In the early days of their career their dark, heavy, oppressively slow sound made them innovators of genres like sludge, grunge, and doom metal. The Melvins' music is influenced by Flipper, Black Flag's My War-era hardcore punk and Black Sabbath-style heavy metal, but their idiosyncratic approach, bizarre sense of humor, and experimentation make neat categorization difficult. Singer/guitarist Buzz Osborne (aka "King Buzzo") and drummer Dale Crover are constant members while several bass guitarists have cycled through the group. The Melvins usually performed as a trio until 2006 when two members of Big Business became permanent members of the band.
The band was named after a grocery clerk at the Thriftway in Montesano, Washington where Osborne was employed. Melvin was the most-hated fellow employee and the band felt it to be an appropriate name. Like SF noisenik predecessors Flipper, their love of slow tempos and sludgy sound were a strong influence on grunge music, especially Nirvana and many other bands from Seattle. Their protegés, however, tended to use more conventional musical structures with this sound.
Though the group has received mostly positive critical notice, Crover's drumming has been especially praised; Patrick Kennedy describes his work as "astonishing, powerful, and daring."
While never finding and most likely never even seeking great mainstream success, the Melvins maintain an impressive schedule of new albums and tours, including a collaboration with Fantômas in The Fantômas Melvins Big Band, two releases with former Dead Kennedys frontman Jello Biafra, and in 2004 the Melvins collaborated with ambient artist Lustmord for Pigs of the Roman Empire. In appreciation of their devoted fans, the Melvins have released various collectables through the years that have included two-headed dolls, an eight-track tape, and a plastic fetus in a jar.
Fellow Aberdeen resident Kurt Cobain (a good friend of Crover) was a huge Melvins fan and helped them transport their equipment to a few shows. Cobain also auditioned to join the band on bass, but he didn't make it, reportedly because he was so nervous that he forgot all the songs. Cobain maintained his relation with the band. Later he produced and played on some songs (guitar on "Sky Pup", percussion on "Spread Eagle Beagle") on the band's major label debut, Houdini. Dale Crover is also attributed as playing on the Nirvana debut album, Bleach, and on "Incesticide". In addition, Dave Grohl (ex-drummer for Nirvana) co-wrote and played drums for Isabella on Buzzo's Melvins solo album, King Buzzo.
Annum
Melvins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I didn't like you having one
And like a dream I could tear into that
Overboard with happiness
We're so gone
We're so free
With every everyone
I can deal with the dream but have a picture taken there
She can feel, she can scream, and two caught screamers happened like they say
You can feel like a teen /
That walked out through the door with
But I can peel you at the seams
And I can be your only
You don't seem like them
With all the houses that you'll be
And I can leave them lonely
And let it be away.
I wish there was a way for me
And she can never lie that we were
And I can feel, I can feel it's Sunday morning maybe like we said
We can roll like a hundred lies
She never takes you where know
Like a sore
Like a bill of certain money
money no
But I can peel you at the seams
And I can be your only
You don't seem like them
With all the houses that you'll be
And I can leave them lonely
And let it be away.
And is it about you left them there?
Do you feel like you're the same?
I can go like a million times you never let me over there
I'm so bull I can hear your song in mourning only I would know
I can feel, I can scream
I can feel you like you never have again
And I know I can send it down on Monday morning
Raise your fist
Like a doe
Like I feel
An only man a man oh.
The lyrics of Melvins's song "Annum" are metaphorical and open-ended to interpretation, but they seem to portray a person succumbing to addiction once again, despite their reservations about it. The lines "So he takes it once again, I didn't like you having one" suggest that the person is reluctantly consuming a drug or alcohol, with the singer being unhappy about it. However, they admit that the feeling of being overjoyed and carefree while high is tempting, as they say, "Overboard with happiness." The chorus conveys a sense of euphoria that comes with being under the influence of drugs, as the singer exclaims, "We're so gone, we're so free with everyone." The song then takes a shift in tone in the latter half, with lines like "And I can peel you at the seams, and I can be your only" hinting at a co-dependent relationship, possibly fuelled by addiction. In the end, the singer seems to be experiencing a mix of regret, remorse, and hope amidst the chaos, as they say, "Raise your fist like a doe, like I feel, an only man, a man oh."
Line by Line Meaning
So he takes it once again
Someone is taking something once again, possibly a substance or medication.
I didn't like you having one
The singer did not like the person they are talking to having one of the aforementioned substances or medications.
And like a dream I could tear into that
The singer could tear into something as though it were like a dream.
Overboard with happiness
The artist is feeling extremely happy and may be going overboard with their expression of it.
We're so gone
The group the artist is referring to is very high, possibly under the influence of something.
We're so free
The group the singer is referring to feels very free, possibly due to the aforementioned substance use.
With every everyone
The group the singer is referring to is with everyone, implying they are at a party or gathering.
And make it sure
The group is ensuring something, but it is unclear what.
I can deal with the dream but have a picture taken there
The artist can deal with the dream state they are in but would like a picture taken to commemorate it.
She can feel, she can scream, and two caught screamers happened like they say
A woman is able to feel and scream, and possibly two people who were screaming earlier were caught.
You can feel like a teen / That walked out through the door with
You can feel young and carefree again, as though you walked out the door as a teenager.
But I can peel you at the seams
The artist can expose someone's innermost self, like peeling back layers of clothing.
And I can be your only
The singer can be the only one for someone.
You don't seem like them / With all the houses that you'll be
You don't seem like the others, possibly due to your success.
And I can leave them lonely
The singer can leave others lonely, implying they can help or hurt someone else's loneliness.
And let it be away.
The artist will let something or someone go away.
I wish there was a way for me
The artist wishes there was a way for them to do something.
And she can never lie that we were
A woman would never lie about the fact that the singer and her were together or did something together.
And I can feel, I can feel it's Sunday morning maybe like we said
The singer can feel it is Sunday morning, possibly like someone else said earlier.
We can roll like a hundred lies
The group can move or take action as though they are lying a hundred times over.
She never takes you where know
A woman never takes someone where they know, possibly due to her leading them on or not following through on something.
Like a sore
Something is like a sore, possibly referring to pain or discomfort in some way.
Like a bill of certain money
Something is like a bill for a certain amount of money, possibly referring to some kind of payment or transaction.
money no
It is unclear what this phrase means within the context of the song.
And is it about you left them there?
The singer is asking if the person they are talking to left someone or something behind.
Do you feel like you're the same?
The singer is asking if the person they are talking to feels like they are the same as they used to be.
I can go like a million times you never let me over there
The singer can go somewhere many times but is never let in by someone else.
I'm so bull I can hear your song in mourning only I would know
The artist is feeling very angry and can hear someone's song in a mournful way that only they would understand.
And I know I can send it down on Monday morning
The artist knows they can send something down, possibly referring to a message or something to be delivered on Monday morning.
Raise your fist
The singer is telling someone to raise their fist, possibly in protest or solidarity.
Like a doe
Something is like a deer, possibly referring to innocence or vulnerability.
Like I feel
It is unclear what this phrase means within the context of the song.
An only man a man oh.
The phrase is nonsensical and does not have a clear meaning within the context of the song.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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