While Pere Ubu have never been widely popular—usually categorized as "underground rock"—they have a devoted following, have been hugely influential on several generations of avant-garde musicians and are a critically acclaimed American musical group. To define their music, Pere Ubu coined the term Avant Garage to reflect interest in both avant-garde music (especially Musique concrète) and raw, direct garage rock.
When Cleveland-based band Rocket From The Tombs fragmented some members formed Dead Boys, while David Thomas and guitarist Peter Laughner joined with guitarist Tom Herman, bass guitarist Tim Wright, drummer Scott Krauss and synthesist Allen Ravenstine to form Pere Ubu in 1975. At the time the band formed, Herman, Krauss, and Ravenstine lived in a house owned by Ravenstine.
Pere Ubu's first single (their first five releases were singles on their own "Hearthan" label) was "30 Seconds Over Tokyo" (inspired by the "Doolittle Raid" and named after a film depicting the raid), backed with "Heart of Darkness"; followed by "Final Solution" in 1976. One review noted that "30 Seconds..." "was clearly the work of a garage band, yet its arty dissonance and weird experimentalism were startlingly unique."
Of their second single, "Final Solution" (backed with "Cloud 149"), one reviewer wrote that Ubu's "call for a 'final solution' was the cry of teen angst run down in the decaying rust belt of America, and unlike the British punks who were looking around England the same year, seeing no future, and hating what they saw, Ubu reveled in it." They would rarely perform this song after some listeners misinterpreted it as being associated with the 'Nazi final solution'.
After "Street Waves", their third single, Pere Ubu signed to Blank Records, a short-lived imprint of Mercury Records.
Laughner left the group after their first two singles, and died soon afterward after a struggle with drug addiction. Tony Maimone signed on as bassist after Tim Wright left to join DNA.
In 1978 they released their debut album, The Modern Dance, which sold poorly but has proven influential. With the song "Sentimental Journey," the debut also introduced the practice of re-appropriating titles from well-known popular songs: Pere Ubu's "Sentimental Journey" has no obvious relation to the Doris Day hit song of the same name; "Drinking Wine Spodyody" has no apparent connection to the Sticks McGhee song (later revived by Jerry Lee Lewis). This practice has continued through 2006's Why I Hate Women, which has a song called "Blue Velvet" (again, no relation to the 1963 hit song by Bobby Vinton).
Special note should be made of Ravenstine's contributions to Pere Ubu. While most synthesizer players tended to play the instrument as they would a piano or organ, Ravenstine generally opted instead to make sounds that were reminiscent of spooky sound effects from 1950s science fiction films, or perhaps electronic music and musique concrète.
Dub Housing was released in 1978 and New Picnic Time in 1979. The group briefly disbanded in 1979, but reformed soon afterward with Tom Herman replaced by Mayo Thompson (of Red Krayola).
The Art of Walking was released in 1980, and by the release of Song of the Bailing Man in 1982, Krauss was replaced by Anton Fier. The group disbanded again soon afterwards; Krauss and Maimone formed Home and Garden, while Thomas worked on a solo career, notably with Richard Thompson and with members of Henry Cow.
By the late 1980s, one of Thomas' solo projects eventually featured much of Pere Ubu. The band was reformed again in 1987, with Jim Jones and Chris Cutler joining for the release of The Tenement Year in 1988, a far more pop-oriented album than ever before. The following year, the track "Waiting for Mary" (off the album 1989 Cloudland) appeared on MTV briefly. After the recording of Cloudland, Ravenstine left the group (although he made a guest appearance on Worlds in Collision in 1991) and later became an airline pilot. Eric Drew Feldman joined the band in time for the Cloudland tour and the recording of Worlds in Collision but left afterwards, joining Frank Black.
Story of My Life was released in 1993 on Imago Records; Maimone left (once again) to join They Might Be Giants, and Michele Temple and Garo Yellin joined the band for the Story of My Life tour and feature on Ubu's 1995 album, Ray Gun Suitcase. Robert Wheeler has played synthesizer and theremin with Pere Ubu since 1994. Krauss left the band during the Ray Gun Suitcase sessions. For the Ray Gun Suitcase tour, guitarist Jim Jones departed as a touring member (although he continued to contribute to recordings), founding guitarist Tom Herman replaced him for the tour.
Concurrent with the 1996 release of the Datapanik in Year Zero box set, Jim Jones retired due to health problems. Tom Herman returned to the band after a twenty year absence to tour with the band in 1995, and went on to record Pennsylvania in 1998 and St. Arkansas in 2002. Jim Jones contributed guitar tracks to each album as well, and guitarist Wayne Kramer of MC5 fame joined the band for their 1998 summer tour. Herman left again in 2005, being replaced by Keith Moliné, of David Thomas's "solo" group Two Pale Boys. The new lineup completed an album entitled Why I Hate Women, which was released on September 19th 2006.
On 18 February 2008, Jim Jones passed away at his Cleveland residence.
Final Solution
Pere Ubu Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'Cause I've got a misdirection
Living at night isn't helping my complexion
The signs all saying it's a social infection
A little bit of fun's never been an insurrection
Mamma threw me out till I get some pants that fit
She just won't approve of my strange kind of wit
Man that send me off
Let them take the cure
Don't need a cure
Don't need a cure
Don't need a cure
Need a final solution
I don't need a cure
Don't need a cure
I don't need a cure
Need a final solution
Buy me a ticket to a sonic reduction
Guitars gonna sound like a nuclear destruction
Seems I'm a victim of natural selection
Meet me on the other side, another direction
Don't need a cure
Don't need a cure
Don't need a cure
Need a final solution
Don't need a cure
Don't need a cure
Don't need a cure
Need a final solution
Solution
Solution
Solution
Solution
Solution
Solution
Solution
Solution
Solution
Solu
The lyrics of Pere Ubu's song "Final Solution" reflect the feelings of alienation and rejection of a young man who feels like an outcast from society due to his unconventional appearance and behavior. He is unable to connect with women because of his "misdirection" and his nocturnal lifestyle has taken a toll on his complexion. In his view, his social status is seen as an "infection" and the only way out is a "final solution", which may imply either suicide or a radical way of breaking free from his present state of being. However, the song does not give a clear indication of what exactly this "final solution" means.
The singer's relationship with his mother is also strained, as she disapproves of his wit and behavior, and he is forced to leave home until he can dress properly. He feels trapped in his own excitement and recognizes it as something that always leads him astray. His only consolation is to embrace his unique perspective and to find a new direction in life, even if it means going against the norms of society. Throughout the song, the singer rejects the idea of a cure, instead seeking a final solution, indicating his desire for an ultimate solution to his problems that goes beyond simply fitting in with society's expectations.
Line by Line Meaning
The girls won't touch me
I am rejected by women
'Cause I've got a misdirection
I am misunderstood
Living at night isn't helping my complexion
My nighttime lifestyle is affecting my appearance
The signs all saying it's a social infection
Society is a negative influence
A little bit of fun's never been an insurrection
I defend my right to have fun
Mamma threw me out till I get some pants that fit
My mother doesn't approve of my style
She just won't approve of my strange kind of wit
My mother doesn't appreciate my humor
I get so excited, always gotta lose it
I can't control my impulses
Man that send me off
Something triggers my negative behavior
Let them take the cure
I reject societal norms and medical solutions
Don't need a cure
I don't want to conform
Need a final solution
I want a drastic, radical solution
Buy me a ticket to a sonic reduction
I want to experience a chaotic, intense concert
Guitars gonna sound like a nuclear destruction
The music will be loud and powerful
Seems I'm a victim of natural selection
I believe my behavior is a result of my genetic makeup
Meet me on the other side, another direction
I'm willing to move on to new experiences
Solution
My desire for a radical solution is repeated
Solution
My desire for a radical solution is repeated
Solution
My desire for a radical solution is repeated
Solution
My desire for a radical solution is repeated
Solution
My desire for a radical solution is repeated
Solution
My desire for a radical solution is repeated
Solution
My desire for a radical solution is repeated
Solution
My desire for a radical solution is repeated
Solution
My desire for a radical solution is repeated
Solution
My desire for a radical solution is repeated
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CLAYTON THOMAS DAVID, CRAIG BELL, DAVID JAMES ANDREW TAYLOR, PETER LAUGHNER, SCOTT KRAUSS, TIMOTHY WRIGHT, TOM HERMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
james goaway
The girls won't touch me
'Cause I've got a misdirection
Living at night isn't helping my complexion
The signs all saying it's a social infection
A little bit of fun's never been an insurrection
Mamma threw me out till I get some pants that fit
She just won't approve of my strange kind of wit
I get so excited, always gotta lose
Man that send me off
Let them take the cure
Don't need a cure
Need a final solution
Buy me a ticket to a sonic reduction
Guitars gonna sound like a nuclear destruction
Seems I'm a victim of natural selection
Meet me on the other side, another direction
Don't need a cure
Need a final solution
The Gryphons Treasure
This guitar solo is one of the most amazing I’ve heard. Rhythm track is absolutely astonishing. Vocal performance is hilarious, scintillating. Altogether, unbelievable rock song!
Carmela Albanese
Guitar solo trying to explain what's wrong.. getting more an more worked up.. and then completely falling to pieces.. lead vocal elbows him out of the way and screams "Solution!" .. brilliant..
Fizz S
I heard this on the John Peel Show in 1976 and I had never heard anything like it. I still haven't. It's a breathtaking piece of music.
alemmingsdeath
I saw Pere Ubu open for Pixies in '91 and they played this song. Amazing!!
UndergroundHero
The drums and bass are fantastic in this song. Driving rhythm force!
Zachery Allan Starkey
Pere Ubu makes me proud to be from Ohio. I grew up in Columbus, and before I moved to NYC I used to perform in Cleveland all the time (it still has a great music scene). We used to playa t the Pirates Cove and I always felt honored, playing the same stage that Pere Ubu had.
Tim Kelly
Me too
jackal59
"The girls won't touch me 'cause I've got a misdirection" is right up there with "Jesus died for somebody's sins, but not mine" as one of the greatest opening lines in rock and roll history.
Chris Richards
Yes. Gargamel and Azrael like girls. Like either way but accepting Christian death songs and listening to this dogshit I'd the reason the west coast does nigga heroin. Please tell me this band didn't move to Seattle and know the shape of the parasite in shivers and the geoduck clam?
Johnny BushHogg
@Chris Richards dude you should most definitely join that church that's all into drinking bleach (I even think they use bleach enemas) because you's most def need some help. Probably start with the concentrated stuff🤔🤘