Mother Love Bone was established in 1988 by former Green River members Jeff Ament, Bruce Fairweather and Stone Gossard, former Malfunkshun frontman Andrew Wood and former Ten Minute Warning and Skin Yard drummer Greg Gilmore. Initially, the group was formed in 1987 out of the cover band Lords of the Wasteland which featured Wood, Gossard, Ament and Malfunkshun drummer Regan Hagar. By early 1988 the band had added Fairweather, replaced Hagar with drummer Greg Gilmore and changed its name to Mother Love Bone.
This new line-up quickly set about recording and playing area shows and by late 1988 had become one of Seattle's more promising bands. Wood's exuberant on-stage personality, outlandish clothes and dreamy lyrics helped bring attention to the band. In the 1996 grunge documentary, Hype!, Seattle engineer Jack Endino called Wood "the only stand-up comedian frontman in Seattle," a reference to Wood's playful style of interacting with Mother Love Bone fans.
In early 1989, the band signed to PolyGram subsidiary Mercury Records. As part of its contract PolyGram also created the Stardog Records imprint exclusively for the band. In March 1989, the group issued its debut EP, Shine, becoming the first of the new crop of Seattle bands to have a release on a major label. The record sold well and rapidly increased the hype surrounding the band. John Book of Allmusic said the "record contributed to the buzz about the Seattle music scene."
In late 1989, the group returned to the studio (this time in San Francisco, California) to record its debut album, Apple. Despite some initial difficulties, the record was on-time for its projected March 1990 release. By this point interest in the band had hit a fever pitch and it seemed destined that the band were going to make it big. Only days before Apple was slated to be released, however, frontman Andrew Wood, who had a long history with drug problems, overdosed on heroin. After spending a few days in the hospital in a coma, Wood died, effectively bringing the group to an end. The album would see release later that year on July 19, 1990. Kim Neely of Rolling Stone said that the album "succeeds where countless other hard rock albums have failed, capturing the essence of what made Zep immortal – dynamics, kids! – and giving it a unique Nineties spin."
Mindshaker Meltdown
Mother Love Bone Lyrics
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The talk of the building with the crash about
And broken glass it slides across his skin
They both cry till exhausted and wind up in each other's arms
It's a mind-shaker meltdown
It's a spreading disease
I've seen it before, girl
I hope they come after me
You better say your prayers, baby
'Cause it's coming down quick
It's a mind-shaker meltdown
It's a spreading disease
It's a mind-shaker meltdown
I hope they come after me
He lost control, her voice like a fire alarm
Realize he could've hurt his love without knowing it at all
It seems he transforms when she screams her song
Possessed by a broken window and her crying for love
It's a mass jubilation, with jesters and thieves
A kind of group masturbation as they crucify me
'Cause I'm a Hollywood dream-boy, a pinup in their eyes
I represent, mama, all you despise
The lyrics of the song "Mindshaker Meltdown" by Mother Love Bone depict a turbulent and emotionally charged relationship between two people. The song starts with the image of an old vicious screaming within, which creates a tense atmosphere. The building they are in crashes and broken glass slides across the man's skin. The two characters in the song both cry until they exhaust themselves, and then find solace in each other's arms. However, the situation is complicated as the relationship is described as a mind-shaker meltdown that spreads like a disease. The singer notes that he has seen such situations before and is afraid that he might be next in line. The lyrics suggest that the characters are trapped in a cycle of passion and violence, with the man's behavior changing when the woman screams.
The second part of the song is characterized by a mass jubilation, with jesters and thieves. The singer, who may be an observer or a participant in the situation, is described as a bad motherfucker, selfish and sick. He warns the girl to say her prayers as something bad is coming down quick. The relationship is portrayed as both dangerous and addictive, with the man losing control and the woman's voice acting like a fire alarm. The singer suggests that the woman's crying for love has possessed the man, making him act irrationally. The song ends with the statement that the singer represents everything Mama despises.
Line by Line Meaning
That old vicious screaming within
The singer is referring to an inner voice that is angry and has been with him/her for a long time
The talk of the building with the crash about
The people around are gossiping about a loud noise, probably caused by something crashing
And broken glass it slides across his skin
The sound of glass scraping against skin is uncomfortable and painful
They both cry till exhausted and wind up in each other's arms
Both people involved in this emotional turmoil are crying and eventually find comfort in each other's embrace
It's a mind-shaker meltdown
The situation is overwhelming and mentally draining
It's a spreading disease
This problem is affecting more and more people and getting worse over time
I've seen it before, girl
The singer has experienced this kind of emotional breakdown before and is familiar with the signs
I hope they come after me
The artist is eager to confront this situation head-on and help those involved
'Cause I'm a bad motherfucker, selfish and sick
The artist sees him/herself as someone who is tough and uncaring, but is also dealing with his/her own personal issues
You better say your prayers, baby
The situation is serious and potentially dangerous, so it's important to be prepared for anything
'Cause it's coming down quick
The situation is escalating rapidly and requires immediate action
He lost control, her voice like a fire alarm
The man was unable to handle his emotions, and the woman's screaming was like a warning signal that things were getting out of hand.
Realize he could've hurt his love without knowing it at all
The man finally realizes that his actions could have caused harm to the person he loves, even though he didn't mean to
It seems he transforms when she screams her song
The woman's screams and cries have a profound effect on the man and seem to change his behavior
Possessed by a broken window and her crying for love
The man becomes fixated on a broken window (symbolic of his own emotional state) and the woman's cries for affection
It's a mass jubilation, with jesters and thieves
The situation has turned into a chaotic and emotional mess, with people acting out in various ways
A kind of group masturbation as they crucify me
The artist feels like he's being ridiculed and judged by others, who are taking pleasure in his misfortune
'Cause I'm a Hollywood dream-boy, a pinup in their eyes
The singer is well-known and admired by many, but also despised by others who are jealous or envious
I represent, mama, all you despise
The singer is aware that some people dislike him and sees himself as a symbol of everything they hate
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ANDREW WOOD, BRUCE IAN FAIRWEATHER, GREG A. GILMORE, JEFFREY ALLEN AMENT, STONE C. GOSSARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind