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.
Voted off the Island
Melvins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Voted off the island of conformity
Voted off the island of drones
Damn proud of it too!
Voted off the island of the neckties
Voted off the island of the 9 to 5
Voted off the island of the flags
Voted off the island of the mainstream
Voted off the island of the wannabes
Voted off the island of the Kennedys!
Damn proud of it too
Voted off the island
Voted off the island
Voted off the island
See ya!
The lyrics to Melvins’s song “Voted off the Island” express the band’s disdain for conformity and mainstream society. The repetition of the phrase “voted off the island” emphasizes the idea of being rejected from the norm and removed from a homogenous group. The use of “normality,” “conformity,” and “drones” portrays society as dull and lacking any creativity or individuality. The repetition of “damn proud of it too” is the band’s declaration that they reject that type of society and far from regretting it, they celebrate it instead.
By referencing “neckties,” “9 to 5,” and “flags,” Melvins is specifically targeting corporate culture and the restrictions and expectations it puts on individuals. “Mainstream,” “wannabes,” and “Kennedys” point to those who blindly follow celebrity culture without any critical thought or analysis. By including “Kennedys,” the band is directly targeting a specific type of celebrity that is known for family legacy rather than personal accomplishments. The song encourages and celebrates those who have been “voted off” because of their differences and non-conformity.
Line by Line Meaning
Voted off the island of normality
I have been kicked out of the place where everyone seems to fit in.
Voted off the island of conformity
I am no longer wanted in the group that just goes along with what everyone else is doing.
Voted off the island of drones
I am no longer part of the crew that just follows orders and never thinks for themselves.
Damn proud of it too!
I am happy to be myself and not just a cog in the machine.
Voted off the island of the neckties
I have been expelled from the circle that values formal attire above all else.
Voted off the island of the 9 to 5
I am no longer welcome among those who spend all their days working a mundane job.
Voted off the island of the flags
I am no longer a member of the group that is blindly loyal to their country and its symbols.
Voted off the island of the mainstream
I am not accepted by the majority and I do not conform to their values and beliefs.
Voted off the island of the wannabes
I am not one of the group that aspires to be something they are not, just for the sake of fitting in.
Voted off the island of the Kennedys!
I am not associated with the elite family or their social status that sets them apart from the rest of us.
Voted off the island
I have been rejected and cast out by various communities and groups for not fitting in with their norms and values.
See ya!
Goodbye, I am moving on to find my own place and my own people.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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