The band is described, along with Low and American Music Club, as one of the linchpins of the slowcore movement, a subgenre of Indie Rock characterized by downbeat melodies, slow tempos, and often minimalist arrangements. The genre was shaped by musical influences like Folk Rock, Contemporary Folk, and later on, Indie Folk, creating a subdued atmosphere that clashed against most of the comparatively brash Alternative Rock that was popular at the time. Kozelek used this group primarily as a vehicle for his very personal and emotional songs of despair, pain and suffering.
While in Atlanta, Kozelek became friends with Anthony Koutsos, a drummer. He then moved to San Francisco, adding guitarist Gorden Mack and bassist Jerry Vessel to complete the line-up for Red House Painters. After forming, the group played the San Francisco scene extensively, and recorded demos from 1989 to 1992, building up an impressive amount of material. Once they were signed to 4AD Records in 1992, they put out five-and-a-half LPs worth of material in two-and-a-half years--between September 1992 and March 1995, they released three LPs, one double LP, and one EP on 4AD.
Their first 4AD release was an album made up of select demos titled Down Colorful Hill. It was a compilation of haunting melodies complemented by Kozelek's eerie yet rich and emotional vocals. In 1993, the group came out with two self-titled records (now commonly referred to as "Red House Painters I" or "Rollercoaster" and "Red House Painters II" or "Bridge" (based on their cover artwork), solidifying Kozelek's reputation as a talented songwriter with their harrowing autobiographical tales of his troubled life and errant living with no punches being pulled. The music, which ran the gamut from beautiful acoustic folk-rock to intense, dissonant, lengthy soundscapes, effectively conveyed the sadness of the lyrics.
In 1994, they released an EP entitled Shock Me and in 1995, the introspective Ocean Beach, which saw Kozelek's songs becoming more acoustic-based and folk influenced, and featured far less of the lengthy, dreamlike epics of the group's first two albums. His lyrics also showed a considerable shift in tone, as he increasingly began to write about the power of memory and the significance of geography, a subject that would become an obsession in his subsequent recordings.
While Kozelek was beginning work on a solo project, he parted ways with 4AD Records after a somewhat tumultuous relationship. Entitled Songs for a Blue Guitar, which was released on Island Records subsidiary Supreme Recordings in 1996. It was more of a guitar-driven rock album that they released under the Red House Painters name to give the album more publicity. A year later, they came up with Old Ramon, arguably their most accessible, optimistic recording to date. However, major label mergers during the late 90's would leave them without a record label, and it wasn't until 2001 that they were able to release the album on Sub Pop.
Prior to the release of Old Ramon, Kozelek released a solo six-song EP entitled Rock 'n' Roll Singer in 2000. The record was comprised of three original acoustic compositions with minor full-band arrangements and three covers: two AC/DC covers from the Bon Scott era and one John Denver cover. Following the release of the first solo EP, Kozelek released his first solo album six months later. The record, entitled What's Next to the Moon, was released in January of 2001, but would greatly surprise fans. What's Next to the Moon was comprised entirely of shimmering, melancholy acoustic AC/DC covers from the Bon Scott era. The record was also greatly uncharacteristic of Kozelek (though he was prone to enjoy covering songs by his favorite artists) in that it is the shortest full length to date clocking in at just over thirty minutes. Even the first Red House Painters album with only six tracks was more than 45 minutes in length. Both solo albums were released by Badman Records.
4AD would release the best-of package, "Retrospective", on a double-disc in 1999. Kozelek subsequently organized and appeared on a John Denver tribute album, played a part in Cameron Crowe's film Almost Famous and also appeared as a rock musician in the Steve Martin vehicle Shopgirl. He contributed to both a benefit album for AIDS and an album of classic rock covers.
In 2003 Kozelek and Koutsos, along with Geoff Stanfield and Tim Mooney, reformed as Sun Kil Moon, releasing the acclaimed album Ghosts of the Great Highway on Jetset Records. In a 2005 interview with The Onion's AV Club, Kozelek confirmed that he considers Sun Kil Moon essentially the Red House Painters, but that he changed the band name to grab the interest of critics who had gotten bored with, or stopped paying attention to, the Painters. The move was successful, as Ghosts of the Great Highway would be his best-selling album yet, while garnering extremely positive reviews.
All Mixed Up
Red House Painters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She never leaves on the light
And some things that I say to her
They just don't seem to bite
It's all mixed up
It's all mixed up
It's all mixed up
I can't believe my eyes
I wait for her forever
But she never does arrive
It's all mixed up
It's all mixed up
It's all mixed up
She says to leave it to me
(leave it to me)
Everything'll be alright
(be alright)
She says to leave it to me
(leave it to me)
Everything'll be alright
She's always out makin' pictures
She's always out makin' scenes
She's always out the window
When it comes to makin' dreams
It's all mixed up
It's all mixed up
It's all mixed up
She says to leave it to me
(leave it to me)
Everything'll be alright
(be alright)
She says to leave it to me
(leave it to me)
Everything'll be alright
(be alright)
She says to leave it to me
(leave it to me)
Everything'll be alright
(be alright)
She says to leave it to me, yeah
(leave it to me)
Everything'll be alright
(be alright)
If you leave it to me
(leave it to me)
Everything'll be alright
(be alright)
Yeah, if you leave it to me
(leave it to me)
(be alright)
(be alright)
(be alright)
(be alright)
The Red House Painters' song "All Mixed Up" is a complex and haunting exploration of a dysfunctional relationship. Through the lyrics, the singer reveals his dependence on the mysterious "she" who shadows him in the mirror, never leaving on the light. He speaks of his frustration with her, saying that some things he says to her don't seem to have any effect. The repeated refrain, "It's all mixed up," describes the confusion and turmoil of this relationship.
The singer also reveals that he is being manipulated by "her." She "tricks" him into thinking he can't believe his own eyes and never arrives when he is waiting for her. He is simultaneously dependent on and frustrated by her. The lyrics suggest that this relationship is toxic and that the singer is caught in a cycle of dependence and manipulation.
Throughout the song, "she" urges the singer to "leave it to me", promising that "everything'll be alright." However, the singer is left with the impression that things are definitely not "alright."
Overall, "All Mixed Up" is a powerful and emotionally charged exploration of addiction and codependency in a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
She shadows me in the mirror
She follows me closely and imitates me
She never leaves on the light
She prefers to remain in darkness and not show her true self
And some things that I say to her
Sometimes I express my thoughts or opinions to her
They just don't seem to bite
But she doesn't seem to respond or understand me
It's all mixed up
The situation is confusing and unclear
She tricks me into thinkin'
She deceives me into believing something false
I can't believe my eyes
I find it hard to trust what I see or perceive
I wait for her forever
I have been waiting for her for a long time
But she never does arrive
But she never shows up or fulfills her promises
She says to leave it to me (leave it to me)
She claims that I don't need to worry or do anything about the situation (it's her responsibility)
Everything'll be alright (be alright)
Everything will turn out fine
She's always out makin' pictures
She's always creating illusions or fantasies
She's always out makin' scenes
She's always causing drama or chaos
She's always out the window
She's always looking for something else or a way out
When it comes to makin' dreams
When it comes to creating her own vision of the future
She says to leave it to me (leave it to me)
She insists that I don't need to worry or take action
If you leave it to me (leave it to me)
If you trust me and don't interfere
Everything'll be alright (be alright)
Everything will work out in the end
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Ric Ocasek
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@viewer-r
She shadows me in the mirror
She never leaves on the light
And some things that I say to her
They just don't seem to bite
It's all mixed up
It's all mixed up
It's all mixed up
She tricks me into thinkin'
I can't believe my eyes
I wait for her forever
But she never does arrive
It's all mixed up
It's all mixed up
It's all mixed up
She says to leave it to me
(leave it to me)
Everything'll be alright
(be alright)
She says to leave it to me
(leave it to me)
Everything'll be alright
She's always out makin' pictures
She's always out makin' scenes
She's always out the window
When it comes to makin' dreams
It's all mixed up
It's all mixed up
It's all mixed up
She says to leave it to me
(leave it to me)
Everything'll be alright
(be alright)
She says to leave it to me
(leave it to me)
Everything'll be alright
(be alright)
She says to leave it to me
(leave it to me)
Everything'll be alright
(be alright)
She says to leave it to me, yeah
(leave it to me)
Everything'll be alright
(be alright)
If you leave it to me
(leave it to me)
Everything'll be alright
(be alright)
Yeah, if you leave it to me
(leave it to me)
(be alright)
@timkingsemail
Had a band mate burn this onto a CD in the late 90’s with two words written on the CD: “Must listen”
20+ years later I still must listen to this great tune.
@Nateg69
Amazing!
@GracefulMusefulQueen-xm3uf
was it rhp alnbum or mixed artists?))
@ralphcarneymovies1919
I watched this video so many times after my brother died. The angel comforted me.
@Nateg69
Rip to your brother 🙏🏼
@Ferruccio_Guicciardi
This song is the core soundtrack and soul of the movie "Excess Baggage" (1997) starring Alicia Silverstone and Benicio del Toro.
The plot is the story of a bratty teenager fakes her own kidnapping, but gets mistakenly kidnapped for real instead.
@TheGreyguitarist
Thank heavens for "On-Demand" TV. I watched the movie and was very impressed by this version of the Cars Song "All Mixed Up" Red House Painters did an awesome job on this. I really like this video as well.
@highlander6047
Great film 🙂
@reginabarron9389
Yes, it's, a good movie! 😃
@MrGenexxx
Underrated film. Amazing soundtrack.