The Melvins are a sludge metal band that formed in Montesano, Washington, U… Read Full Bio ↴The Melvins are a sludge metal band that formed in Montesano, Washington, United States in 1983. The band currently consists of Buzz Osborne (vocals, guitar), Steven Shane McDonald (bass), and Dale Crover (drums). Osborne is the only remaining original member, although Crover has been a member since early in the band's career.

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.

Dead Dressed
Melvins Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

One tenth of her.
I feel her talking
Through my stand-up hairs.
Which of you,
Or does he touch them,
Or is he daft.
It's hard boys.
Alone and old,

It's really like her,
It wears her clothes,
I might be,
I might be.
But you're not me
And you don't know
I'm back in the mine.
Don't be afraid my love
For you to die.
It stands it's ground
As I stand mine.
The ex-flesh
Of the temperature,

I'm just as beautiful
As your light allows.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Melvins' song Dead Dressed is a haunting and eerie reflection of loss and mourning. The opening line, "One tenth of her" suggests that the singer has lost a significant part of their life and is trying to come to terms with it. The next line, "I feel her talking through my stand-up hairs" suggests that the singer still feels a strong connection with the person they have lost and their energy still lingers.

The lines "Which of you, or does he touch them, or is he daft" are ambiguous and open to interpretation, but could suggest that the singer is questioning their own perception of the world. The line "it's hard boys" feels like a plea for understanding and empathy. The following lines "Alone and old, it's really like her, it wears her clothes, I might be, I might be" suggests that the singer is struggling with their own identity in the aftermath of their loss.

The next lines, "But you're not me, and you don't know, I'm back in the mine, don't be afraid my love for you to die" are particularly poignant. The singer is acknowledging that their experience of grief is personal and unique and that others cannot understand it fully. The reference to the mine feels like a metaphor for being buried alive with grief. It's also interesting to note the use of the word "love" in the context of death, which adds a layer of complexity to the song.

In the final lines, "It stands its ground as I stand mine, the ex-flesh of the temperature, I'm just as beautiful as your light allows," the singer seems to be suggesting that they are still alive and beautiful in their own way, despite their pain.

Line by Line Meaning

One tenth of her.
I possess only a fraction of her being.

I feel her talking...
Her presence resonates with me through the reaction of my scalp hair.

Through my stand-up hairs.
She speaks to me through my bodily response.

Which of you,
I ask, who among you...

Or does he touch them,
Or perhaps one of you touches these hairs as well...

Or is he daft.
Or is this all insanity?

It's hard boys.
This is a difficult situation.

Alone and old,
I am lonely and aged.

It's really like her,
It is almost as if she is here.

It wears her clothes,
This entity possesses her attire.

I might be,
I am considering if I could be...