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.
Rat Faced Granny
Melvins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She's sick of me
And I'm not leaving
So what's the story?
Like a good night's
They flash in nowhere
That's hurting me
The night of victory
He's ranked you bloody
I can't believe
And now it's over
Wild, nothing new
A night, nothing new
Oh, you think you're wild, but you're nothing new
And now you're wombed
Nothing new
And that's a wild, but it's nothing new
And now you're older
Nothing
What? Nothing new.
A night? Nothing new.
What about the heart, friend?
But now you're even
And you're worried
Nothing new
Don't even worry, and we'll think it's good
Good, good, good...
The lyrics to Melvins' song Rat Faced Granny are open to interpretation, but they appear to describe a difficult and tense situation between two people. The first two lines of the song suggest that the female protagonist has reached her breaking point with the singer, who is seemingly refusing to leave despite her wishes. The following lines, "So what's the story? / Like a good night's / They flash in nowhere," may be a reference to the confusion and disorientation that often follows a particularly tumultuous event, leaving the singer feeling lost and unsure of how they got to this point.
The lyrics continue with the singer expressing a lack of concern for the female protagonist's feelings, even though their indifference is causing them pain. The line "He's ranked you bloody" may be a reference to physical harm or emotional damage that has been inflicted upon her. The phrase "Wild, nothing new" is repeated throughout the song, which could be interpreted as a commentary on the cyclical nature of human behavior; no matter how wild or unpredictable we may seem, our actions often follow a predictable pattern.
In the end, the singer tells their counterpart not to worry and that everything will be okay. However, it is unclear if this is meant to be a genuine reassurance or if it is simply a platitude meant to end the tension of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
The owls are burning
The situation is intense and dangerous
She's sick of me
The singer's partner is no longer interested in him
And I'm not leaving
Despite the strain in their relationship, the singer is unwilling to give up on the partnership
So what's the story?
The singer is looking for a clear understanding of the situation
Like a good night's
The situation is brief yet impactful, similar to a fulfilling night's sleep
They flash in nowhere
These impactful, fleeting moments occur without any predictability
I couldn't be bothered
The singer is apathetic about a particular event
That's hurting me
Despite indifference, the event is causing discomfort
The night of victory
A night of triumph, likely referring to a past event
He's ranked you bloody
An unknown figure has severely injured someone
I can't believe
The singer is in disbelief about what has happened
And now it's over
The situation has come to a close
Wild, nothing new
The unpredictability and chaos of life is not a new concept
A night, nothing new
The fleeting nature of impactful moments is not a new concept
Oh, you think you're wild, but you're nothing new
A sentiment directed towards someone who believes they are unique and unpredictable, but in reality are just a common occurrence
And now you're wombed
Perhaps referring to a feeling of being trapped or confined
Nothing new
This feeling of being trapped is a common experience and nothing new
And that's a wild, but it's nothing new
An acknowledgement of the interesting yet predictable nature of life
And now you're older
Time has passed, and the individual has aged
Nothing
An acknowledgement of the inevitability of aging and the fleeting nature of life
What? Nothing new.
A sentiment of exasperation regarding the repetitive nature of life
A night? Nothing new.
Expressing the fleeting nature of impactful moments
What about the heart, friend?
The singer questions the emotional depth of their relationship with their friend
But now you're even
Perhaps referring to a score being settled or a state of balance being achieved
And you're worried
Despite the balance achieved, there is still an underlying anxiety
Nothing new
The presence of worry is a normal experience and nothing new
Don't even worry, and we'll think it's good
A suggestion that one should try to minimize their worries and instead focus on positive thoughts
Good, good, good...
A repetition of the word 'good' as if to try and manifest positivity
Contributed by Asher C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.