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.
Halloween
Mudhoney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't know what it is
Day as dead as night
Except for the feeling
That's crawling up inside of me
As you sing your song
As you swing along, and you
It's your, your song
As you twist up along, sing your song
And you're slithering up to me
You're so close
I just
Just want to touch and sing your song
And you don't know what's going on
But you want me to come
You want me to come
You want me to come
You want me to come
Along
As you sing your, your song
And you're fucking me
Yeah, you're fucking with me
You're fucking with me
As you slither up, slither up to me
Your lips are slipping, twisting up my insides
Sing along and just a swinging man
Singing your song
Now I don't know what you want
But you're looking at me
And you're falling on the ground
And you're twisting around
Fucking with my, my mind
And I don't know what's going on
Swing your song, twist it along
As you slither up to me, and it's got to be
And I don't know what you want to do
Looking at me with your big dark eyes
And you're rubbing your body
Twist
Twist
Halloween
Halloween
Halloween
Halloween
Halloween
Halloween
Halloween
The lyrics to Mudhoney's "Halloween" are cryptic and mysterious, with a sense of unease and tension throughout the song. The singer describes a feeling of something shifting in the distance, and a day as dead as night. The focus then shifts to a person singing a song and slithering up to the singer. There is an intense physical desire to touch and be with this person, even though the singer doesn't quite know what is going on. The lyrics are filled with sexual imagery, with the person described as the "devil in me who makes me stare at you" and their lips "twisting up my insides."
Overall, the song seems to be about giving in to temptation and desire, even if it is dangerous or unknown. The title "Halloween" adds to the sense of spookiness and mystery, as Halloween is associated with darkness, trickery, and playing with the unknown.
Line by Line Meaning
There's something shifting in the distance
I sense a change happening far away
Don't know what it is
I'm not sure what's causing it
Day as dead as night
It's as if it's nighttime during the day
Except for the feeling
But there's a sensation that's present
That's crawling up inside of me
It's growing inside me, slowly and deliberately
As you sing your song
While you perform your music
As you swing along, and you
With your movements and energy
It's your, your song
This is your own unique song
Devil in me who makes me stare at you
The part of me that's drawn to you is my darker side
As you twist up along, sing your song
You're moving in a way that's hypnotic to me as you sing
And you're slithering up to me
You're moving closer to me seductively
You're so close
You're right next to me now
I just
I'm overwhelmed by
Just want to touch and sing your song
I desire to feel your skin and join in with your music
And you don't know what's going on
You're not aware of what's happening between us
But you want me to come
But you want me to join you
Along
In this journey or experience
As you sing your, your song
While you perform your unique style of music
And you're fucking me
You're toying with my emotions and thoughts
Yeah, you're fucking with me
You're playing mind games with me
You're fucking with me
You're causing me confusion and uncertainty
As you slither up, slither up to me
As you move closer to me sensually
Your lips are slipping, twisting up my insides
Your kiss is creating a wild and powerful feeling inside me
Sing along and just a swinging man
You're singing with such energy and passion
Singing your song
Performing your own unique sound
Now I don't know what you want
I'm uncertain of what you're seeking from me
But you're looking at me
But your gaze is fixed on me
And you're falling on the ground
You're collapsing or sinking to the floor
And you're twisting around
As if you're in pain or struggling
Fucking with my, my mind
Messing with my thoughts and emotions
And I don't know what's going on
I can't comprehend what's happening right now
Swing your song, twist it along
Keep moving and performing your music
As you slither up to me, and it's got to be
As you slowly, tantalizingly come closer to me
And I don't know what you want to do
I'm clueless as to your intentions
Looking at me with your big dark eyes
Piercing me with your intense gaze
And you're rubbing your body
You're touching and caressing your own body
Twist
Keep moving and dancing
Twist
Keep swaying and contorting
Halloween
This surreal, intense experience is almost like a Halloween night
Halloween
It's an eerie and otherworldly moment
Halloween
This strange and dark experience feels like a Halloween celebration
Halloween
As if we're in a ghostly, haunted place, like in a Halloween-themed party
Halloween
This moment feels like a twisted and unsettling Halloween night
Halloween
This experience is transforming me into a different person, like in a Halloween costume
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: KIM A. GODRON, LEE M. RANALDO, ROBERT BERT, THURSTON J. MOORE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Quentin Elliott
There's something shifting in the distance
Don't know what it is
Day as dead as night
Except for the feeling
That's crawling up inside of me
As you sing your song
As you swing along, and you
It's your, your song
Devil in me who makes me stare at you
As you twist up along, sing your song
And you're slithering up to me
You're so close
I just
Just want to touch and sing your song
And you don't know what's going on
But you want me to come
You want me to come
You want me to come
You want me to come
Along
As you sing your, your song
And you're fucking me
Yeah, you're fucking with me
You're fucking with me
As you slither up, slither up to me
Your lips are slipping, twisting up my insides
Sing along and just a swinging man
Singing your song
Now I don't know what you want
But you're looking at me
And you're falling on the ground
And you're twisting around
Fucking with my, my mind
And I don't know what's going on
Swing your song, twist it along
As you slither up to me, and it's got to be
And I don't know what you want to do
Looking at me with your big dark eyes
And you're rubbing your body
Twist
Twist
Halloween
Halloween
Halloween
Halloween
Halloween
Halloween
Halloween
Quentin Elliott
There's something shifting in the distance
Don't know what it is
Day as dead as night
Except for the feeling
That's crawling up inside of me
As you sing your song
As you swing along, and you
It's your, your song
Devil in me who makes me stare at you
As you twist up along, sing your song
And you're slithering up to me
You're so close
I just
Just want to touch and sing your song
And you don't know what's going on
But you want me to come
You want me to come
You want me to come
You want me to come
Along
As you sing your, your song
And you're fucking me
Yeah, you're fucking with me
You're fucking with me
As you slither up, slither up to me
Your lips are slipping, twisting up my insides
Sing along and just a swinging man
Singing your song
Now I don't know what you want
But you're looking at me
And you're falling on the ground
And you're twisting around
Fucking with my, my mind
And I don't know what's going on
Swing your song, twist it along
As you slither up to me, and it's got to be
And I don't know what you want to do
Looking at me with your big dark eyes
And you're rubbing your body
Twist
Twist
Halloween
Halloween
Halloween
Halloween
Halloween
Halloween
Halloween
pizza planet nazgulz
Throw sonic youth,misfits, the stooges and mudhoney into a blender and you get this sicc cover.
grrizo
Mudhoney = Stooges + Misfits + Sonic Youth
Norberto Velazquez
Yes!!
Nick Morgan
these guys blew everyone away!
top of the bill everytime i saw them...
Nirvana, Tad et al Subpop support was exactly that...
Steve Wolstenholme
Got this on 12" from back in the day, a sublime exchange of songs. God I feel old now!!
TheGaaGaasOfficial
Ending sounds like The Stooges, epic!
Andrew Sackville-West
Gotta call out your inspiration, right?
grrizo
And if you listen closely, you can hear Mark singing the chorus of "Halloween" by The Misfits, too.
Pyscho Clown
cole hole the ending is stooges. They took the riff and used as a backing for the sick solo at the end