Quasi is an indie rock band formed in Portland, Oregon in 1993, consisting … Read Full Bio ↴Quasi is an indie rock band formed in Portland, Oregon in 1993, consisting of the ex-husband and wife team of Sam Coomes (vocals, guitar, roxichord, various keyboards) and Janet Weiss (vocals and drums). In 2007, bassist Joanna Bolme, of Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, who had toured with Quasi in 2006, became an official member of the band; she left the band in 2011.

In 1990, Coomes, Weiss, and Brad Pedinov formed the band Motorgoat. The band released two self-released cassettes and one 7" single before dissolving in 1993. Quasi started recording as a duo in 1993. They played with various additional musicians in early live appearances, but eventually settled on playing live as a duo as well. They self-recorded and self-released a cassette and a CD in 1993. They recorded R&B Transmogrification in the Portland band Pond's basement recording studio and released it on Up Records in 1997. They released two more albums with Up: Featuring "Birds" in 1998 and Field Studies in 1999; both albums were recorded at Jackpot Studios in Portland, Oregon.

In 1998 and 1999 they toured the U.S., Europe, Australia, and Japan opening for and serving as the backup band for Elliott Smith (who Coomes had played with in Heatmiser) as well as touring on their own in the U.S. and Europe. In 2001 They home-recorded The Sword of God and released it on Touch & Go. Quasi had been somewhat political since its inception, but their opposition to the 2003 Invasion of Iraq showed through in a straight-forward way with the release of Hot Shit! in 2003, particularly in the songs "White Devil's Dream" and "Master and Dog." When the Going Gets Dark followed in 2006, released on Touch & Go in the U.S. and Domino Records in Europe, as with Hot Shit!.

In Spring 2009, the band announced that they had signed to the Kill Rock Stars label, and were due to release their already recorded next album in the latter half of the year. That album, entitled American Gong, was released February 23, 2010 to generally favorable reviews. It was their first and only album to feature third member Joanna Bolme. Following a tour of Japan, Europe, and the United States in support of the full length, Bolme left the band. A duo again, Sam and Janet are recording material for a new album.

6. It's Hard to Turn Me On
Quasi Lyrics

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You turn me on
And it's hard to turn me on
You turn me on
And it's hard to turn me on

Mornings I tell you what I dreamed
Before we're swallowed by the work machine,
And spit out in the evening drained half dry.

And that is why

You turn me on
And it's hard to turn me on.

We traveled many miles to no guarantee
Everything's a joke to you; it's not that way to me.
And walt disney cannot make me happy,
Cannot make me go along

But you turn me on
And it's hard to turn me on.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Quasi's song "6. It's Hard to Turn Me On" describe the struggles of the singer to feel "turned on" or excited about life and the world around them. The song expresses the sentiment that the singer is constantly drained by the demands of the workday, and that despite their efforts to find happiness and fulfillment, they are often left feeling empty or unsatisfied. The only exception to this feeling is the presence of their partner, who is able to "turn [them] on" and evoke a sense of joy and passion that is difficult to find elsewhere.

The lyrics suggest that the singer's partner is a source of light and hope in an otherwise bleak and challenging world. The lines "We traveled many miles to no guarantee / Everything's a joke to you; it's not that way to me" suggest that the singer may have been searching for something meaningful or significant in their travels, but that their partner is able to find joy and humor in even the most mundane scenarios. The reference to Walt Disney suggests that the singer has attempted to find happiness in commercial and media-driven sources, but that these efforts have failed to make them truly happy.

Overall, the lyrics of "6. It's Hard to Turn Me On" convey a sense of longing and dissatisfaction, with the exception of the singer's relationship. The song suggests that despite the difficulties of life, the presence of a loving and supportive partner can make all the difference in finding joy and excitement in the world around us.

Line by Line Meaning

You turn me on
I am attracted to and aroused by you

And it's hard to turn me on
It takes a lot to generate sexual desire within me

Mornings I tell you what I dreamed
I share my subconscious thoughts with you when we wake up

Before we're swallowed by the work machine,
Before our daily responsibilities consume us

And spit out in the evening drained half dry.
And we are left feeling depleted by the end of the day

And that is why
This is the reason why

We traveled many miles to no guarantee
We embarked on a journey with no certainty of the outcome

Everything's a joke to you; it's not that way to me.
You find amusement in things that do not amuse me

And walt disney cannot make me happy,
Even something as widely beloved as Disney cannot bring joy to me

Cannot make me go along
I will not conform or pretend to enjoy something just for the sake of it

But you turn me on
Despite all of this, you still have a sexual pull on me