Menomena are an experimental rock band from Portland, Oregon, made up of Da… Read Full Bio ↴Menomena are an experimental rock band from Portland, Oregon, made up of Danny Seim on percussion; and Justin Harris on bass, guitar, and saxophone. Both members of the band share singing duties and swap instruments frequently while recording.

The band formed in late 2000, when ex-member Brent Knopf graduated from Dartmouth College and returned to Portland to collaborate with Harris and Seim. They played their first show in July 2001, at The Meow Meow, a now-defunct all ages venue in Portland.

Menomena self-released their debut album, I Am the Fun Blame Monster!, on May 20, 2003. The album was elaborately packaged in an 80-page flipbook that Seim designed and individually hand-assembled. It later received nationwide distribution through FILMguerrero in 2004. The title is an anagram for The First Menomena Album.

In 2005, Under an Hour was released as a three-track album of instrumental music written for and performed with Monster Squad, an experimental dance company based in Portland.

In August of 2006, Menomena signed with Barsuk Records although the band still maintains a relationship with their old label, FILMguerrero. It was stated that FILMguerrero would still be involved in their old catalog and future vinyl releases.

Menomena released their next album in 2007, titled Friend and Foe. It received relative critical acclaim -- while some websites like Pitchfork Media praised the album for its effective modular pop, others like PopMatters criticized it for presenting a sense of feigned maturity. Their record release show was held in their home town of Portland, Oregon. The packaging features artwork by graphic novelist/cartoonist Craig Thompson, consisting of die-cut shapes, decoder rings, and hidden messages. It was nominated for "Best Recording Package" at The Grammy Awards.

The band's following album, Mines, was released in July 2010.

In January 2011, Brent Knopf's departure was announced. He left the band under good terms in order to focus on his other project Ramona Falls.

Without Knopf, Menomena released their most recent album, Moms in September of 2012.

The band's name was chosen for "the way it rolls off the tongue, sexually, or something" and has no specific meaning, although it is often assumed to refer to the Piero Umiliani song "Mah Nà Mah Nà", a staple of The Muppet Show.

Danny Seim also has a side project began in the late 90's titled Lackthereof.

Skintercourse
Menomena Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

i fell in love with the feeling of being in love
i should have known it wouldn't last
but i had the traits
and the confident face of a man
and i'll evolve if i can't adapt

so i fell in love with the feeling of my own hands
stretching back

letting go
i shed the skin that i slithered in for so long
i rubbed my stomach raw

i can't identify the source of my
overarching need to pry under your skin
i guess it started all the way back when
you and i used to pretend we were just friends

now i'm overlooked and undertouched
i overcompensated for such
and i can't get back to where i once was

i wish i'd been the one to come undone
to have and hold this magic wand over your head

i can't identify the source of this
overarching need to twist the knife in your skin
i guess it started once i realized
this life i once idealized is all gone to shit

now i'm underdressed and overtouched
i didn't think that i'd like it so much
and i won't go back to where i once was

thank god i was the one to come undone
now i can hold this smoking gun over your head

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Menomena's song Skintercourse explore the complexities of love and the self. The singer admits that they fell in love with the feeling of being in love, but knew it wouldn't last. However, they still carried themselves confidently, and were willing to adapt and evolve. The singer also fell in love with their own hands, perhaps metaphorically representing the self. They shed the skin that they have been slithering in for so long, which indicates a desire for self-improvement and growth.

The chorus delves into a darker side of the singer's feelings. They can't identify the source of their need to pry under someone's skin, possibly signifying a desire to hurt or control the other person. The singer longs for a time when they were just friends and regret their actions. They are now left feeling overlooked and undertouched. They overcompensate for these feelings, leading to an overtouched and underdressed state that they did not expect to enjoy. The song concludes with the singer thanking their luck in being the one to come undone. They are now holding a smoking gun over the other person's head, which suggests they have some sort of dominance over them.

Overall, Skintercourse explores the intricacies of human relationships, love, and the self. The singer is complex and multi-dimensional, displaying a range of emotions from joy to regret to anger. The song invites the listener to contemplate their own experiences with love and personal growth.

Line by Line Meaning

i fell in love with the feeling of being in love
I enjoyed the sensation of being in love, even though I should've known it wouldn't last.

i should have known it wouldn't last
I had a feeling that my love wouldn't last, but I chose to ignore it.

but i had the traits and the confident face of a man and i'll evolve if i can't adapt
I possessed the qualities of a confident man, but I'm willing to change and adapt if necessary.

so i fell in love with the feeling of my own hands stretching back letting go i shed the skin that i slithered in for so long i rubbed my stomach raw
I became fascinated with the feeling of my own skin and the act of shedding it, but it left me feeling uncomfortable and exposed.

i can't identify the source of my overarching need to pry under your skin i guess it started all the way back when you and i used to pretend we were just friends
I don't understand why I have a strong desire to get close to you emotionally and figure out what makes you tick, but maybe it began when we were pretending to be friends.

now i'm overlooked and undertouched i overcompensated for such and i can't get back to where i once was
I feel like I've been ignored and underappreciated, and I tried too hard to make up for it, but things can never go back to the way they were.

i wish i'd been the one to come undone to have and hold this magic wand over your head
I wish I could be the one in control of the situation and have power over you.

i can't identify the source of this overarching need to twist the knife in your skin i guess it started once i realized this life i once idealized is all gone to shit
I don't know why I have a desire to hurt you emotionally, but I think it started when I realized that the perfect life I imagined has fallen apart.

now i'm underdressed and overtouched i didn't think that i'd like it so much and i won't go back to where i once was
I feel exposed and touched too much, but I enjoy it and won't go back to the way I used to be.

thank god i was the one to come undone now i can hold this smoking gun over your head
I'm grateful that things didn't work out because now I have power and control over you.

Contributed by Grace A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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