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.
Onions Make The Milk Taste Bad
Melvins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Divide it seem to float on a line
Don′t mean to be so in deep
My baby walks it twist and turn
Black lady lady sleep or ride?
She lay and paint up every night
The walls are always here me
I hold the forward drone
It makes me right
The wheels are always near
And twist and turn like baby
The lyrics of Melvins' song "Onions Make The Milk Taste Bad" seem to be abstract but upon careful reflection, they cohere to form a thought-provoking and insightful piece. The first line, "I dream in wings of yesterday," could be interpreted as an allusion to nostalgia or dwelling in the past. The second line, "Divide it seem to float on a line," could be interpreted as a reference to the line between reality and imagination. The third line, "Don't mean to be so in deep," could be interpreted as an acknowledgement of being too engrossed in something.
The following two lines, "My baby walks it twist and turn/Black lady lady sleep or ride?" could be interpreted in different ways. One possible interpretation is that the baby walks crookedly while the black lady is sleeping or riding. Another interpretation is that the baby walks in a twisting and turning way while the black lady is either sleeping or riding. These lines are followed by "She lay and paint up every night" which could mean that the black lady is a painter who works diligently every night.
The next few lines, "The walls are always here me/And never hardly hear me," could be a commentary on feeling trapped or ignored. The line "It makes me right" seems to suggest that the singer finds solace in the sound of the "forward drone." The final line, "The wheels are always near/And twist and turn like baby" could be interpreted as either the wheels of a vehicle or the figurative wheels of life which, like a baby, can twist and turn unexpectedly.
Line by Line Meaning
I dream in wings of yesterday
I often daydream about the past and wish to relive certain moments
Divide it seem to float on a line
My thoughts are scattered and disjointed, making it hard to form a coherent idea
Don?t mean to be so in deep
I didn't intend to become so emotionally invested in someone or something
My baby walks it twist and turn
The person I care about is unpredictable and constantly changes their mind
Black lady lady sleep or ride?
I'm questioning the motives and intentions of a woman, unsure if she is trustworthy or not
She lay and paint up every night
The woman in question spends her nights doing something creative or obsessive
The walls are always here me
I feel trapped and confined, unable to escape my current situation
And never hardly hear me
Nobody pays attention to what I have to say
I hold the forward drone
I try to keep pushing forward and stay focused on my goals
It makes me right
This persistence and determination helps me feel justified in my actions
The wheels are always near
Change and uncertainty are constant in my life, always present and ready to move forward
And twist and turn like baby
These changes and uncertainties are unpredictable, like the movements of a baby learning to crawl or walk
Contributed by Addison F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.