John Vanderslice (born May 22, 1967 in Gainesville, Florida) is an American… Read Full Bio ↴John Vanderslice (born May 22, 1967 in Gainesville, Florida) is an American musician, formerly of mk Ultra but now performing with his own band.

After mk Ultra broke up in 1999, Vanderslice wasted little time building a solo reputation. In 2000, he gained national media attention over his single Bill Gates Must Die after concocting an elaborate hoax in which Microsoft supposedly threatened legal action over supposed trademark violations (the disc had a similar etching to a Windows installation disc).

Subsequent albums, Time Travel is Lonely, Life and Death of an American Fourtracker, Cellar Door, Pixel Revolt and Emerald City have gained critical acclaim for their melodic quality and sophisticated narrative lyrical content. Vanderslice has spent much of the last few years on tour across North America, Europe, and Japan.

Vanderslice also founded a recording studio in 1997 called Tiny Telephone. Located in the Mission District of San Francisco, Tiny Telephone has carved out a niche as the last all-analog recording studio in the Bay Area, and has a policy of setting recording rates under market prices. Bands who have used Vanderslice's studio include Beulah, Death Cab for Cutie, Okkervil River and Spoon.

Vanderslice is a proponent of using analog instruments and recording equipment to produce a richer, more raw sound which he has sometimes called "dirty hi-fi". He has collaborated closely with Scott Solter in the production of his recent albums, with Pixel Revolt being notably shaped by Solter.

Vanderslice was a contributing producer on the Spoon album, Gimme Fiction, and has collaborated and toured with The Mountain Goats. He is strongly influenced by film and is a fan of David Lynch, whose work is referenced in his song "Promising Actress". His declared musical influences are diverse, ranging from Neutral Milk Hotel to Public Enemy. He is an avid photography hobbyist. He has incorporated the poetry of William Blake and Robert Lowell into his music.

Several songs on the album Pixel Revolt referenced the 9/11 attacks and the subsequent global political situation. This is also true of Vanderslice's most recent album, Emerald City.

Tremble and Tear
John Vanderslice Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Over here
I was buried nearly in the snow
There's an overseer
To a true believer
I'm letting go

Here comes the one
Yeah she's the one

That's gonna do it to me

Now I can see here
In the snow, snow, snow

Through the cedar
Tearing a bloody deer
In the throat

Here comes the one

Yeah she's the one
That's gonna do it to me

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to John Vanderslice's song "Tremble and Tear" are a mix of vivid imagery and abstract ideas. The opening lines paint a picture of the singer being buried in snow, perhaps metaphorically representing feeling trapped or overwhelmed. The mention of an overseer to a true believer hints at a sense of religious or spiritual oppression. The line "I'm letting go" could suggest a release from this oppression or a willingness to surrender to it.

The chorus introduces a new character, "the one" who is described as coming to do something to the singer. It's unclear what this something is, but the repetition of the phrase "she's the one" creates a sense of inevitability and impending doom.

The final lines describe a disturbing scene of a deer being killed, which could represent violence or the brutality of nature. Overall, the lyrics of "Tremble and Tear" are open to interpretation, but they create a sense of unease and tension that matches the song's haunting melody.

Line by Line Meaning

Over here
I'm in a specific location

I was buried nearly in the snow
I was deep in the snow

There's an overseer
There's someone in charge

To a true believer
To someone who is committed

I'm letting go
I'm giving up

Here comes the one
Someone important is coming

Yeah she's the one
She is significant

That's gonna do it to me
She will impact me greatly

Now I can see here
I can observe my surroundings

In the snow, snow, snow
The environment is snowy

Through the cedar
I'm moving through cedar