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.
Hag Me
Melvins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I only know the ceilin' mouth.
I make myself, yellow the sound.
That am a leg sprung under.
Give me a gravity, your right left leg.
Holdin' my hate against me you.
Can't say you'll never keep my breath.
It's wise to think you'll try.
I grow the piston, I see the right to only
They see the right to, she knows the bit around me.
Reachin' and growin', all things in file.
Give me air to break my
to hopeful par, antenna.
Tea take the sender.
I slow your gravity, I damn your house.
Don't hang me with your force grief.
I grow the piston, I see the right to only
They see the right to, she knows the bit around me.
Lace it and only, like a barb, baby freight baby, Dean,
I'm in a line, mida make a move, cross a state rollin', to whine.
Hey, hey, hey, hey
The lyrics to Melvins's song Hag Me are cryptic and hard to decipher, but there are a few possible interpretations that can be drawn from the words. The song seems to be about feeling trapped and suffocated by someone or something, with the singer referring to themselves as "yellow the sound" and feeling like they are "cutting their ceiling." They also mention "holding my hate against me," possibly referring to a self-destructive way of coping with their situation. The lyrics also contain some references to movement and growth, with the singer wanting to break free from their current state and reaching towards something better, but feeling weighed down by the forces and grief surrounding them.
Overall, the lyrics to Hag Me create a sense of tension and unease, with the singer feeling trapped and seeking a way out. The song's heavy instrumentation and distorted vocals add to this feeling, creating a sense of overwhelming pressure and frustration.
Line by Line Meaning
I cut my ceilin', motor and pale.
I have cut a hole in my ceiling using a saw or some other similar tool.
I only know the ceilin' mouth.
I can only see the ceiling from below, as I've created a hole in it.
I make myself, yellow the sound.
I make a loud, yellow sound, somewhat like a noisy and bright yell.
That am a leg sprung under.
This refers to a sudden movement or jolt from under one's feet.
Give me a gravity, your right left leg.
I request someone to use his/her right or left leg to create a gravitational pull to keep me grounded or stable.
Holdin' my hate against me you.
You are keeping my anger, frustration, or hatred against me.
Can't say you'll never keep my breath.
I cannot say that you will never suffocate or kill me, leaving me breathless.
It's wise to think you'll try.
It is wise to think that you will at least attempt to harm me in some way, even if it is unsuccessful.
I grow the piston, I see the right to only
I have created an engine or motor that only I have the right to use or control.
They see the right to, she knows the bit around me.
Others may believe they have the right to use or control my engine or motor, but they do not fully understand or know it like I do.
Reachin' and growin', all things in file.
Everything around me is slowly growing, prospering, or getting better, one after another.
Give me air to break my to hopeful par, antenna.
I require some fresh air to help me break free from my current hopeless, desperate, or depressing state of mind.
Tea take the sender.
This line has unclear meaning and context, so it may not have a specific interpretation.
I slow your gravity, I damn your house.
I slow down or halt your gravitational pull that is affecting me, and I curse or blame your household or family for it.
Don't hang me with your force grief.
Do not suffocate or oppress me with your powerful, intense, or overwhelming sense of grief or sorrow.
Lace it and only, like a barb, baby freight baby, Dean,
This line has unclear meaning and context, so it may not have a specific interpretation.
I'm in a line, mida make a move, cross a state rollin', to whine.
I am standing in a queue, waiting for my turn while considering making a move or decision, and I may complain or regret my choice later on.
Hey, hey, hey, hey
This is likely a non-lyrical sound or a chant that doesn't have any specific meaning or context.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ROGER OSBOURNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind