The group recorded its first release for the label, Livonia, in Defever's home studio. The album features Oliver's shivery vocals along with tape loops, samples, and guitar blasts, for a noise-damaged, ethereal collection of songs about ghosts, reincarnation, and dreams. By 1992's Home Is in Your Head, the band's lineup and scope expanded. New singers Denise James, Karen Neal, Melissa Elliott, and guitarist Jymn Auge added depth and breadth to the band's original lineup. An epic 23 songs long, Home Is in Your Head ranges from folky ballads to electrifying guitar maelstroms and tape collages. That year also saw the release of The Dirt Eaters EP, named for Defever's other, more rock-oriented group, of which Elliot was also a member. In 1993, His Name Is Alive released two albums: King of Sweet, a limited-edition release that mixed tape effects, samples, demos, and unreleased songs, and Mouth by Mouth, which added more pop structure into the group's inherently experimental and dreamy sound, resulting in its most accessible and diverse album to that date. A new drummer, Trey Many, took over Lang's duties.
As Defever's reputation as an innovative producer spread, he lent his skills to bands like Grenadine, a side project of Tsunami's Jenny Toomey and Unrest's Mark Robinson, other 4AD acts like Liquorice (which featured Toomey, Dan Littleton from Ida, and His Name Is Alive's Many) and Tarnation, and other Detroit-area bands like Godzuki and Outrageous Cherry. Defever also worked on other projects, including the folky ESP Summer (with former Pale Saint Ian Masters) and the electronic Robot World and Control Panel, and founded the Time Stereo art collective with a childhood friend, artist/musician Davin Brainard. Some of Time Stereo's projects included films, coloring books, and cassette-only releases from bands like Princess Dragon Mom, the Crash, Godzuki, New Grape, and Noise Camp.
Defever's diverse interests influenced His Name Is Alive's next release, 1996's Stars on ESP. Very little of the group's original ethereal sound remained, augmented instead with touches of dub, folk, gospel, and early- to mid-'60s pop like the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. At the time of the album's release, Defever claimed that he was so fascinated by the group's "Good Vibrations" that he listened to it for months at a time. The following year's Nice Day EP reached to garage rock and '60s R&B for its inspiration, and featured some of the gospel singers from Stars on ESP, including Lovetta Pippen, whose singing also gave His Name Is Alive's 1998 LP, Fort Lake, an earthy sensuality. Fort Lake also marked the first time the band worked with another producer, recording engineer Steve King. King, another Livonia native, had also worked with Funkadelic and Aretha Franklin, and his touch meshes nicely with the funk, soul, and classic rock allusions His Name Is Alive makes on the album. In preparation for recording Fort Lake -- named after a waterlogged Civil War fort in Michigan -- the group played monthly shows at the Gold Dollar, a tiny Detroit club. At this time, Pippen, bassist Chad Gilchrist, and additional drummer Scott Goldstein debuted as part of the new lineup.
In 1999, His Name Is Alive released a U.S. compilation of tracks from their first five albums called Always Stay Sweet; at the time, those albums were only available as British imports. Like the rest of the band's work, the compilation highlights their mercurial, unique nature. Someday My Blues Will Cover the Earth appeared two years later. Released in 2002, the darkly soulful Last Night ended up being the group's final album for 4AD, but His Name Is Alive found other outlets for their music, and were actually busier than ever. Time Stereo released several CDs, such as 2004's ten-disc Cloud Box set, Leaf Club, Brown Rice, and The Detroit River, as well as many MP3-only works, including the Summer Bird and Something_Nothing EPs and a remastered version of King of Sweet. UFO Catcher was released in 2005 on CD by the German label En/Of and on vinyl by Time Stereo, while Ypsilanti Records issued the full-length Summer Bird that spring. Late in 2005, His Name Is Alive released the Raindrops Rainbow EP via iTunes as a teaser for Detrola, their debut for Reincarnate, also the home of fellow former 4AD artist Lisa Germano and Sing-Sing, the project of former Lush member Emma Anderson.
Sometimes Screw
His Name Is Alive Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Slant-wise smile sometimes screw
Are you lonely and betrayed
Maybe give some back someday
In my dream its beautiful
We go down at the same time
Its so beautiful
Just like a six and like a nine
What happened to your happiness
I dug your holes I took your hits
The note was pinned on promises
Last warning not a threat
Your asking me where does it hurt
The only answer that I knew
Its somewhere in this room today
I want you but I don't need you
Now my songs of hearts desire
Light above a candle fire
Dreams head off a memory
Miracle came and fell asleep
The lyrics to His Name Is Alive's song "Sometimes Screw" seem to be about a relationship that is complicated and troubled. The first two lines are describing the physical appearance of the subject of the song: "Criss Cross cover your smooth / Slant-wise smile sometimes screw." This person seems to have both an attractive and an off-putting quality to them. The next two lines suggest that the relationship with this person is not going well: "Are you lonely and betrayed / Maybe give some back someday." The singer seems to be feeling hurt, but also still holding out hope that things might improve in the future.
The chorus of the song is more positive, describing a beautiful dream that the singer has had where they and the subject of the song are together, going down at the same time. The line "Just like a six and like a nine" is likely a reference to the numbers 6 and 9 being mirror images of each other, suggesting a sense of symmetry and balance in the dream.
The second verse of the song is more introspective, with the singer reflecting on their own role in the relationship: "What happened to your happiness / I dug your holes I took your hits." They also describe a note that was left warning them about something, but not specifically threatening them. The line "Your asking me where does it hurt / The only answer that I knew" suggests that the subject of the song is also feeling pain, but the singer doesn't have any answers for them.
The final lines of the song are somewhat cryptic, describing a "miracle" that came and then fell asleep. This could be interpreted in many ways, but seems to suggest that something positive happened, but it was short-lived and things are back to being difficult again.
Overall, the lyrics to "Sometimes Screw" are introspective and describe a complicated relationship that is not necessarily healthy, but also not completely without hope. The dream described in the chorus suggests that there is a possibility of things improving, but the rest of the song is more grounded in the reality of the difficulties of the relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Criss Cross cover your smooth
Your attempt to hide your flaws is obvious.
Slant-wise smile sometimes screw
Your sideways grin hints at deceitful intentions.
Are you lonely and betrayed
Your actions suggest you are feeling isolated and let down by someone you trusted.
Maybe give some back someday
Perhaps you will repay the favor in the future.
In my dream its beautiful
I envision something wonderful.
We go down at the same time
We experience the same hardships.
Its so beautiful
It's a lovely experience.
Just like a six and like a nine
We are two halves of a whole.
What happened to your happiness
How did you lose your joy?
I dug your holes I took your hits
I supported you through difficult times.
The note was pinned on promises
You made commitments that you did not keep.
Last warning not a threat
This is a final notice, not a guarantee of harm.
Your asking me where does it hurt
You want to understand where the pain is coming from.
The only answer that I knew
I could only identify one source of the pain.
Its somewhere in this room today
The pain is present here and now.
I want you but I don't need you
I desire you, but I am not dependent on you.
Now my songs of hearts desire
My music expresses my deepest longings.
Light above a candle fire
The illumination is soft and romantic.
Dreams head off a memory
Nostalgic thoughts inspire my dreams.
Miracle came and fell asleep
A wondrous event occurred, but it was brief and fleeting.
Contributed by Michael J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@CaryLoren
best live version of yr gonna die yet!
@DmitryChmelyov
Wow, that version of sometimes screw is really hard. Like it.
@jhowellkc
❤
@airmaus
Yes, that's right.
@ChineseSquishMitten
this is the first video that came up when i searched heerq
@ACrackInTheWall2006
This is one of my favorite bands but these guys sound so sloppy live. I could totaly marry Andrea.