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.
The Man With The Laughing Hand Is Dead
Melvins Lyrics
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The riddle still unsolved, smoke rings subside
Untied, unraveled, unthought, unsaid
The man with the laughing hand is dead
Shaking under Pedro's head, train-crushed legs and arms
Wicked, wicked hero, little wiggle arms
His shoes are deserted, the box is all alone
Untied, unraveled, unthought, unsaid
The man with the laughing hand is dead
The Melvins' song "The Man With The Laughing Hand Is Dead" is a deeply layered and enigmatic piece of art. The song appears to be about a man who starts laughing uncontrollably after which he meets his demise. The first stanza speaks of Johnny's open wide laugh which seems to be a problem for him. The man's condition turns into a 'riddle' which nobody is able to solve, and eventually ceases to exist. The second stanza goes onto describe how Pedro is a hero for surviving a train-crush with little wiggle arms. However, he is unable to move, and his shoes lay deserted on the outskirts of the track. The scene is devastating and his voice is no longer heard working the phones in his tuxedo. The chorus repeats: 'untied, unraveled, unthought, unsaid,' implying that the secret of their stories has been lost.
It seems apparent that the lyrics are a metaphor for somebody who has lost their voice or is struggling to find it. The uncontrollable laughter could represent the inability to hold back from expressing oneself. The fact that Johnny's laugh is described as being open wide could mean that the person is broadcasting their emotions, thereby leaving them exposed and vulnerable. The train-crush scene could indicate how the person's ability to communicate has been severed as if it were an appendage. It almost feels like the song is telling us that there is more to a person's story than the broken and disconnected map that we see in front of us.
Line by Line Meaning
When his hand began laughing, it was Johnny open wide
Johnny's hand was laughing uncontrollably and it was open wide
The riddle still unsolved, smoke rings subside
The mysterious puzzle remains unsolved while the smoke rings slowly vanish
Untied, unraveled, unthought, unsaid
Nothing was tied together or put in order, deep thoughts were left unspoken
The man with the laughing hand is dead
The man who had the laughing hand is now deceased
Shaking under Pedro's head, train-crushed legs and arms
Pedro's head trembled while his legs and arms were crushed by the train
Wicked, wicked hero, little wiggle arms
The hero was evil but had weak, flimsy arms
His shoes are deserted, the box is all alone
His shoes were left empty and the box was left by itself
No voice is perverted by tuxedo or phone
Neither fancy clothing nor modern technology influenced his voice
Untied, unraveled, unthought, unsaid
Nothing was tied together or put in order, deep thoughts were left unspoken
The man with the laughing hand is dead
The man who had the laughing hand is now deceased
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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