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.
Prig
Melvins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And all I've done to get along
All the still unopened mail
Made me harder than the ground
All that fire illuminates
It left me miles from anywhere
Hiding over there
Even what I can't see
As long as they're in there
I will never fail
The lyrics to Melvins's song Prig are dense and full of imagery. The first verse can be interpreted in many ways. It could be about the physical and emotional labor put into getting by in life, with "all the hand" representing manual labor and "other land" representing emotional labor. The line "made me harder than the ground" could signify a sense of resilience or numbness developed as a result of these hardships. The second verse is more straightforward, with the still unopened mail representing unresolved issues that weigh heavily on the singer. The fire could be a metaphor for passion or ambition, which has left the singer feeling isolated and directionless.
The third verse is particularly poignant, with the singer expressing a sense of connection to others through their shared struggles. The line "even what I can't see, I could find in anyone" suggests a deep empathy for others. The final line, "as long as they're in there I will never fail," is both hopeful and ambiguous. On one hand, it could be read as a commitment to solidarity and perseverance in the face of hardship. On the other hand, it could be a harrowing admission that the singer's fate is bound up with the struggles of others, and that success or failure is ultimately out of their hands.
Line by Line Meaning
All the hand, and other land
All the help I received and places I've been
And all I've done to get along
Every effort I've made to survive and fit in
All the still unopened mail
All the unresolved issues and unanswered questions in my life
Made me harder than the ground
These challenges made me emotionally tough and unyielding
All that fire illuminates
All the adversity and struggle I've faced in life
It left me miles from anywhere
It left me feeling lost and isolated in the world
Hiding over there
Trying to avoid the problems I'm facing
Even what I can't see
Even the things that are hard for me to understand or acknowledge
I could find in anyone
I can relate to anyone going through similar struggles
As long as they're in there
As long as they have the same problems and struggles inside them
I will never fail
I will never give up or quit in facing my hardships
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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