There are four bands with the name Shiner:

1) Shiner were a math roc… Read Full Bio ↴There are four bands with the name Shiner:

1) Shiner were a math rock band from Kansas City.
2) Shiner were a hardcore/emo band from Canada.
3) Shiner are a hardcore band from Aberdeen, Scotland.
4) Shiner are an indie band from Helsinki, Finland.

1) Shiner was a math rock band from Kansas City, Missouri formed in 1992. The group originally comprised of Allen Epley (guitar/ vocals), Jeff Brown (drums) and Shawn Sherrill (bass), before Tim Dow took over on the skins a year later. With this line up, the band found themselves sharing the stage with Season To Risk, Sunny Day Real Estate, The Jesus Lizard, Girls Against Boys and Jawbox among others before DeSoto Records released their debut EP "Brooks" b/w "Released" 7" in 1993.

Following Shiner's first album Splay also put out by DeSoto, Paul Malinowski took over for bass duties after departing with Season To Risk in 1995. With HitIt! Recordings releasing their second full-length Lula Divinia two years later, Sub Pop took notice and followed with the single "Sleep it Off"/ "Half Empty" that same year. After a brief tour with HUM in 1998, yet another single "Semper Fi" b/w "Sailor's Fate" 7" came out a year after. With Jason Gerken taking over dums and Josh Newton manipulating the guitar, a third full-length studio effort Starless was released in fall 2000, and the band's swansong The Egg was released in 2001 hinting at a more experimental sound.

Allen Epley currently plays in The Life and Times. Shawn Sherrill plays in Roman Numerals with Season To Risk frontman, Steve Tulipana. Tim Dow joined Ken Andrews in Year of the Rabbit. Jason Gerken is playing in Open Hand. Josh Newton played for The Great Fire of Sixteen Sixty Six, From Autumn To Ashes, Every Time I Die and The Damned Things

2) Shiner was a Canadian hardcore/emo band active in the 1990's. Their 7" "Slightly Polished" was released by Slow To Burn Records in 1993. It was the first STB release.

3) Shiner are a hardcore band from Aberdeen, Scotland formed in late 2009. They released their "Take Me Home" EP on June 18th 2010.
In 2011, after a few line up changes, began writing an album.

4) Shiner are an indie band from Helsinki, Finland formed in 2016.

The Truth About Cows
Shiner Lyrics

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The cows have all come home
The shape of things to come
The truth has not been told
Because it don't hold.

The cows are making love
They'll leave when they are done
Asleep and on the ground

Without a sound

I want to wake up and never dream
I want to leave out the memory
Left in the rain and it won't corrode
Don't make me exit the afterglow

The sheep are Styrofoam
They'll go where they are told
They eat what they are sold
Because they don't know

I want to wake up and never dream
I want to leave out the memory
Left in the rain and it won't corrode
Don't make me exit the afterglow

A human stampede

The cows have all gone home
Their bones are made of stone
Collectively or one, they will all run.
And we've been followed home

We go where we are told
We eat what we are sold
Because we don't know

I want to wake up

Overall Meaning

and never dream. These lyrics from "The Truth About Cows" by Shiner seem to describe a bleak and nihilistic view of human existence. The metaphor of cows serves to highlight our apparent lack of agency and autonomy - the cows have all come home, implying that we too are bound to our homes and routines without any real choice in the matter. The truth has not been told because it doesn't hold, suggesting that perhaps there is no objective truth to be found in our lives, or that we are unable to access it. The image of the cows making love and then leaving is a fleeting moment of passion followed by a return to a seemingly meaningless existence.

The singer longs to escape this existence, to "wake up and never dream" or "leave out the memory" that keeps them trapped in a cycle of frustration and despair. Even the sheep, who are traditionally seen as docile and harmless, are described as "Styrofoam" - empty vessels that simply consume whatever is put in front of them. The image of a human stampede suggests that we are herd animals at heart, prone to following the crowd rather than making our own decisions. Ultimately, the cows have all gone home and left behind only their bones, a reminder of our own mortality and fragility.

Line by Line Meaning

The cows have all come home
The situation has reached a certain conclusion

The shape of things to come
What we see is only the beginning

The truth has not been told
The full story has yet to be revealed

Because it don't hold.
Due to its inability to withstand scrutiny

The cows are making love
The creatures are in a state of passion

They'll leave when they are done
Once their desires are satiated

Asleep and on the ground
In a state of rest upon the earth

Without a sound
Silent in their slumber

I want to wake up and never dream
Experiencing the world without illusions

I want to leave out the memory
Avoiding the burden of past experiences

Left in the rain and it won't corrode
Having endured hardships without losing oneself