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.
The Curse of Having it All
Quasi Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The obstacles fall where they should.
The sky is clear for miles,
And Judy erupts with a smile.
She's free from her uglier ways.
Breakdown - abandon all that you know.
Breakdown - let your bitterness go.
The Curse of having it all,
Would creep up like a brick wall.
"Nothing's good enough" she'd say,
Until nothing's what she'd do all day.
Hostile and sad,
He made her turn bad.
Breakdown - abandon all that you know.
Smile now - it's over and time to go home.
The song "The Curse of Having it All" by Quasi narrates the story of a woman named Judy who has been blessed with everything she could have possibly wanted. The lyrics indicate that the obstacles in her life are falling as they should, and she is happy and free from her "uglier ways." However, the curse of having everything begins to seep in, and she becomes demanding and hard to please, always saying that nothing is good enough. Consequently, she turns hostile and sad, and this brings out the worst in her as she starts treating people badly.
The lyrics suggest that the only way out of this curse is to have a breakdown, abandon all that one knows and let go of bitterness. The implication is that one should release their frustrations and start to appreciate the good things in their life. The lyrics say that after letting go, one can smile as it is finally over and return home.
In essence, the song's message is about the negative effects of materialism and how it can lead people to become selfish, entitled, and unhappy. It suggests that one should focus on what is essential and let go of bitterness to be happy.
Line by Line Meaning
So far so good,
Things are going well until now.
The obstacles fall where they should.
Challenges are being tackled successfully.
The sky is clear for miles,
There are no clouds in the sky as far as the eye can see.
And Judy erupts with a smile.
Judy expresses her happiness with a wide smile.
She's free from her uglier ways.
Judy has let go of her negative thoughts and behavior.
Breakdown - abandon all that you know.
Let go of everything that you're used to.
Breakdown - let your bitterness go.
Get rid of your negative emotions.
The Curse of having it all,
Being blessed with everything can lead you down a dark path.
Would creep up like a brick wall.
The negative effects of success can accumulate quickly.
"Nothing's good enough" she'd say,
Judy was never satisfied with what she had.
Until nothing's what she'd do all day.
Judy became idle and didn't do anything productive.
Hostile and sad,
Judy became hostile and sad due to her negative emotions.
He made her turn bad.
The burden of having it all affected Judy's personality and behavior.
Smile now - it's over and time to go home.
Be happy now that it's over and you can go home.
Contributed by Declan W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.