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.
Ggiibbyy
Melvins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You make my half your witch my chance to be
And with your "feel good" love you're gonna make it pan
I can't take a bit of "know your ways"
Forget "we were" left me overhead
I can't make it go away
Eat fried chicken, be happy dastardly.
Find that car-seat set to go with everything.
As with most of my age, show it.
Forget "we were" left me overhead
I can't make it go away
The lyrics to Melvins' song "Ggiibbyy" are interestingly cryptic and open to interpretation. The first two lines suggest a trade-off between two people, where one wants to feel good and the other wants to be successful. The singer seems willing to give up their "feel-good" in exchange for the other person's success. In the next line, the singer refers to their partner as a "witch," which may imply that they are controlling or manipulative, and the singer sees their own chance to be successful through this relationship. The following line discusses the power of love to make things work out. However, the next line is more confusing as it mentions "know your ways" and suggests a bit of frustration with the partner's behavior. The chorus repeats the phrase "Forget 'we were' left me overhead / I can't make it go away" which implies that the singer is grappling with some unresolved past trauma related to the relationship.
The next verses of the song are even more cryptic. The first line, "Eat fried chicken, be happy dastardly," seems to be a non-sequitur, although it could be interpreted as a suggestion to simply enjoy simple pleasures in the face of difficulties. The following line, "Time is every big meat salary," is more confusing yet and implies that time is a currency to be earned or spent. The next line mentions finding a "car-seat set" which could suggest a desire for comfort or safety. The final line of the second verse, "As with most of my age, show it," is another puzzling phrase in the context of the song, but could be interpreted as a piece of advice to show your true self.
Overall, the lyrics to "Ggiibbyy" are somewhat inscrutable but suggest a relationship that is both frustrating and potentially beneficial to the singer. The repeated refrain of "Forget 'we were' left me overhead / I can't make it go away" implies unresolved issues and the need to move on from the past. The other verses contain a mishmash of seemingly unrelated phrases, which could be interpreted as indicating the chaotic nature of the singer's emotional state.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll take my 'feel-good' for your 'gonna be''s
I'll take my own happiness over your optimistic promises
You make my half your witch my chance to be
You turn my faults into opportunities
And with your 'feel good' love you're gonna make it pan
Your affectionate support will ultimately lead to success
I can't take a bit of 'know your ways'
I can't handle your arrogance
Forget 'we were' left me overhead
Forget about the past, it's weighing me down
I can't make it go away
I can't forget the past, it still haunts me
Eat fried chicken, be happy dastardly.
Enjoy simple pleasures in life, don't be afraid to be happy
Time is every big meat salary
Time is a valuable resource, use it wisely
Find that car-seat set to go with everything.
Find a perfect fit in life that makes everything better
As with most of my age, show it.
As a typical person of my generation, express myself
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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I EAT FRIED CHICKEN