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.
Exact Paperbacks
Melvins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's what the people resign to
You picked and now you're stuck with her
Digesting something you don't want
The powers I canceling to me
In the dream okay
Seal the moves, say a two and then a three
The lyrics to the Melvins' song "Exact Paperbacks" are somewhat cryptic but seem to hint at a feeling of resignation toward societal expectations or a sense of being trapped in a situation one didn't necessarily choose. The line "joke for laughin' hunger" implies a desperation for something that is perceived as unattainable or a lack of fulfillment despite trying to find something to satisfy oneself. The next line, "it's what the people resign to," suggests that this sense of dissatisfaction is not unique to the individual but instead something that many people experience and accept as an unfortunate reality.
The next two lines introduce a more personal narrative, referencing a choice that has been made that the person is now "stuck with." The line "digesting something you don't want" potentially suggests resentment or regret for making a decision that has not turned out as expected. The last two lines, "the powers I canceling to me / in the dream okay," are more abstract and open to interpretation. However, it seems to suggest a sort of surrender to the forces at play, perhaps even accepting that one's subconscious may have a different idea of what should happen than one's conscious mind.
Line by Line Meaning
Joke for laughin' hunger
The people indulge in meaningless humor to satisfy their unfulfilled desires
It's what the people resign to
People have given up on their dreams and aspirations and have settled for mediocre lives filled with trivial pleasures
You picked and now you're stuck with her
You have made choices that have resulted in unwanted consequences and now you have to live with them
Digesting something you don't want
Having to deal with something unpleasant that you cannot avoid or escape from
The powers I canceling to me
I am in control of the forces that influence me
In the dream okay
Everything seems okay in the dream world, but reality is different
Seal the moves, say a two and then a three
Follow the rules and guidelines to achieve success, step-by-step
The same, the same
Repeating the same patterns and behaviors without change, leading to stagnation
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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