They have a distinctive, minimalist sound based on unusual and urgent time signatures, repetitive heavy rhythms, an angular guitar sound, and Albini's surreal, bitingly sarcastic lyrics. Songs typically do not have traditional verse/chorus/verse structure and the arrangements are sparse, to the point where some describe them as "amelodic". Shellac's signature sound is often associated with their enthusiasm for vintage Travis Bean guitars, a rare brand of aluminium-based instruments. Albini is also known to use copper plectrums and unique guitar straps that fit around the waist rather than over the shoulder. The band prefers the intimacy of smaller clubs, and live appearances are sporadic.
Both Weston and Albini are renowned recording engineers, and use their preferred methods with Shellac: Albini prefers a very clean, analogue recording sound with little or no overdubbing, and he is meticulous about microphone placings and equipment - this is reflected in Shellac's no nonsense approach to their own music, both in the studio and live.
Shellac are also renowned for their unconventional modus operandi. Touring is often an excuse for the band to take time away from their day jobs (Albini and Weston are both recording engineers; Trainer works at a commercial photographer's studio in Minneapolis) instead of being used to promote a recent record or even for financial gain. Indeed, Shellac do not have a "fixed fee" for performances like most bands, instead preferring to take the door charge minus expenses such as promotion, running costs and venue fees. They have also been known to ask venues to remove ticket charges they regard as unnecessary, which have become common in Europe and America.
An early claim from the band was that all of their songs were about two of Albini's favourite subjects: Baseball and Canada. In actuality, Albini and Weston's songs can refer to a broad range of topics, from the highly emotional to examinations of everyday minutiae. However, regardless of the subject, each song is presented in the same deadpan, occasionally violent manner. An example can be found in the concluding tracks from the band's album 1000 Hurts. Although both songs have a title referring to a mundane house-hold object, these items are in actuality symbolic of a larger theme. Weston's "Shoe Song" deals with the realisation of love and its subsequent loss, whereas Albini's "Watch Song" details irrational anger and aggression. Shoe Song also heavily references post-rock band Slint, who were produced by Albini.
Shellac are known for their mercurial nature, which has produced some interesting records and events. Most notably, they recorded an instrumental album known as The Futurist for a modern dance troupe. Unwilling to grant what the band considered a sub-par recording a wider audience, they pressed approximately 700 vinyl LP copies of the music and gave them away as gifts to friends. The front cover was a list of the recipients, with the relevant name encircled. Shellac also played a Halloween show as the anarchic British punk group The Sex Pistols, featuring former The Jesus Lizard and Scratch Acid singer David Yow as Johnny Rotten. Both of the aforementioned can now be found on several file-sharing networks.
In 2002, the band was also responsible for curating the All Tomorrow's Parties festival in Camber Sands, England. Amongst fans of independent rock, these weekends have achieved legendary status and featured performances from some of the world's finest groups. Knowing that most of the audience had come specifically to see Shellac, the band went on first every morning as an incentive for the festival-goers to be up in time to see the other acts. An album of live tracks from this festival was also released on ATP Records.
In December 2004, Shellac recorded a final BBC Session dedicated their longtime fan John Peel. Peel had been an ardent supporter of the band and his death earlier in the year came as a great shock to the independent music community. In 2005, Shellac were recorded playing 'Steady As She Goes' in an abandoned house as part of a film project called Burn To Shine, organised by Fugazi drummer Brendan Canty and film-maker Christoph Green. This is the only available recorded video footage of the band playing live.
Copper
Shellac Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To the furnace where we'll break you
The fire so big and pretty, you could cry
As you buckle you could ask me, "What was wrong with me before?
Did I need the silver to be suitable?"
Copper, I have a use for you, it's easy work and it suits you
Dazzled dirty beauty, you must know
Copper is a conductor and makes for decent cooking
Plated or anodized, you even fool a layman's eyes
Presentable though you might be, it's unwise to try to fight me
Copper - you'll never be gold (x2)
The song "Copper" by Shellac is a commentary on the human obsession with material possessions and the social construct of worthiness. Copper, being a highly sought-after metal, has been attributed with various symbolic meanings throughout history--lust, divinity, and beauty being a few of them. The song sarcastically takes on the perspective of someone who has finally acquired the copper they covet, and now revels in its beauty and all its practical uses. The song describes taking the copper to the furnace, symbolizing how the material is stripped down and simplified, becoming something less valuable--a metaphor for the way we reduce people to their possessions or societal roles.
The lyrics suggest that the allure of copper is not based on reality or objective principles, but rather on social conditioning or a lack of knowledge. The line "dazzled dirty beauty, you must know" implies that people are fascinated with copper, even though they may not understand what it is used for or what it represents. The chorus "Copper, you'll never be gold" is a statement of the fact that copper will never reach the level of value that gold has obtained in society. It reinforces the idea that worthiness or societal value is a subjective concept that we can't change no matter how hard we try.
Line by Line Meaning
Copper, let us take you
We want to take you, copper, to the furnace where we'll break you down and use you for other purposes.
To the furnace where we'll break you
We will use the furnace to break down copper to its pure form and extract it for various uses.
The fire so big and pretty, you could cry
The furnace's fire is so big and bright, it is almost beautiful enough to make copper cry, if it could.
As you buckle you could ask me, "What was wrong with me before? Did I need the silver to be suitable?"
As copper melts in the furnace, it may ask what was wrong with it before, and why did it need silver to be considered useful or valuable.
Copper, I have a use for you, it's easy work and it suits you
There is an easy and practical use for copper, and it fits the material well.
Dazzled dirty beauty, you must know
Copper's beauty may be dirty and tarnished, but it still shines and glimmers.
Copper is a conductor and makes for decent cooking
Copper is an outstanding conductor of electricity and makes for a decent metal for cooking pots.
Dazzled by your beauty still you know
Copper's beauty is still captivating, despite any blemishes it may have.
Plated or anodized, you even fool layman's eyes
Copper plated or anodized can even deceive a layman's eyes and look like another metal entirely.
Presentable though you might be, it's unwise to try and fight me
Even though copper may be presentable, it would be unwise to try and fight against those who seek to use it for their purposes.
Copper - you'll never be gold (x2)
Despite copper's many uses and beauty, it will never be as valuable as gold.
Contributed by Ellie T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
jacob kabay
Copper, let us take you
To the furnace where we'll break you
The fire so big and pretty, you could cry
As you buckle you could ask me, "What was wrong with me before?
Did I need the silver to be suitable?"
Copper, I have a use for you, it's easy work and it suits you
Dazzled dirty beauty, you must know
Copper is a conductor and makes for decent cooking
Dazzled by your beauty still you know
Plated or anodized, you even fool a layman's eyes
Presentable though you might be, it's unwise to try to fight me
Copper will never be gold...
Broogsbog Broogsbog
A song about metallurgy, which also happens to say something very profound about human relationships.
Tim Climie
@FTGZHUJND Got a Newsletter, buddy? I need to wipe my ass.
FTGZHUJND
nah it doesnt
jacob kabay
Copper, let us take you
To the furnace where we'll break you
The fire so big and pretty, you could cry
As you buckle you could ask me, "What was wrong with me before?
Did I need the silver to be suitable?"
Copper, I have a use for you, it's easy work and it suits you
Dazzled dirty beauty, you must know
Copper is a conductor and makes for decent cooking
Dazzled by your beauty still you know
Plated or anodized, you even fool a layman's eyes
Presentable though you might be, it's unwise to try to fight me
Copper will never be gold...
Daniel Gibson
That last line is just devastating.
ANDREW SALTINO
one of the very few Shellac songs I could just as easily see They Might Be Giants writing
Ihavenoname
It's a thing of beauty, like so many of his songs.....
MrGlamourShot
Still think At Action Park is one of the best albums ever.
Warstub
Favourite Shellac song.
Juliana campeão
Amo esse som