Meat Puppets started as a punk rock band, but like most of their labelmates on SST Records, they established their own unique style, blending punk with country and psychedelic rock, and featuring Curt's warbling vocals. Meat Puppets later gained significant exposure when the Kirkwood brothers served as guest musicians on Nirvana's MTV Unplugged performance in 1993. The band's 1994 album Too High to Die subsequently became their most successful release. The band broke up twice, in 1996 and 2002, but reunited again in 2006.
Meat Puppets has influenced a number of rock bands including Nirvana, Soundgarden, Dinosaur Jr, Sebadoh and Pavement.
Their early works (the In A Car EP and Meat Puppets LP) were wholeheartedly punk, with vocals so feral in their delivery they were often indecipherable, but ultimately humorous and clever once deciphered. The musicianship was mostly thrash, yet the songs were tinged with a subtle, haunting element like that of a long abandoned ghost town. Their brand of cathartic, explosive hardcore attracted the attention of legendary punk label SST, who released their first record in 1982.
Unsatisfied with the result, the band spent plenty of time in the studio before the release of 1983's Meat Puppets II. The band's exciting experimentation with psychedelia, acid rock, and quieter tunes on top of a core western-style thrash sound, gave them their one acknowledged classic album, and propelled the record to legendary status. Meat Puppets II turned Meat Puppets into the one of the leading bands in SST Records league and, along with Violent Femmes, the Gun Club and others, helped establish country punk.
The Meat Puppets' burgeoning musicality led to more intricate and melodic efforts on 1985's Up on the Sun, which was a cohesive collage of songs that further demonstrated their abilities to capture a sound that had all of the wonder of the desert. The band's sound and vision became closely aligned with the legacy of The Byrds; some of the group's fans accused the Meat Puppets of becoming dangerously hippy-sounding (this appreciation of "hippy" music was hardly a sudden development: Curt's guitar solos were, from the beginning of his career, often reminiscent of Jerry Garcia). However, Up On The Sun demonstrated strong musicianship, accompanied by an unfading ability to write sophisticated and intriguing songs. This album generated the band's first major mainstream exposure, and many fans still consider it to be their masterpiece.
Over the next decade, the Meat Puppets remained on SST and released a series of albums, touring almost relentlessly on the underground circuit. After the release of Out My Way in 1986, however, the band was briefly sidelined by an accident when Curt's finger was broken after being slammed in their touring van's door. The accident delayed the band's next album, the psychedelic Mirage, until the next year. The final result was a meticulously crafted release in early 1987, and their most polished sound to date. Mirage at the time was hailed by some mainstream critics as the Puppet's best work yet.
Subsequently, their next album, the heavier, power-trio-rooted Huevos came out less than six months afterward, in late summer of 1987. In stark contrast to its predecessor, Huevos was recorded in a swift, fiery fashion, with many first takes, and minimal second guessing. The album was named, not only after the Spanish word for eggs, but was also a reference to the Spanish slang use of the word "Huevos" to mean "testicles." This was significant not only with regard to the songs themselves, but to the bold, rough manner in which they were recorded. These recordings were completed in only a matter of days, and along with a few drawings and one of Curt's paintings taken from the wall to serve as cover art (a dish of three boiled eggs, a green pepper, and a bottle of Tabasco sauce), was all sent to SST shortly before the band returned to the road en route to their next gig.
Monsters was released in 1989, featuring Curt-as-guitar-hero on such extended jams as "Touchdown King" and "Flight of the Fire Weasel."
Major label career (1991-1995)
As numerous bands from the seminal SST label, and other kindred punk-oriented indies, grappled with the "going major" decision, so did the 'Pups. Two years after their final studio recording for SST, 1989's Monsters, the trio released its major label debut, Forbidden Places, on the indie-friendly London Records. A three-year break saw the band's studio return with 1994's Too High To Die, produced by Butthole Surfers guitarist Paul Leary. The album featured "Backwater", a hit on alternative radio, and a hidden-track update of "Lake of Fire." Too High To Die earned the 'Pups a gold record (over 500,000 sold), outselling their previous records combined. That same year saw the 'Pups in their brightest mainstream spotlight as the band achieved sudden popularity when Nirvana's Kurt Cobain invited Cris and Curt to join him on MTV for acoustic performances of "Plateau", "Oh Me" and "Lake of Fire" (all originally from Meat Puppets II). The resulting album, MTV Unplugged in New York, served as a swan-song for Nirvana, as Cobain died six months after the concert. "Lake of Fire" became a cult favorite for its particularly wrenching vocal performance from Cobain. Subsequently, the Nirvana exposure and the strength of the single "Backwater" (their only charting single) helped lift the Meat Puppets to new commercial heights.
1995's No Joke! would be the final album recorded by the original Meat Puppets lineup. Unfortunately, Cris Kirkwood was now a heroin addict, whose heavy and compulsive use of the drug increasingly dominated his life. This was a major departure from the psychedelic drugs with which the Meat Puppets had always been associated; his erratic behavior soon became too much for the band to cope with. The first single from No Joke!, "Scum", charted briefly on the modern rock charts, but ultimately the album paled in success to its predecessor.
First hiatus and reunion (1996-2000)
Derrick recorded a solo EP under the moniker Today's Sounds in 1996, and later on in 1999 took charge of re-issuing the Puppets' original seven records on Rykodisc as well as putting out their first live album, Live in Montana. Curt formed a new band in Austin, TX called the Royal Neanderthal Orchestra, but they changed their name to Meat Puppets to release a promotional EP entitled You Love Me in 1999, Golden Lies in 2000 and Live in 2002. The line-up was Curt (voc/git), Kyle Ellison (voc/git), Andrew Duplantis (voc/bass) and Shandon Sahm (drums). Sahm's father was the legendary fiddler-singer-songwriter Doug Sahm of The Sir Douglas Quintet and Texas Tornados. The concluding track to Classic Puppets entitled "New Leaf" also dates from this incarnation of the band.
Break up (2001-2005)
Around 2001-2002, the Meat Puppets dissolved as Curt has gone on to release albums with the groups Eyes Adrift and Volcano. In 2005, he released his first solo album entitled Snow.
His brother Cris was arrested in December 2003 for attacking a security guard at a post office with the guard's baton. The guard shot Kirkwood during the melee. Kirkwood was subsequently denied bail, the judge citing Kirkwood's previous drug arrests and parole violations. He eventually went to prison for felony assault. He was released in July of 2005.
Derrick Bostrom began a home page (www.meatpuppets.com) for the band about six months before the original trio stopped working together. The site went through many different permutations before it was essentially mothballed in 2003. In late 2005, Bostrom revamped it once again, this time as a "blog" for his recollections and as a place to share pieces of Meat Puppets history.
Second reunion (2006-present)
On March 24, 2006, Curt Kirkwood polled fans at his MySpace page with the following bulletin: "Question for all! Would the original line up of the Meat Puppets interest anyone? Feedback is good - do you want a reunion?!" The response from fans was overwhelmingly positive within a couple of hours, leading to speculation of a full-blown Meat Puppets reunion in the near future. However, a post made by Derrick Bostrom on the official Meat Puppets site dismissed the notion.
An April 26, 2006 billboard.com story reported that the Kirkwood brothers would reunite as the Meat Puppets without original drummer Derrick Bostrom. Primus drummer Tim Alexander was announced as Bostrom's replacement. Curt mentioned that a new Meat Puppets album was written, but it has not yet been recorded. Curt continued to tour on his solo material with his son Elmo.
Tim Alexander never ended up drumming with the Meat Puppets. Instead, Ted Marcus is the band's current drummer.
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things
Meat Puppets Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Rodent by thy claim
Any open door
Leads to instant things
Make me go away
Take to me a place
Do some things to me
Ancient things design
Make me go away
Over is the game
Captured have you been
Twisted was part two
Ageless is the end
Make me go away
Take to me a place
Do some things to me
Make me go away
Ancient things design
Make me go away
Things we must not do
Must not walk through walls
Also, also don't
Do some things we did
Is this thing an oak
What kind of a tree
This here must be swept
Must do instant things
The smell of blue perfume
Present in design
I've a need to talk
Let us speak of things
Nothing do I know
But loudly do I ring
Also, also don't
Do some things we did
Make me go away
The lyrics to Meat Puppets' "Things" are somewhat abstract and open to interpretation. However, one potential interpretation suggests that the song is about the human experience of seeking distraction or escape from reality. The opening lines suggest a sense of disillusionment with life ("shadowed is the game") and perhaps a belief that one's existence is comparable to that of a rodent. The mention of "instant things" could be interpreted as a desire for instant gratification or a tendency to seek out easy distractions to avoid facing more difficult or complex issues.
The chorus repeats the phrase "Make me go away" several times, which further reinforces the idea of seeking escape. The reference to "ancient things design" could be interpreted in a few different ways - perhaps it suggests a desire to return to a simpler or more primitive existence, or it could be more metaphorical, suggesting a need to confront and come to terms with the past.
The line "things we must not do/must not walk through walls" is particularly interesting as it seems to suggest a recognition of the limitations of the human experience - we cannot literally walk through walls, and there are certain things that are simply not possible for us to do. However, the following line "also, also don't/do some things we did" suggests a hint of defiance or a willingness to push boundaries despite these limitations. Overall, the song seems to explore the tension between the desire to escape or avoid reality, and the need to confront and accept the limitations of our existence.
Line by Line Meaning
Shadowed is the game
The game is obscured and unclear, difficult to follow or understand
Rodent by thy claim
You make a claim like a rodent, sneaking and darting around
Any open door
Any opportunity or option that presents itself
Leads to instant things
Will result in immediate, possibly unpredictable consequences
Make me go away
I want to escape, to disappear from sight and mind
Take to me a place
Bring me somewhere else, away from here
Do some things to me
Perform actions or interventions on me, change me or my circumstances
Ancient things design
The patterns of history and tradition influence the way things are organized and understood
Over is the game
The game is finished or concluded
Captured have you been
You have been caught or trapped in some way
Twisted was part two
The second part of the story or experience was distorted or deformed
Ageless is the end
The final outcome or conclusion is timeless or eternal
Things we must not do
There are actions or behaviors we should avoid or prohibit
Must not walk through walls
It is impossible to cheat or circumvent reality, to transcend limits and boundaries
Also, also don't
In addition to the previous warnings or rules, there are further things to avoid
Do some things we did
In spite of the risks or consequences, there are still some actions or experiences we want to repeat
Is this thing an oak
We are uncertain or ignorant about the nature or identity of something
What kind of a tree
We are trying to classify or categorize the object in question
This here must be swept
There is a need to clean or tidy up the environment, to remove clutter or debris
Present in design
The way things are currently arranged or structured, the present system or framework
I've a need to talk
There is a desire or urgency to communicate, to share information or feelings with others
Let us speak of things
Let's focus on discussing and exploring topics or ideas
Nothing do I know
I lack knowledge or insight about the subject at hand
But loudly do I ring
Even though I am ignorant, I still assert my opinions or feelings with passion or intensity
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Curtis Mathew Kirkwood
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@julijabosnjak1300
Shadowed is the game
Rodent by thy claim
Any open door
Leads to instant things
Make me go away
Take to me a place
Do some things to me
Make me go away
Ancient things design
Make me go away
Over is the game
Captured have you been
Twisted was part two
Ageless is the end
Make me go away
Take to me a place
Do some things to me
Make me go away
Ancient things design
Make me go away
Things we must not do
Must not walk through walls
Also, also don't
Do some things we did
Is this thing an oak
What kind of a tree
This here must be swept
Must do instant things
The smell of blue perfume
Present in design
I've a need to talk
Let us speak of things
Nothing do I know
But loudly do I ring
Also, also don't
Do some things we did
Make me go away
@brandondixon6307
One of the most influential guitarist in my life. Definitely an underated player for sure. Definitely an underated band..
@nobbyguess2140
This song helped me discover a truth I didnt really want to know.
@JoshBM1981
Love the melancholy feel of this song!
@Mezclagrosera
Still my favorite song off this album...
@user-ql8qn2kc7x
Indeed
@danielhinton6954
Same. Still rock this.
@alton31ellis
Same.
@dennycorvetto1566
@@alton31ellis "make me go away" stands next to "got to be good lookin cuz he's so hard to see" in the pantheon of great rock lyrics.
@johnnyjohnny2650
Agreed sir
@MarkFreeman-kd2hz
My favorite Meat Puppets song. This is in my top 10 albums of all time. Why? I bought this when it first came put because of the back water video. I can listen to this album from beginning to end and every song is great even in 2019 I still feel the same way . That's why I say top ten in my collection. 🐶👍👍👍