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.
Alice The Goon
Quasi Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Swimming through the seas of the unreal
Trying to land a deal for you to reinvent the wheel
Electric eel
Electric eye
Pull the plug, watch him die
I did not even cry, I guess you know the reasons why
Was I supposed to go down with the ship?
I was not the captain, it was not my trip
Sailing to the moon with Aliice the goon
Oh yeah!
I'm Popeye the sailor man
I live in a garbage can!
Oh maybe you got it, take it away
The song "Alice The Goon" by Quasi appears to be a surreal and somewhat perplexing piece that requires careful analysis. The lyrics suggest that the singer is talking about an Electric Eel, which is swimming in the seas of the unreal. The creature seeks to land a deal to reinvent the wheel, and the singer hints that the Electric Eel might symbolize the commercialization and commodification of creativity or invention. The Electric Eye seems to personify this tyrannical force further, as it seeks to kill off creative ideas that are no longer of use or are not marketable enough.
The lines, "Was I supposed to go down with the ship? I was not the captain, it was not my trip," suggest a failure of leadership or a sense of complacency, which is relatable to the current society. The lyrics then take on a somewhat humorous turn as the singer invokes the character of Popeye the Sailor Man, who declares that he lives in a garbage can. The entire song seems to be about the battle between individual creativity and commercialization, and the ways in which people can either be crushed by it or rise above it in their own way.
Line by Line Meaning
Electric eel
Introduction of a character, the electric eel
Swimming through the seas of the unreal
Describing the electric eel's journey through an imaginary world
Trying to land a deal for you to reinvent the wheel
Electric eel's attempts to make a deal that will transform something basic and mundane
Electric eel
Repeating the introduction of the character again for emphasis
Electric eye
Transition to a new character, the electric eye
Pull the plug, watch him die
A violent act of killing the electric eye by unplugging it
I did not even cry, I guess you know the reasons why
A lack of emotion shown by the singer after killing the electric eye, possibly due to personal or contextual reasons
Electric eye
Repeating the introduction of the character again for emphasis
Was I supposed to go down with the ship?
Questioning whether he should be punished for a situation he was not responsible for
I was not the captain, it was not my trip
Asserting his innocence in the situation that occurred
Sailing to the moon with Aliice the goon
Description of an adventure through space with Alice the Goon, a vague character from the Popeye universe
Oh yeah!
An expression of excitement or enthusiasm
I'm Popeye the sailor man
Introducing a new character, Popeye the Sailor Man
I live in a garbage can!
Humorous statement about his home being in a garbage can
Oh maybe you got it, take it away
Expression to continue the song, allowing the listener to interpret the song's meaning in their own way
Contributed by Thomas I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.