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.
Divorced
Melvins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
See your name in lights: send them in!
[around 13:30 into the song, this conversation takes place]
[Buzz:] What about Ryan?
[Maynard:] No, he blew it, he lost the number for the girl he met down here.
[Buzz:] Oh, and Adam said she's a beauty.
[Buzz:] Is she a rocket scientist?
[Maynard:] The fuckin'... she has a voice like a fuckin' modem dude!
[Buzz:] (Laughs) Sounds perfect!
[Maynard:] Immatates a chick with a voice like a modem sayin' some weird
Gibberish... (You have to hear it)
[Buzz:] (Laughs heavely)
[Maynard:] Then he got to work up there, you know Ryan gets off at work, I
Guess to show that he has a dick.
[Buzz:] (Laughs again)
The lyrics to Melvins's song Divorced are, at first glance, somewhat confusing or lacking in meaning. However, after listening to the song closely and considering the context in which the lyrics are delivered, we can begin to piece together their significance. The conversation that takes place around 13:30 into the song provides some insight into what the song might be about. The discussion centers around a woman who has a voice like a modem and who may or may not be a rocket scientist. The conversation is somewhat humorous in nature, with the singers laughing and making jokes about the woman's voice.
So what does all of this mean? It's difficult to say for sure, but one interpretation is that the song is about the superficial nature of relationships and the way in which people are often drawn to others based on shallow qualities, like physical appearance or an interesting voice. The reference to seeing one's name in lights may be a reference to fame or success, suggesting that people are often attracted to others who are "successful" in some way, even if that success is based on superficial qualities. The conversation about Ryan showing that he has a dick may also be interpreted as commentary on toxic masculinity and the pressure that men often feel to prove their dominance or worth.
Overall, the lyrics to Divorced are somewhat enigmatic and open to interpretation. However, they seem to touch on themes of superficiality, attraction, and gender norms, all delivered through a somewhat surreal and absurdist lens.
Line by Line Meaning
Well there aren't any here yet.
There are currently no lyrics to this song.
See your name in lights: send them in!
Encouragement for listeners to submit their own lyrics for the song.
What about Ryan?
Buzz asks Maynard about a person named Ryan.
No, he blew it, he lost the number for the girl he met down here.
Maynard explains that Ryan lost the phone number of a girl he met.
Oh, and Adam said she's a beauty.
Buzz mentions that Adam thinks the girl is attractive.
She's the one who has that fucked up voice.
Maynard describes the girl Ryan met as having an unpleasant voice.
Is she a rocket scientist?
Buzz sarcastically asks if the girl has intellectual abilities, despite her unpleasant voice.
The fuckin'... she has a voice like a fuckin' modem dude!
Maynard further emphasizes how unpleasant the girl's voice is by saying it sounds like a modem.
(Laughs) Sounds perfect!
Buzz finds humor in Maynard's description of the girl's voice.
Immatates a chick with a voice like a modem sayin' some weird Gibberish... (You have to hear it)
Maynard imitates the girl's voice for Buzz to hear, and says she speaks incomprehensible words.
(Laughs heavely)
Buzz laughs again at Maynard's imitation of the girl's voice.
Then he got to work up there, you know Ryan gets off at work, I Guess to show that he has a dick.
Maynard explains that Ryan tries to assert his masculinity at work, possibly due to losing the girl's phone number.
(Laughs again)
Buzz finds humor in Maynard's observation about Ryan's behavior at work.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mostafahossaintuhin
Are you really gonna kiss my floor, son?
Are you really gonna keep me a fighter?
Are you really gonna get my shoes off?
Are you really gonna get my Chinza?
I've had enough
Let them pretend I have a dorsal
This is him and there's a siren turnin'
And holds a dark'nin' centre
And your death will profit off me
And I'm goin' and I'm goin' and goin' and I'm runnin' I'm goin.
Aaaaaaarrghh
I went away
And nothin' violent passed my fist
And the tomato just gone to peel fruit
And none of me remember all or nothing
They had to understamp us
I've got a church bomb and a download
And don't forget y'all to run away
Agree to the thing now that you'd never say
Let them pretend I have a dorsal
This is him and there's a siren turnin'
And holds a darkening' centre
And I know that I'm runnin' hard
sfdherh ephgeewfnmn sdnujnefw.
Aaaaaaarrghh
"...What about Ryan?"
"I believe he lost the number for that girl he met down here."
"Oh, Adam said she's a beauty."
"Is she the one that had that fucked-up voice?"
"Is she a Rocket Scientist?"
"She's the one that sounds like the fuckin'...she has a voice like a fuckin' modem, dude."
"Ha-ha! Sounds perfect!"
"Rooaaaagaharyandaasjhrydaaaafcabym?!"
"He he he!"
"When he got the work up there, you know Ryan, he gets all into work and he's prepared to like, forget that he has a dick."
@lmprdks1
This is definitely the kind of song you have to listen to with top quality headphones or speakers, very LOUD, preferably in a dark room, and ideally with a generous dose of THC.
@magicjackm
must be pretty shitty if you need all those as prerequisites
(i'm kidding, i'm kidding)
@tru816indo
And opiates
@kevinsowards9647
@Temple Slug take Kratom instead. 🤘
@SHACOBES123
@Big Whyte not as good as the real thing lmao i might just be saying that tho cuz my tolerance is way too high
@connorclark7539
You spelled LSD wrong lol
@formusicplaylist1
I never realized what a signature sound Adam Jones has on guitar until he came in on this song. As soon as you hear his feedback coming in you know exactly who the hell is on guitar lol.
@BirrDetonator1989
Gotta love those diezel amps. Their sound is incredible. Pretty sure Adam was their OG big name user.
@slowneutron6163
It took you until this particular song to realize Jones has his own sound. Nice, sloooooooow ear you have there.
@questioneverything3332
Yeah boring and annoying as fuck for the first 3-8 minutes of every song.. .well that's adam Jones. You know it.