Nuclear Rabbit was started in 1989 by bassist Jean Baudin, who was influenced by a variety of music styles, including Fishbone and Bad Brains, and envisioned having a band not bound to any genre. He was soon joined by guitarist Pat Garner and drummer Steve "Stymie" Sigaty. Originally Baudin performed the vocals, but Greg Parrish was eventually asked to step in as vocalist. Nuclear Rabbit incorporates a variety of genres in their music, including metal, funk, ska, hardcore, punk, jazz, East Indian, and Egyptian. Baudin uses a variety of bass techniques, including tapping, slapping and popping. Their music is often characterized by sudden tempo changes and wacky musical stylings.
The band recorded several demos, some of which are included on the compilation Vicuna. After a quick switch of guitarists, Nuclear Rabbit recorded their first full-length album, Intestinal Fortitude, in 1998. Soon after, Greg left the band and was replaced by Jon Scullion, with whom they recorded their More Human EP.
In 2000, following More Human, Nuclear Rabbit went on hiatus. During this time Jean and Steve formed an alternative rock style group called Element of Surprise, often stylized as "E:OS." The band was formed as a supergroup of underground artists, eventually including vocalist Andy Slipka of Tribal Disco Noise and guitarist Raye Medeiros of Ten Man Killer. Medeiros left the band some time after, and Baudin asked Pat Garner to step in. They recorded two demos,"2:001" and U:pside Down, before the band called it quits in 2002.
Nuclear Rabbit reunited in 2002 with its original line-up and recorded their 2nd full length, Mutopia, the title being a portmanteau of the words mutation and utopia. The album was well received,[citation needed] but the band went through more line-up changes following the supporting tour. A few shows were played in the Northern California area in 2008 with new guitarist Macy Mullen, as well as new drummer Timothy Bailey, though the band is now currently on an unofficial hiatus, with a status of "Writing New Tunes!" on their official MySpace page for 3 years with no updates. In August, 2011, the band announced their first show in three years via JeanBaudin.com, and played an hour-long set on October 8th, 2011, at 924 Gilman in Berkeley, CA.
Supermarket
Nuclear Rabbit Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I bought some tampons at the supermarket. I develop film at the supermarket.
There's lots of pregnant ladies at the supermarket. Paper or plastic: which do you prefer?
My little stymie, he came to me - he said. "I saw James Hetfield at the supermarket".
$1.69 for a spatula. A head of lettuce, broccoli soufflé.
Heavy metal fire, my deep desire. To meet James Hetfield at the supermarket.
Carrots, zucchini, tampons and film. (At the supermarket).
The Nuclear Rabbit's song Supermarket seems deceptively simple at first glance, but upon closer examination, it raises some interesting questions about consumerism and modern life. The chorus repeats the things the singer buys at the supermarket, including carrots, zucchini, tampons, and film. However, the verses dig deeper, commenting on the people who go to the supermarket, the choice between paper or plastic bags, and the desire to see James Hetfield, the frontman of the heavy metal band Metallica, at the supermarket.
One interpretation of the song is that it is a commentary on the mundane nature of everyday life, and how we go through the motions of buying things we need at the store without really thinking about what it means or how it affects us. We are all cogs in the machine, going to the supermarket to buy our carrots and tampons, and there's nothing particularly exciting or meaningful about it. However, the desire to see James Hetfield at the supermarket represents a kind of rebellion against this, a longing for something more exciting, something that breaks the monotony of everyday existence.
Another possible interpretation is that the song is about the absurdity of consumerism, and how we've been conditioned to think that buying things will make us happy. The lyric "a head of lettuce, broccoli soufflé" speaks to this - these are the kinds of items that we buy because we think they will make us healthier or happier, but really they are just things, consumed for their own sake. The line "heavy metal fire, my deep desire" suggests that maybe the only thing that can cut through the emptiness of consumerism is something like music, which has a certain power to move and inspire us.
Overall, the Nuclear Rabbit's Supermarket is a song that invites us to question the things we buy and why we buy them. It's a song that reminds us that there's more to life than just the things we own or the stores we frequent.
Line by Line Meaning
I bought some carrots at the supermarket.
I purchased vegetables at a commercial establishment where products are generally sold to the public
I bought Zucchini at the supermarket.
I acquired a type of squash from a place where goods are sold to consumers for consumption
I bought some tampons at the supermarket.
I obtained a feminine hygiene product from a store that sells various items to the public
I develop film at the supermarket.
I process photographic negatives in a facility that provides goods for sale to customers
There's lots of pregnant ladies at the supermarket.
Many women carrying unborn children frequent the commercial establishment where products are sold to the masses
Paper or plastic: which do you prefer?
Do you desire a bag made of tree pulp or synthetic polymers for your purchases?
My little stymie, he came to me - he said. "I saw James Hetfield at the supermarket".
My companion approached me and made the statement: 'I observed James Hetfield, lead vocalist and guitarist of the metal band Metallica, at the commercial establishment where products are sold to the public'
$1.69 for a spatula. A head of lettuce, broccoli soufflé.
One dollar and sixty-nine cents for a kitchen utensil. A leafy vegetable and a dish made with eggs, flour, and vegetable puree.
Heavy metal fire, my deep desire. To meet James Hetfield at the supermarket.
I have an intense yearning for the subgenre of rock music characterized by amplified guitar sounds, and I wish to encounter James Hetfield at the commercial establishment where products are generally sold to the public.
Carrots, zucchini, tampons and film. (At the supermarket).
Various products including vegetables, feminine hygiene products, and photographic materials are obtainable at the establishment where products are sold to the public.
Contributed by Madison S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.