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.
Goggles
Melvins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Silver boy gone but he left his hand
Happy to chain Leave all his things
Get right and heave it
May be taste a few
Disguise dis all of you
Violence try to make me follow
But yes I will
Untell my visions clear I'll not filth here
The last thing I need is time to feed
The lyrics to Melvins' song Goggles are somewhat cryptic and abstract, with the meaning not being entirely clear. The opening lines, "Of weak intensity of sheer velocity, silver boy gone but he left his hand" seem to be describing someone or something moving quickly, but with little force or impact. The reference to a "silver boy" who has "left his hand" suggests that this might be a futuristic or sci-fi scenario. It's unclear who this character is or what their significance might be.
The next lines, "Happy to chain leave all his things, get right and heave it, may be taste a few" are equally ambiguous. It could be interpreted as someone who is willing to give up their belongings and submit to a higher power, or someone who is looking to escape their current situation. The reference to "tasting a few" is mystifying but could be interpreted as taking risks or experiencing new things.
The chorus, "Disguise dis all of you, violence try to make me follow, I'm not a dog, but yes I will, untell my visions clear I'll not filth here, the last thing I need is time to feed" seems to be about someone who is resisting conformity and violence, but is acknowledging that they might be coerced to comply. The lyrics "Disguise dis all of you" suggests that the singer is aware of false appearances and is not willing to be fooled. The line "the last thing I need is time to feed" is a play on words, as "time to feed" could be interpreted as a mealtime, or as something that feeds one's soul or desires. The singer seems to imply that they are not interested in indulging in distractions, but rather in focusing on their vision or goal.
Line by Line Meaning
Of weak intensity of sheer velocity
The speed is not too strong, but it is still fast
Silver boy gone but he left his hand
The boy disappeared, but he left behind something important
Happy to chain Leave all his things
He is willing to let go of all his possessions and be bound by something
Get right and heave it
He is preparing himself and lifting something heavy
May be taste a few
Possibly he could try a small amount of something
Disguise dis all of you
He wants everyone to hide their true identities
Violence try to make me follow
He is being forced to follow an aggressive or forceful action
I'm not a dog
He is asserting that he is not a subservient animal
But yes I will
However, he will comply with a request
Untell my visions clear I'll not filth here
He will not dirty his hands until he has a clear understanding of the situation
The last thing I need is time to feed
He does not require time to nourish himself and is ready to take action
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DALE CROVER, MARK DEUTROM, ROGER OSBORNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind