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.
Billy Fish
Melvins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your eyes not so narrow
Another wind and we were finished for a while
My love head wound and your free head wound
Don't know but I even wanna try to be
Wake up, come on!
Your tongue makes it happen
I got my heaven wooden
And you're not my ground
And we are all just alive
I just don't like the law
And I can hear
Not so you'd know
The hand a man needs
And then one will alone
Buckets run to big kids
Fits where it's sold
Soon be outgrown
Bloody dry and bastards bugging
Least of all it goes unspoken
You should have known
Water's high, my clock's stopped ticking
This body's cold
Still going bolder
Hey!
The lyrics to Melvins's song Billy Fish are difficult to interpret and almost appear to be nonsensical. The opening lines, "My eyes are needles, your eyes not so narrow" suggest a contrast between the two individuals, with one being sharp and piercing, and the other not so much. The following line, "Another wind and we were finished for a while" may be a metaphorical reference to a difficult situation that caused some sort of separation between the two. The line, "My love head wound and your free head wound" may suggest that there was some sort of emotional wound that affected the singer's ability or willingness to be with the other person, who seems to be more free-spirited. The final lines of the verse, "Don't know but I even wanna try to be, Wake up, come on! Your tongue makes it happen, A little prince with a coat and the money in his hands" seem to express a desire to be more like the carefree person, and to wake up and take charge of their own life. The line "a little prince with a coat and the money in his hands" seems to suggest a charming figure with wealth and power, which the singer admires.
The chorus of the song, "I got my heaven wooden, and you're not my ground, and we are all just alive" is a curious set of lyrics. The line, "I got my heaven wooden" may suggest that the singer has created their own version of heaven, which is somehow wooden or earthly. The line "and you're not my ground" may suggest that the person they are singing to is not the one keeping them grounded. Finally, the line "we are all just alive" seems to acknowledge the fact that life is temporary and fleeting.
As the song continues, the lyrics become more and more abstract. Lines like "Buckets run to big kids, fits where it's sold" seem to describe a market-like situation, where people are clamoring for something that is newly available. The final lines of the song "This body's cold, still going bolder, Hey!" seem to acknowledge the inevitability of death, but also suggest that the singer is not afraid and will continue to be brave in the face of the unknown.
Line by Line Meaning
My eyes are needles
I am extremely focused and attentive
Your eyes not so narrow
You are not as sharp and observant as I am
Another wind and we were finished for a while
Our relationship was once precarious and uncertain but we managed to survive it
My love head wound and your free head wound
We both have emotional scars from past relationships
Don't know but I even wanna try to be
I'm not sure what I want to be or how I want to change
Wake up, come on!
I'm trying to motivate you to take action
Your tongue makes it happen
You are persuasive and able to get what you want through your speech
A little prince with a coat and the money in his hands
You have a sense of entitlement and privilege as if you are royalty
I got my heaven wooden
I have found my version of paradise or nirvana
And you're not my ground
I don't need you to feel grounded or secure
And we are all just alive
We're all just living and surviving
I just don't like the law
I have a rebellious spirit and don't conform to authorities or rules easily
And I can hear
I am perceptive and can sense things others can't
Not so you'd know
Even if I told you, you wouldn't understand
The hand a man needs
Men need someone to hold or touch for comfort and connection
And then one will alone
But in the end, everyone must face their own loneliness and mortality
Buckets run to big kids
Even children need to deal with grown-up problems and responsibilities
Fits where it's sold
People conform to societal norms and expectations to fit in
Soon be outgrown
But those norms and expectations will eventually be outdated or irrelevant
Bloody dry and bastards bugging
Life can be difficult and frustrating at times
Least of all it goes unspoken
Even the things we don't say or acknowledge can have an impact on us
You should have known
I'm disappointed that you didn't anticipate something
Water's high, my clock's stopped ticking
I'm feeling overwhelmed and out of control
This body's cold
I'm feeling empty, numb, or dead inside
Still going bolder
Despite the difficulties, I'm trying to stay strong and resilient
Hey!
I'm trying to get your attention or express urgency
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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