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.
Bar-X-the Rocking M
Melvins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sit down and hold this town in fever
This mind is most of all like a vulture on a nail
And now he knows distorting feeler hell
This time he knows distorting
Be now the first of all, by the low end on avoid
It's a pig, it's an eye, it's a soul, it's a seether
Dig down the voice distorting feeler hell
Chicks hide the most distorting
The lyrics to Melvins' song "Bar-X-the Rocking M" are complex and abstract, but can be interpreted as a commentary on the human mind and its tendency to distort reality. The opening line "Come big slide across bitter by hiding hold a hail" can be seen as a metaphor for the way people often try to bury their problems or negative emotions, but these issues ultimately resurface and cause "fever" in their lives. The line "This mind is most of all like a vulture on a nail" further emphasizes the idea that the mind can be a source of pain and discomfort, akin to a bird of prey thrashing against a sharp object.
The line "Be now the first of all, by the low end on avoid" may suggest that avoiding negative thoughts and emotions is the first step towards achieving mental clarity and peace. However, the following line "It's a pig, it's an eye, it's a soul, it's a seether" alludes to the fact that these negative aspects of the self cannot simply be ignored or dismissed. The reference to "riding on a head" can be interpreted as the constant inner turmoil that one experiences when trying to reconcile conflicting thoughts and emotions. The repeated phrase "distorting feeler hell" may represent the frustration and confusion that arises when one's thoughts and emotions remain distorted and difficult to reconcile.
The above interpretation is just one of many possible readings of the lyrics to "Bar-X-the Rocking M." The song's abstract nature allows for multiple interpretations, and it is ultimately up to the listener to decide what the lyrics mean to them.
Line by Line Meaning
Come big slide across bitter by hiding hold a hail
Moving through a difficult situation while trying to maintain composure
Sit down and hold this town in fever
A sense of unease and anxiety about their current environment
This mind is most of all like a vulture on a nail
A restless and obsessive mind that can't escape negative thoughts
And now he knows distorting feeler hell
The realization of the debilitating effects of their distorted emotions
This time he knows distorting
Being aware of the harmful influence of their distorted views
Be now the first of all, by the low end on avoid
Urging the listener to take control and avoid falling into negative patterns
It's a pig, it's an eye, it's a soul, it's a seether
Referencing different negative traits or influences that can bring a person down
Big eye and hold it all, by the riding on a head
Taking a big-picture view and holding onto confidence in the face of challenges
Dig down the voice distorting feeler hell
Finding the root of their negative emotions and confronting them
Chicks hide the most distorting
The idea that some people hide their negative emotions or thoughts the most
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DALE CROVER, MARK DEUTROM, ROGER OSBORNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind