Wes Scantlin was born in St. Joseph, Missouri. Raised in Kansas City, he attended Park Hill High School. After high school, he started the creation of Puddle of Mudd, now now famous for songs such as "Control", "She Hates Me", and "Blurry". Scantlin got his start in the music business after a copy of his demo was given to a friend producer by the name of Fred Durst. Durst enjoyed the demo, but Wes neglected to take any major steps forward with the band. Later, upon hearing that Scantlin's first attempt at a band had failed, Durst decided to bring Scatlin to California in an attempt to put a new band together.
In California Scantlin met Doug Ardito, an intern at Interscope Records. When Scantlin found out about Ardito's bass playing, they decided to work together. Still in pursuit of a guitarist, Fred Durst contacted a guitarist from his hometown of Jacksonville, Florida, Paul Phillips. Phillips auditioned for the spot in Puddle of Mudd, and upon acceptance, left college to join the band full time. A drummer was also recruited from Jacksonville, however, via creative differences, left the band before it achieved any mainstream media attention.
The name of the band was inspired by the Missouri River flood, where the band in its early days performed and practiced. The large amount of pressure from the equipment left the floor a big "puddle of mud."
Puddle of Mudd is signed to Fred Durst's record label, Flawless Records.
In 2005 two members, Paul Phillips and Greg Upchurch, left the band. Greg currently drums for 3 Doors Down while Paul, now playing in Society Red, left citing creative and personal differences.
Their song "Control" was the official theme song of WWE's Survivor Series pay-per-view event in November 2001, and their song "Nothing Left to Lose" was the official theme song of WWE's Royal Rumble pay-per-view event in January 2004.
Their second album, "Come Clean" spawned 4 hits in 2003 and has sold 5 million albums to date. Their follow up, "Life on Display" spawned 1 hit single and sold 600,000 albums. In 2007, the band released "Famous", which takes a general rock as well as "nu-grunge" approach.
The band is currently working on a live album that is slated for release in 2008.
They have released their fourth album "Songs in the Key of Love and Hate"
Current members of the band include :
Wes Scantlin : Vocal, Rythmn.
Doug Ardito : Backing Vocals, Bass.
Paul Phillips: Lead Guitar
Ryan Yerdon: Drums
Merry-go-round
Puddle of Mudd Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nobody ever believes me 'cause I'm skinny and silly
I'm just a clown in a circus with a license to be a reject
Rejection from the class, a classification to nowhere
Come on, come on, gotta give it everything you got
Come on, come on, gotta give it everything you got
Come on, come on, give it everything you got
The merry goes, the merry goes round and round
The merry goes, the merry goes bouncing out
Off the walls on a high coming down
Dying to kick it
So you wanna have a good time, wanna get on down
So come on over to my house where we can fool around
Don't look at me I'm too ugly, I'm too skinny and silly
Nobody wants to hang out with me, rejection man
Come on, come on, gotta give it everything you got
Come on, come on, gotta give it everything you got
Come on, come on, give it everything you got
The merry goes, the merry goes round and round
The merry goes, the merry goes bouncing out
Off the walls on a high coming down
Dying to kick it
The merry goes, the merry goes round and round
The merry goes, the merry goes bouncing out
Off the walls on a high coming down
Dying to kick it
I don't care if you don't care
Nobody cares, everybody's getting their rocks off
(You really wanna, you really wanna, yeah, yeah)
(You really wanna, you really wanna, yeah, yeah)
No one really wants to follow
(You really wanna, you really wanna, yeah, yeah)
(You really wanna, you really wanna, yeah, yeah)
The merry goes, the merry goes round and round
The merry goes, the merry goes bouncing out
Off the walls on a high coming down
Dying to kick it
The merry goes, the merry goes round and round
The merry goes, the merry goes bouncing out
Off the walls on a high coming down
Dying to kick it
I'm a wastoid, android, robot, a dirt bag
But I'm ugly and skinny and silly
Smelly and cheesy but I don't care
It doesn't matter and I'm dying to kick it
The lyrics to Puddle of Mudd's song Merry Go Round are a testament to the hardships of fitting in with society. The singer portrays himself as an outcast, an android, a wastoid, and a clown in a circus with a license to be a reject. The song talks about the feeling of being rejected and having no classification, nowhere to be categorized. The singer's physical appearance is also mentioned, with his skinniness and silliness being reasons why he thinks nobody wants to hang out with him. Despite all the negativity, the singer appears to be urging himself and the listener to keep pushing forward and give it everything they've got.
The repetition of 'come on, come on, gotta give it everything you got' emphasizes the message of not giving up and giving it your all. The title of the song 'Merry Go Round' refers to the cyclic nature of life's struggles with the merry go round symbolizing the ups and downs of life. The singer is 'dying to kick it', and the merry go round represents a temporary escape. The song's conclusion shows that the singer recognizes his situation and the fact that nobody cares, but he is learning to cope and not let it affect him.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey, look at me, I'm a wastoid, android, robot
I'm a person with self-destructive tendencies who feels disconnected and emotionless, like a machine.
Nobody ever believes me 'cause I'm skinny and silly
People dismiss me and don't take me seriously because of my appearance and behavior.
I'm just a clown in a circus with a license to be a reject
I'm like an entertainer who is expected to be different and weird, so it's okay for me to be an outcast.
Rejection from the class, a classification to nowhere
I've been rejected from society and feel like I don't belong anywhere.
Come on, come on, gotta give it everything you got
I'm urging myself to try my hardest and put in maximum effort.
The merry goes, the merry goes round and round
Life keeps moving in circles, with ups and downs.
Off the walls on a high coming down
I feel like I'm on top of the world one moment and hitting rock bottom the next.
Dying to kick it
I'm eager to let loose and have a good time, perhaps even indulge in something risky or dangerous.
So you wanna have a good time, wanna get on down
I'm inviting someone to join me in having fun and letting go.
Don't look at me I'm too ugly, I'm too skinny and silly
I'm ashamed of my appearance and don't want to be judged for it.
Nobody wants to hang out with me, rejection man
I feel like nobody likes me or wants to be around me, reinforcing my sense of rejection.
I don't care if you don't care
I'm defiant and unapologetic about my behavior and choices, even if others don't approve.
No one really wants to follow
I feel like I'm a lone wolf who doesn't fit in with any particular crowd or group of people.
I'm a wastoid, android, robot, a dirt bag
I'm using derogatory terms to describe myself, emphasizing my low self-worth and negative self-image.
But I'm ugly and skinny and silly
I'm reiterating my negative feelings about my appearance and personality.
Smelly and cheesy but I don't care
I'm acknowledging my quirks and perceived unattractiveness, but expressing a lack of concern for other people's opinions.
It doesn't matter and I'm dying to kick it
I don't care about fitting in or conforming to society's standards, and instead want to have a good time and experience life to the fullest.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANTHONY C. BATTAGLIA, DOUGLAS JOHN ARDITO, PAUL J. PHILLIPS, WESLEY REID SCANTLIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind