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 Smiling Cobra
Melvins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Kicking on the knee
Forty-One
Too much climbing
We had but it won't take
nothing at all
centipede
kicking on the knee
Another mouth
Another tongue that eats
Smaller waist
Too much climbing
We had but it won't take
nothing at all
Stone in bare hand
centipede
kicking on the knee
Whipply, hot leg, only
Quipply, not meat, old eyes
Whipply
There is no endin
And there's no wonder why
The pistol maker
And take home what he needs
And eats
Whipply, hot leg, only
Quipply, not meat, old eyes
Whipply
There is no endin
And there's no wonder why
The pistol maker
And take home what he needs
And eats
Interpretation:
Melvins' song "The Smiling Cobra" is one of their most lyrically enigmatic works. There is no clear narrative or story, and the words seem almost like fragments of a dream, disconnected and abstract. However, the repeating phrases, such as "kicking on the knee," "stone in bare hand," and "whipply," add a hypnotic rhythm to the piece, which is accentuated by the droning, repetitive music, creating a sense of disturbed inertia or unrest.
The lyrics seem to be evoking a kind of primal, animalistic world in which humans are subject to the same caprices of nature as any creature. The phrase "stone in bare hand, centipede, kicking on the knee" conjures up a visceral image of a person facing off with a venomous creature, perhaps as part of a rite of passage or test of strength. The lines "Another mouth, another tongue that eats, smaller waist" suggest some kind of cannibalistic ritual or cult, in which human bodies are consumed in order to gain knowledge or power.
Ultimately, the song's meaning is left ambiguous, which is part of its allure. It could be seen as a metaphor for the human condition, in which we are at the mercy of forces beyond our control, or a surreal commentary on the state of modern society, with its emphasis on consumption and violence. Whatever the interpretation, the Smiling Cobra is a haunting, hypnotic piece that lingers in the mind long after the last note has faded.
Line by Line Meaning
There's malignant
A harmful or dangerous thing exists
Kicking on the knee
Problems and difficulties constantly arise
Forty-One
Unexplained and possibly meaningless phrase
Too much climbing
Struggles and hardships have been experienced
We had but it won't take
Despite what we have gone through, it hasn't broken us
nothing at all
Our struggles didn't lead to anything significant in the end
Stone in bare hand
A difficult and painful experience
centipede
An unpleasant or creepy thing
kicking on the knee
Continued struggles and difficulties
Another mouth
Another person whose words are empty and meaningless
Another tongue that eats
Another person who speaks but doesn't follow through
Smaller waist
Unexplained and possibly meaningless phrase
Whipply, hot leg, only
An emphasis on superficial physical attraction
Quipply, not meat, old eyes
A preference for things without substance or depth
Whipply
Unexplained and possibly meaningless phrase - continuation of previous
There is no endin
There is no clear resolution or conclusion
And there's no wonder why
It's not surprising that things are difficult and confusing
The pistol maker
Someone who creates tools for destruction
And take home what he needs
They're using their skills to achieve their own selfish goals
And eats
They benefit from their harmful creations
Contributed by Gabriella S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.