The Melvins are a sludge metal band that formed in Montesano, Washington, U… Read Full Bio ↴The Melvins are a sludge metal band that formed in Montesano, Washington, United States in 1983. The band currently consists of Buzz Osborne (vocals, guitar), Steven Shane McDonald (bass), and Dale Crover (drums). Osborne is the only remaining original member, although Crover has been a member since early in the band's career.

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.

Lizzy
Melvins Lyrics

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I'm sin
Done in water
You might be over him
He's somebody's daughter
As far as is well known

Send me a black one
Muzzled in a big fat one

Open with a castrate
Mystery man

He sits here with father
We seem so in love too

Open up a cat skin
White with a pretty hand
Wish the little beast gone
Half-made man

Elvis has honor
Not half-boned siksura

Heavy Betty big bone
Little Kitty big bone
I'm not sweetly
Give me one

Eat more with your collar
Calling me a man

Time is a big one
Lonely and a bit of fun
Mystery and hopeless
Happens with the palm trees
And she makes me want to see
Bring the kid and carry me

Rig it with the closeness
Hang my bones.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Lizzy" by Melvins are quite cryptic and open to interpretation. It seems to be a collection of surreal images and phrases that hit the listener one after the other, with no clear narrative or cohesive theme. The words themselves may not make much sense on their own, but there is a sense of urgency and emotion in the way they are delivered that draws the listener in.

The opening lines "I'm sin, Done in water" could be interpreted in several ways. It could refer to baptism and the idea of being washed clean of sin or it could be a metaphor for being caught in a dangerous situation with no way out. The next lines "You might be over him, He's somebody's daughter" appear to be a warning to someone who may have moved on from a past relationship, but the other person still has connections that could bring trouble.

The lyrics continue with disjointed phrases like "Send me a black one, Muzzled in a big fat one, Open with a castrate, Mystery man" that seem to suggest dark themes and characters. There are also references to "father", "cat skin", "big bone" and "half-made man" that add to the unsettling nature of the song.

Overall, the lyrics of "Lizzy" are open to interpretation and may mean different things to different people. However, they create a sense of unease and tension that is characteristic of Melvins' music.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm sin
I am flawed and sinful

Done in water
My sins have been washed away

You might be over him
You may have moved on from a past relationship

He's somebody's daughter
The person you're over could have been loved by someone else

As far as is well known
To the best of our knowledge

Send me a black one
Bring me something dark

Muzzled in a big fat one
Blocked or silenced by a large force

Open with a castrate
Starting with an emasculated or powerless state

Mystery man
A person of unknown or mysterious identity

He sits here with father
He is present with an authority figure

We seem so in love too
We appear to be deeply connected and committed