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.
Standing In The Rain
Hüsker Dü Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All I see is grey
I'm watching the clouds roll by every day
And we make a reservation, you say you'll be on time
I say, "I might be a little late"
Well, I pull it together and brush my teeth
And comb my hair
I think of the times you've waited
Just for me to care
I care about you
Checking the clock inside
The room we call our own
I see that I'm late, I should get going
Hop on a local transit, spending all my change
Oh, I can still hear the telephone
Well, I want to go back, but I'm halfway to
The place where we will meet
And I'm half-dead on my feet
And once I get there, I see everything's the same
Here comes the rain
You left me standing
I should have guessed that you'd stand me up
Why did I even go, now?
And I guess it goes to show
The snow may well thaw out, but it goes right down the drain
You left me, you left me, you left me, you left me
You left me standing in the rain
You left me standing in the rain
You left me standing in the rain
Oh, no, now
You left me standing in the rain
You left me standing in the rain, oh, now
You left me standing in the rain
Oh, why, oh, why, why, why did I even go now, now now?
Now, now, now
Now, now, now
Oh, I know, now, you left me standing in the rain
You left me standing in the rain, oh, now
You left me standing in the rain
Oh, now, oh
The lyrics to Hüsker Dü's song "Standing In The Rain" tell a story about a person waiting for someone else, anticipating their arrival, and getting let down when they don't show up. The first verse describes how everything outside looks the same - grey and unchanging. The person watching from their window seems to be stuck in a rut, watching the days go by without much excitement. Then, they make plans with someone else, but they're not sure if they'll be able to make it on time. The uncertainty creates tension that will be carried throughout the song.
The second verse continues with the person getting ready to go out, still unsure of whether or not their companion will be waiting for them. They feel guilty about being late before and recall times when the other person waited for them to show they cared. As they're leaving, they find out they're already running late and might not make it on time. They rush to the meeting place and end up waiting in the rain. The disappointment they feel is palpable and serves as a metaphor for the disappointment they've been feeling in their stagnant life.
Line by Line Meaning
Looking outside my window
Observing the world around me
All I see is grey
Everything appears dull and uninteresting
I'm watching the clouds roll by every day
Observing the passage of time with no significant events occurring
And we make a reservation, you say you'll be on time
Planning to meet with someone and being told they will arrive punctually
I say, "I might be a little late"
Acknowledging the possibility of arriving later than planned
Well, I pull it together and brush my teeth
Preparing for the outing by getting ready
And comb my hair
Making sure personal appearance is satisfactory
I stop to think and I can see you there
Recalling memories of the person I'm meeting
I think of the times you've waited
Remembering instances where the other person had to be patient with me
Just for me to care
Despite my past behavior, the other person still values my presence in their life
I care about you
Acknowledging my feelings for the other person
Checking the clock inside
Verifying the time
The room we call our own
The place where we typically meet
I see that I'm late, I should get going
Noticing that I am delayed and need to leave soon
Hop on a local transit, spending all my change
Taking public transportation and using up nearly all my money
Oh, I can still hear the telephone
Hearing the sound of the phone ringing even though I am not near it
Well, I want to go back, but I'm halfway to
Feeling regret and wishing to turn back, but already being too far into the journey
The place where we will meet
The destination where the other person should be waiting
And I'm half-dead on my feet
Exhausted from the journey and questioning whether it was worth it
And once I get there, I see everything's the same
Arriving at the destination and realizing there's no significant changes
Here comes the rain
Rain begins to fall
You left me standing
The other person never showed up
I should have guessed that you'd stand me up
Anticipating that the other person would not arrive
Why did I even go, now?
Questioning why I bothered to make the journey
And I guess it goes to show
Reflecting on the fact that situations like these are common
The snow may well thaw out, but it goes right down the drain
Although situations may temporarily get better, they ultimately don't matter in the long run
You left me, you left me, you left me, you left me
Repeating the fact that the other person didn't show up
You left me standing in the rain
The other person left me alone and exposed to the elements
Oh, no, now
Expressing frustration and disappointment
Oh, why, oh, why, why, why did I even go now, now now?
Continuing to question my decision to embark on the journey
Now, now, now
An expression of upset
Now, now, now
Continuing to express deep emotions
Oh, I know, now, you left me standing in the rain
Realizing that the other person made a conscious choice to not show up
Oh, now
Showing resignation and profound sadness
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: BOB MOULD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Pete Mourilyan
Looking outside my window
All I see is grey
I'm watching the clouds roll by every day
And we make a reservation, you say you'll be on time
I say, "I might be a little late"
Well, I pull it together and brush my teeth
And comb my hair
I stop to think and I can see you there
I think of the times you've waited
Just for me to care
I care about you
Checking the clock inside
The room we call our own
I see that I'm late, I should get going
Hop on a local transit, spending all my change
Oh, I can still hear the telephone
Well, I want to go back, but I'm halfway to
The place where we will meet
And I'm half-dead on my feet
And once I get there, I see everything's the same
Here comes the rain
You left me standing
I should have guessed that you'd stand me up
Why did I even go, now?
And I guess it goes to show
The snow may well thaw out, but it goes right down the drain
You left me, you left me, you left me, you left me
You left me standing in the rain
You left me standing in the rain
You left me standing in the rain
Oh, no, now
You left me standing in the rain
You left me standing in the rain, oh, now
You left me standing in the rain
Oh, why, oh, why, why, why did I even go now, now now?
Now, now, now
Now, now, now
Oh, I know, now, you left me standing in the rain
You left me standing in the rain, oh, now
You left me standing in the rain
Oh, now, oh
Songwriters: Bob Mould
P-BIZ
For a while in the late 80's-early 90s Mould was touted as a power-pop guitar hero. His great song writing aside he really dialed in a unique guitar sound that tone-wise focused on Flying Vs through cranked Marshalls with the "mids" (Middle frequency) spiked...and he made that tone soar. This song is a good example but even with bigger productions (WORKBOOK, SUGAR, etc) Mould had a distinctive guitar sound. You don't hear too much about his guitar playing now days and its a shame because he is a true innovator for rock guitar that deserves more recognition. I always though of Mould as kind of a "Punk Pete Townshend"...and thats a very good thing.
petethebastard
AND a lyricist and vocalist of High Repute...!
Pete Mourilyan
Super Distortion pedal is a big part of his sound. He also likes to compress dozens of tracks in studio.
Probably stuff you know.
Dan Pearce
Pete T is a fan of Bob's
cuoccimix
That's a careful description. Mould's guitar sound is sharp, airy and fresh, it keeps the punk rage but adding melody.
S. Adam Bernstein
A right on assessment!
Andre McMillan
Such an amazing band. So glad I am old enough to have been able to see them a few months before they split.
Las Vegas, Artemis Ham Hall. I remember reading that they cranked their amps to 11...ears beware. A bunch of my friends and I brought ear plugs. Then I said screw it, I refused to tone anything out and neither did they. Amazing show. One that will be with me forever.
30+ years later and I’m still jamming their brilliance.
Nikolai K
@Andre McMillan Although I have several shows from this month.
Andre McMillan
@Nikolai K Yes, that was when it happened. Were you there?
Nikolai K
April 1987 right?