Mudhoney's early releases on the Sub Pop label, particularly their debut single "Touch Me I'm Sick" and the Superfuzz Bigmuff EP, were massively influential on the Seattle music scene. More than almost any other release of the era they inspired the dirty, high-distortion sound that would become grunge. Later on, Mudhoney also mixed heavy blues rock and punk rock into their sound at various stages. Although the band has found little commercial success during its long career, which has yielded ten studio albums, it has inspired countless grunge and alternative rock musicians.
Band history
Mr. Epp and the Calculations
The very beginnings of Mudhoney start out in Bellevue, Washington, a suburb of Seattle. While at Bellevue Christian High School, Mark McLaughlin (later known as Mark Arm) and some friends started Mr. Epp and the Calculations, a band named after a math teacher of his. The band was more a joke band than a real band; their first "show" was in class singing Marvin Gaye's "Got to Give It Up" and using rolled up maps as guitars because they couldn't play real instruments. "Mr. Epp" finally played their first show three years after they formed in 1981. Around this time Mark Arm and a friend of his, Steve Turner formed a more serious yet still humorous band, Limp Richerds. Mr. Epp appeared on KZAM-AM radio and were introduced being called "the worst band in the world". They played their last show on February 3, 1984 with Malfunkshun at the Metropolis in Seattle.
Green River
Green River was formed in 1984 when Mark Arm and Steve Turner pulled together and recruited Alex Vincent, who had previously played with Turner in Spluii Numa. Looking for a bass player the band asked Jeff Ament to join their band. Ament had recently arrived in Seattle with his band Deranged Diction who had come out of Montana. Another one of Turner's former bandmates, Stone Gossard, also decided to play with them. Steve Turner left the band after the recording of Come on Down due to his distaste in the heavy metal leanings of the band. He was replaced by another Derranged Diction member, Bruce Fairweather. After recording two EPs and a full-length album, the band decided to call it quits in 1987. Gossard, Ament, and Fairweather went on to join Mother Love Bone. Following lead singer, Andrew Wood's death, Gossard and Ament went on to form Pearl Jam and Fairweather joined Love Battery. Arm reunited with Steve Turner to form Mudhoney.
Sub Pop (1988–1991)
Steve Turner wanted to start a band that actually rehearsed before they played. He and Mark Arm began working on some music along with Bundle of Hiss drummer Dan Peters. The trio decided that Matt Lukin, who had recently left Melvins, should join them as the bassist. They named themselves Mudhoney after a Russ Meyer film that none of the band members had actually seen.
Mudhoney's partial success led to a number of other Seattle bands, such as Soundgarden, Nirvana, and Tad, gaining some recognition. In the early '90s, Sub Pop was not making very much money. As a result, many of its bands left the label to search for backing by major labels. Mudhoney decided to stay and they released their second album, Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge in 1991. However, after this album was released they were offered a deal with Reprise Records and they left Sub Pop Records to join their new major label in 1992.
Reprise (1992–1999)
As grunge was becoming more mainstream, Mudhoney shifted away from their early grungy music sound. Many of the bands that they were friends with (Nirvana and Pearl Jam) were having huge success and gaining popularity worldwide. Their first album on Reprise was Piece of Cake, which was an album that sounded much more like garage rock than grunge. Despite the fact that the band had signed on to a major label, they still kept their quirkiness and non-careerist attitude with them.
In 1995, when grunge was in its last days in the mainstream, Mudhoney decided to go back to the sound that they used to have. With their album My Brother the Cow they managed to mix both their early heavy dirge songs and some of their more punk rock songs on the same album. The song "Into Your Shtik" is said to be a song which bashes Courtney Love, saying that she should blow her head off too like her husband Kurt Cobain. The album is a fan favorite and is considered one of their finest albums. Two years later they released Tomorrow Hit Today. The album showed that Mudhoney still had their garage rock roots in them as well as including new blues rock type songs.
In 1996, Mudhoney appeared in the comedy movie Black Sheep, starring Chris Farley and David Spade. Mudhoney was shown playing at an MTV concert and then speaking with Farley backstage.
After a few years of touring, Reprise decided to release Mudhoney from their label. One of the reasons was Mudhoney's record sales had reached a career low despite the fact their live shows were drawing more people than ever before. Subsequently, bassist Matt Lukin called it quits, saying that he didn't like touring. The band released March to Fuzz, a retrospective compilation of songs from throughout their career. Many fans thought that the band was going to stop playing music altogether, although they did play a few shows around the Northwest area.
Return to Sub Pop (1999— )
These shows were doing so well that Mudhoney decided to resurrect their careers. They found permanent bassist Guy Maddison (of Monroe's Fur, Lubricated Goat) who had played with Mark Arm in one of his many side projects, Bloodloss. After Arm and Turner spent time with their side project, The Monkeywrench, the band recorded and released Since We've Become Translucent in 2002. In late 2005, the band opened Pearl Jam's South American tour, with concerts in Santiago de Chile, Buenos Aires, Porto Alegre, Curitiba, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. In March of 2006, the band released the well received LP, Under a Billion Suns. The band has promoted the album by touring in Europe and the U.S. with bands such as Jennifer Gentle, The Holy Soul and Comets on Fire.
Burn It Clean
Mudhoney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Got a burnin', it's so hot it shines
The road I'm on's got no signs
You say I abuse my only life
The fruit I eat is over-ripe
Yeah
Burn it clean
Guitar-playin' loser, lose your turn
Got her up in the start, I'm itchin' to burn
Lost my turn and gained a sin
Got to see it, got to see it goin' in
Yeah
Burn it clean
Burn it clean
Burn it clean
Burn it clean
Burn it clean
Burn it clean
Wound up tied, hot under the collar
You'll do anything for a dollar
Burn everything, I can't aim
Got to see it, got to see it go up in flames
Burn it clean
Burn it clean
Burn it clean
The song Burn It Clean by Mudhoney is widely regarded as a classic grunge song from the 90s. The lyrics of the song are simple, yet they pack a punch. The opening line "Hey, jackass" immediately sets the tone and mood for the rest of the song. The song appears to be about someone who is frustrated and angry with their life and the people around them. The line "Got a burnin', it's so hot it shines" suggests that the person is burning with inner turmoil, anger or resentment.
The next line "The road I'm on's got no signs" reinforces this idea that the person is lost, confused and doesn't know which direction to take in life. The following line "You say I abuse my only life" suggests that someone close to the singer is critical of their behaviour or choices. The line "The fruit I eat is overripe" suggests that the person has lived a life that is past its prime or that they have squandered opportunities.
The chorus "Burn it clean" appears to suggest that the singer wants to start over again or wipe the slate clean. The line "Got her up in the start, I'm itchin' to burn" is possibly a reference to drug use or partying. The line "Lost my turn and gained a sin" suggests that the singer feels guilty and is aware that their behaviour is out of control. The rest of the song continues with more references to burning, which may be metaphorical or literal. Overall, the song Burn It Clean is a song about frustration, anger and a desire to start over.
Line by Line Meaning
(Hey, jackass)
Addressing someone with a rude term
Got a burnin', it's so hot it shines
Referring to a strong desire or urge
The road I'm on's got no signs
Feeling lost, unsure of direction
You say I abuse my only life
Someone accuses the artist of wasting their life or not living it properly
The fruit I eat is over-ripe
Experiencing disappointment or dissatisfaction in life
Burn it clean
Expressing the need to start fresh, to clean or purify something
Guitar-playin' loser, lose your turn
Insulting someone's musical abilities or general worth
Got her up in the start, I'm itchin' to burn
Excited or eager to pursue a romantic or sexual relationship
Lost my turn and gained a sin
Failing or making a mistake, leading to feelings of guilt
Got to see it, got to see it goin' in
Desiring to witness or experience something firsthand
Wound up tied, hot under the collar
Feeling stressed or angry
You'll do anything for a dollar
Referring to a person who is desperate or immoral
Burn everything, I can't aim
Feeling destructive or frustrated, unable to control one's impulses
Got to see it, got to see it go up in flames
Desiring to witness destruction or chaos
Burn it clean
Repeating the idea of starting fresh or purifying something
Burn it clean
Repeating the idea of starting fresh or purifying something
Burn it clean
Repeating the idea of starting fresh or purifying something
Burn it clean
Repeating the idea of starting fresh or purifying something
Lyrics © IMAGEM U.S. LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVID PER SANDSTROM, DENNIS LYXZEN, HENRIK JANSSON, MAGNUS BJORKLUND, PAR HANSSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind