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.
Night Goat
Melvins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I grunt my teeth
It's more like hundred milo
And I know more me
But you can make my teeth growl
You can make my underwell
It's a big dark world now
Los sitar watch out for your tails
Lik,e of course, a timely man
Like a hog dance
Like a pig dare
Mind-warp deceptor wan
Wait a minute I caught defouled
And I felt it groan
She meant to hold the bar down
And she cleaned my nose
I look so peaceful
I look so underwell
I ain't got no mouthful
I ain't got no tail
You look like such a worldly man
Like a sinner tossed on the wind
Like a hotel, like a piston
Like a well, old man, a wan
Rock sides supports them, would you wail?
Like a tosser, timely man
Like a hard descend
Like a cyst stone
Like a well-worn dance stone why
The lyrics to Melvins' song "Night Goat" appear to be highly abstract and open to interpretation. The song appears to be discussing a variety of themes, with dark undertones pervading throughout. One possible interpretation is that the song is about the singer's experiences with a woman who is imposing herself upon him, both physically and mentally. The first line, "She wants my way to feel," suggests that the woman is trying to assimilate the singer's emotions and make him feel what she feels.
The second line, "And I cut my teeth," could be a reference to the singer's toughness or resilience. He has endured trauma or hardship in his life and has come out stronger on the other side. The following lines, "It's more than nine hundred miles / Oh, I got no more me," could suggest that the singer is feeling distance or separation from himself because of the woman's influence. The repetition of the phrase "I got no more me" underscores this feeling of loss or disconnection.
Line by Line Meaning
She wants my way to feel
She desires to experience my perspective
And I cut my teeth
I have endured the process of learning and gaining experience
It's more than nine hundred miles
It's a great distance, figuratively or literally
Oh, I got no more me
I've lost my sense of self-identity
Well, you can make my teeth grind
You can cause me anger and frustration
You can make my underworld
You have the power to influence my subconscious thoughts and feelings
It's a bit done well now
It's been executed proficiently
It's a big dark hell
It's a place of extreme misery and suffering
You sit and watch out for your tails
You're cautious and vigilant of potential dangers or consequences
Like a poison sold on demand
Like a harmful substance that's easily accessible
Like a hard chance
Like a difficult and unlikely opportunity
Like a pig tail
Like an unattractive or undesirable trait
I walked myself away
I removed myself from the situation or relationship
Well, baby, I'm talked about
I'm a subject of gossip or rumors
And I felt it grow
I sensed something increasing or intensifying
She makes you undefiled now
She purifies and cleanses you
And she'll clean my nose
She'll take care of me
I looked so Peaceful
I appeared serene and tranquil
I looked so underworld
I appeared sinister or dark
I ain't got no mind
I'm not thinking clearly or rationally
But I ain't got no tail
But I'm not easily fooled or misled
You looked like such a worthy man
You appeared impressive or deserving of respect
Like a sinner tossed on the wind
Like someone experiencing a tumultuous and uncertain fate
Like a hard sell
Like a difficult or challenging persuasion
Like I've passed on
Like I'm no longer relevant or important
Like a willow thrown away
Like something once valued, now discarded
On signs I'll walk down for the way
I will follow indications to lead me towards the path
Like a poison sold on demand
Like a harmful substance that's easily accessible
Like a hard sell
Like a difficult or challenging persuasion
Like I'm set down
Like I'm unable to move or escape
Like the well one goes away
Like someone withdrawing from the world or society
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Roger Osbourne
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind