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.
Goose Freight Train
Melvins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On the way
Each every time a think the wheel around (around around)
And it's gone (around around)
I got a reason for heading home
It's not serene
It don't make sense to me
I got the four eyes blooming under half of my bed
I see it shine I see it stare
Holding hearts in my hand
Take the master morgue and make her have it sitting on side
Let the glory boy of Mr. Henry have it alright.
While it's in front of me
Keeps me insane.
Disguised to take away the feeling the house survives
But all on demand
Disguise thrown over me
Teenage hand
Oh! Die
You should have known you could have rested on me
Each every time I kept the reel alive
You took me for the drive
To feel the fear and it's hard...
The lyrics of Melvins's song Goose Freight Train seem to revolve around feelings of abandonment and betrayal. The singer seems to have been left for someone else and left alone to deal with his thoughts and emotions. The repetition of the line "each every time I think the wheel around" could signify the cyclical nature of his thoughts and the feeling of being stuck in his own head.
The singer also mentions having "four eyes blooming under half of my bed," which could refer to either literal or metaphorical monsters under the bed. The line "take the master morgue and make her have it sitting on side" could suggest either a desire for revenge or a desire to let go of the pain and move on from the situation.
The overall tone of the lyrics is dark and anguished, with the singer seemingly struggling to cope with the aftermath of a failed relationship. The use of disjointed and sometimes nonsensical phrases adds to the sense of confusion and desperation.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh Die! They gone and left me for her
The singer has been abandoned for someone else.
On the way
The abandonment happened while on a journey or trip.
Each every time a think the wheel around (around around)
The singer is constantly thinking about the situation and trying to make sense of it.
And it's gone (around around)
Despite thinking about it, the situation remains unresolved and confusing.
I got a reason for heading home
The artist has a purpose for returning home.
It's not serene
The reason for returning home is not peaceful or calming.
It don't make sense to me
The reason for returning home is confusing or unclear to the singer.
I got the four eyes blooming under half of my bed
The artist has something unsettling or creepy under their bed.
Seems to jingle as the razor comes with color and claw
The unsettling thing under the bed seems to make noise when the razor is used.
I see it shine I see it stare
The artist is disturbed by the unsettling thing under their bed.
Holding hearts in my hand
The singer has control over something important or valuable.
Take the master morgue and make her have it sitting on side
The artist wants to give control to someone else.
Let the glory boy of Mr. Henry have it alright.
The singer wants someone else to have the control they possess.
While it's in front of me
The singer is currently in possession of the thing they want to give away.
Keeps me insane.
The situation is driving the singer crazy.
Disguised to take away the feeling the house survives
The artist is trying to hide their emotions to maintain a sense of stability in their home.
But all on demand
Despite pretending to be okay, the situation is still difficult for the artist to handle.
Disguise thrown over me
The singer is actively hiding their feelings.
Teenage hand
The singer feels young and inexperienced in dealing with this situation.
Oh! Die
The artist is frustrated or overwhelmed and wants to escape the situation.
You should have known you could have rested on me
The person who left the artist should have relied on them instead of leaving.
Each every time I kept the reel alive
The artist has been trying to keep things going despite the abandonment.
You took me for the drive
The person who left the singer used them for something and then left.
To feel the fear and it's hard...
The situation has been scary and difficult for the artist to handle alone.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DALE CROVER, MARK DEUTROM, ROGER OSBOURNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind