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 Golden Egg
Quasi Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
& the goose lays the golden egg.
I had that golden egg before,
But it disappeared as I limped out the door.
Never reveal what you know
That the whole thing is just for show:
A cardboard world with painted skies,
Because we all must agree to believe in the lies.
& they'll give you the golden keys.
The keys will open any lock
To an empty room or a Chinese box.
I can forget how I feel
& pretend that it's all for real.
The pot won't call the kettle black
& I don't even feel the knife in my back.
& when we go off to our bed,
After struggling for our bread,
A pleasant dream may stand instead
Of the clamor & noise that goes on in your head.
So carry on like before
& don't listen to me any more.
Don't believe a word I sing
Because it's only a song & it don't mean a thing.
The lyrics of Quasi's song, The Golden Egg, are symbolic and carry a deeper meaning. The song begins with a controversial line, "shoot yourself in the leg, and the goose lays the golden egg," which refers to a self-destructive behavior, where someone does something harmful to themselves, but it results in a significant gain. This line can be interpreted as a commentary on society where people are willing to harm themselves to achieve success or financial stability.
As the song progresses, the lyrics suggest that we should remain silent and accept the false narrative or lies imposed upon us. We should not reveal what we know, and everything is just for show. The song's title, The Golden Egg, refers to something that everyone desires, whether it's money, fame, or status. However, the song suggests that this desire leads to blind faith and acceptance without questioning the truth.
The lines, "bring yourself down to your knees, and they'll give you the golden keys," imply that we need to be subservient or obedient to achieve success, and the keys will open any lock. But this success is misleading and can lead to an empty room or a Chinese box, as the song suggests. The final lines suggest that it's better to dream pleasant dreams in our beds than to deal with the noise and clamor in our heads.
Line by Line Meaning
Shoot yourself in the leg
Sometimes the decisions we make can cause us harm.
& the goose lays the golden egg.
Through our hardships, we may be rewarded.
I had that golden egg before,
We may have experienced success in the past.
But it disappeared as I limped out the door.
But sometimes external factors can cause us to lose our achievements.
Never reveal what you know
Sometimes it's better to keep quiet and observe.
That the whole thing is just for show:
Many aspects of our society are just facades.
A cardboard world with painted skies,
Our world may not be as beautiful and perfect as it seems.
Because we all must agree to believe in the lies.
Society often requires us to conform and believe in false truths.
Bring yourself down to your knees
Sometimes we must humble ourselves to get ahead.
& they'll give you the golden keys.
Others may offer us opportunities for success.
The keys will open any lock
With these opportunities, we can achieve anything.
To an empty room or a Chinese box.
However, success may not always be fulfilling.
I can forget how I feel
We may ignore our emotions to focus on our goals.
& pretend that it's all for real.
We may act like everything is okay, even if it's not.
The pot won't call the kettle black
We may not want to criticize others when we are guilty of the same faults.
& I don't even feel the knife in my back.
Sometimes it's hard to recognize when others are working against us.
& when we go off to our bed,
At the end of the day, we must rest.
After struggling for our bread,
We may work hard to provide for ourselves.
A pleasant dream may stand instead
Our dreams may offer us temporary reprieve from our struggles.
Of the clamor & noise that goes on in your head.
Our thoughts may overwhelm us with anxiety and stress.
So carry on like before
We may continue with our lives despite the hardships.
& don't listen to me any more.
The singer acknowledges that his message may not resonate with everyone.
Don't believe a word I sing
The singer suggests that his lyrics may be meaningless.
Because it's only a song & it don't mean a thing.
The singer recognizes that he is just a musician trying to make a living.
Contributed by Christopher C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Friar Tuck
Love this gem of a band.
Jesse Millis
powerful song
Cumquatlounge
one of lifes best tracks
vazoomy
man , i love this song !
TheGoldenDragon
I'm still listening.
Darshan Merjanian
<3 Theremin <3
the union of the blue shirted ones
:,)
john hicks
angles
Jesse Millis
powerful song