lines "Well there's some green and there's some white and there's some gold / But brighter colors I have left you to behold." Here, the singer is suggesting that there are things of value to be found in their absence. The phrase "brighter colors" suggests that the singer believes that the person they're addressing will eventually move on and find happiness without them. The final line--"It's your good fortune there's a fortune to be paid / No promise have I made"--again emphasizes the singer's lack of guarantees, but also suggests that there may be opportunities for the other person to find something of value without them.
Line by Line Meaning
If I could change my mind what changes would it bring
If I could alter my decision-making process, what effects would it have on the situation?
If I could change you, well it wouldn't change a thing
Even if I had the power to change who you are, it wouldn't make any difference to the outcome.
Well now you know and now you shouldn't be afraid
I have revealed the truth to you, so there is no reason for you to feel scared.
No promise have I made
I have not made any commitments or guarantees.
Tell me a story tell me just another lie
Share with me some fiction, another untruth I can hear.
Well I can tell you set your expectations high
It is apparent that you have very high hopes for what my story will entail.
Well now I've faced up to you facing me betrayed
I have confronted you for betraying me by going back on your word.
No promise have I made
I have not made any commitments or guarantees.
Well there's some green and there's some white and there's some gold
In this situation, there are various possibilities, some of which may be better than others.
But brighter colors I have left you to behold
However, I have chosen to leave the most promising options for you to discover.
It's your good fortune there's a fortune to be paid
It is fortunate for you that there is a reward or benefit to be gained from this situation.
No promise have I made
I have not made any commitments or guarantees.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: GRANT VERNON HART
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind