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.
My Coffin
Quasi Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where one day I will lie.
I can hardly wait until
The day when I should die.
I'm beveling the edges to
make it nice and strong.
One day I shall die &
I hope it won't be long.
I'm building it with care,
Because I will spend eternity
just lying back in there.
If I go to heaven,
I'll look down with pride
Upon my lovely coffin &
The pile of bones inside
The lyrics to Quasi's song "My Coffin" describe a person who is eagerly preparing for their own death. The person is fixated on building the perfect coffin and seems to take pleasure in the anticipation of the day when they will finally be able to use it. There is an eerie sense of pleasure that the person derives from this seemingly macabre activity. The person spends time beveling the edges of the coffin so that it will be strong and durable. They are determined to make sure that when they finally do die, they will be laid to rest in a coffin that is worthy of them.
The second verse of the song is particularly morbid. The person speaks of spending eternity lying back in their coffin. There is something almost romantic about their fixation on death. The final lines of the song suggest that the person's coffin will be a source of pride, even if they end up in heaven. There is a sense that the coffin represents the achievement of a lifelong goal for this person, the culmination of all their life's work.
Overall, the lyrics to "My Coffin" are deeply unsettling. There is something unsettling about a person who takes such pleasure in their own death. The song seems to suggest that death, for this person, is the ultimate goal, something to be actively sought after and celebrated.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm fixing up my coffin
I am working on my coffin, preparing it for my eventual death.
Where one day I will lie.
This coffin will be where I am laid to rest when I die.
I can hardly wait until
I am eagerly anticipating the day when
The day when I should die.
I pass away and my body is placed inside the coffin.
I'm beveling the edges to
I am carefully crafting the coffin, including
make it nice and strong.
the edges to make the coffin firm and reliable.
One day I shall die &
At some point in the future, I will pass away and
I hope it won't be long.
I hope that it will happen soon as I am eager for it.
I'm fixing up my coffin
Again, I am putting a lot of effort into creating this coffin
I'm building it with care,
and am constructing it meticulously.
Because I will spend eternity
I know that my body will be in this coffin for a very long time- forever, even.
just lying back in there.
It's important to me that I am comfortable and at peace within the coffin.
If I go to heaven,
If I end up in heaven after my passing,
I'll look down with pride
I will be able to reflect on my life and accomplishments with a sense of accomplishment and dignity
Upon my lovely coffin &
and feel fully satisfied with the effort I put in to beautifying my coffin.
The pile of bones inside
Even though my body will eventually decay and turn to bones, I still take great pride in knowing that it will be lying within a beautiful coffin.
Contributed by Mason Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.