Pere Ubu is an experimental rock music group formed in Cleveland, Ohio, in … Read Full Bio ↴Pere Ubu is an experimental rock music group formed in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1975. Despite many long-term band members, singer David Thomas is the only constant. The group is named after Père Ubu ("father Ubu"), the protagonist of Ubu Roi ("Ubu, the King"), a play by French writer Alfred Jarry.

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.

Honey Moon
Pere Ubu Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hang my head, believe that I've died
I'm fryin' fish by the riverside.
You the way, the way back home,
Honey Moon.

All the world is like a one arm man,
swimming hard the best that he can.
I'll be the one, you never know.

Honey Moon, I miss you so.
Honey Moon.

Cloudy sky, looks like rain.
Stand aside for the start of some pain.
I get so tired it's like I'm another man.
Say no more, the rest I know.
I never like it when that part of me shows.
Cover up, 'cause I think that I'm needin'.
Honey Moon, I'm already bleedin'.

All the world is like a one arm man,
Swimming hard the best that he can.
I'll be the one, you never know.
Honey Moon, I miss you so.
Honey Moon.

Swing low. I know.
Saw the pot called a heart of gold
Hung around it like a one eye dog.
Fix the roof?
Believe that I'll try.
I might know better when it's day or it's night,
Stand by, I think that I'm sleepin'.
Outside, the corn it is creepin'.

All the world is like a one arm man,
Swimming hard the best that he can.
I'll be the one, you never know.
Honey moon, I miss you so.
Honey Moon.

Honey Moon.
Honey. Moon.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Pere Ubu's Honey Moon contain vivid imagery and metaphorical language that requires detailed interpretation. The song starts with the singer expressing his despair about feeling dead, indicating a sense of hopelessness and disconnection. He then appears to be cooking fish by the riverside, which can be interpreted as a reference to survival and the need for sustenance. The line "You the way, the way back home" refers to a lost sense of direction and a desire to return to a place of familiarity and comfort.

The next stanza describes the struggles of the world, where everyone is like a one-armed man trying to swim against the tide. The singer wishes to be the one who can overcome the odds but also admits that sometimes he feels powerless. The line "I never like it when that part of me shows" suggests that the singer is hiding a vulnerable aspect of himself.

The following stanza refers to the approaching storm and pain that it may bring, and the exhaustion and weariness that the singer feels. However, he also acknowledges that he may need to cover up his emotions, suggesting a fear of being exposed or vulnerable. The phrase "already bleeding" portrays an idea of woundedness and vulnerability.

The last stanza is a blend of metaphorical language and a surrealistic sense of imagery. The pot is described as the heart of gold, and the singer is hanging around it like a one-eyed dog, which could represent a sense of loyalty or attachment. The line "Fix the roof? Believe that I'll try" may represent an acknowledgement of responsibility, suggesting that the singer is trying to mend something that is broken. The song finishes with repetition of the phrase "Honey Moon," reinforcing a sense of longing and loss.

Line by Line Meaning

Hang my head, believe that I've died
I feel so defeated that I might as well be dead.

I'm fryin' fish by the riverside.
I'm doing mundane things to distract myself.

You the way, the way back home,
You are my guidance, my way back to happiness.

Honey Moon.
My one true love.

All the world is like a one arm man,
Everyone struggles, just like a one-armed swimmer.

Swimming hard the best that he can.
Trying their best despite the obstacles faced.

I'll be the one, you never know.
I could be the one to make a difference, but you never know.

Honey Moon, I miss you so.
I miss you, my love.

Cloudy sky, looks like rain.
Things aren't looking up.

Stand aside for the start of some pain.
Get ready for some tough times ahead.

I get so tired it's like I'm another man.
I am mentally and physically exhausted.