The band was formed in January 1985 by Daniel House and Jack Endino. Ben McMillan and Matt Cameron later joined the band in the same year. Skin Yard played its first show in June 1985 and opened for the U-Men. Skin Yard was featured on the Deep Six compilation. This album featured the first commercial recordings of Green River, Melvins, Soundgarden, Malfunkshun, and Skin Yard. In 1987, Skin Yard released their first single and debut self title LP. Matt Cameron left the band in June 1986 and joined Soundgarden in September. He was replaced by Steve Wied, but he only lasted two shows. Future Mother Love Bone drummer Greg Gilmor replaced Wied but he too only lasted two shows.
In the fall Jason Finn (later of The Presidents of the United States of America) joined Skin Yard. Jason left after eight months for personal reasons. Scott McCullum filled the vacancy in May 1987. He lasted two years and left after a U.S. tour that was quoted as being "the tour from hell". Skin Yard took a fourteen month hiatus and when Barrett Martin joined the band they started playing again.
In March 1991, Daniel House quit the band because he had just become a father and wanted to spend time with his family. He was replaced by Pat Pederson who stayed with the band until their breakup. The band had decided to break up after recording their 5th album.
Ben McMillan and Scott McCullum had started the band Gruntruck prior to the break up. Pat Pederson and Barret Martin worked with Jack Endino in Endino's Earthworm. Daniel House is now head of C/Z Records. Barrett Martin played with Screaming Trees until their breakup. Martin also worked with Alice in Chains singer Layne Staley and Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready in Mad Season, Peter Buck of R.E.M. and even toured with R.E.M.
Stranger
Skin Yard Lyrics
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There heart is beating inside of you
Something is wrong
Something has changed
Feel your mind turn inside out
Quick whats your name!
Stranger (Oh)
Oh 2x
Someone is watching using my eyes
There hearts are filling my mind with lies
Something is wrong
Something has changed
Its up to you well I don't know
I don't know friend (kinda grunted)
Stranger (Oh)
Stranger (Oh)
And no I don't feel like it today
And yeah the whole world goes away
State your body deep inside, look into immoral eyes
Stranger (Oh)
Stranger Oh
Oh
Oh
Someone is living inside of us
There heart is beating inside of us
Something is wrong
Something has changed
Feel your mind turn inside out
Quick whats your name!
Stranger (Oh)
Stranger (Oh)
Oh 2x
And we don't feel like it today
And yes the whole world goes away
State your feelings deep inside look into immoral eyes
Stranger (you)
Stranger (yeah)
Stranger (yes)
Stranger Strange Strange Strange
The lyrics to Skin Yard's song "Stranger" are open to interpretation, but the general theme seems to be about a feeling of disconnection or alienation from oneself and the world around them. The song suggests that there is someone or something living inside of the singer, filling their mind with lies and causing them to feel like a stranger to themselves. The refrain of "Stranger" is repeated throughout the song, emphasizing this sense of detachment.
The opening lines, "Someone is living inside of you / There heart is beating inside of you" could be interpreted as a metaphor for mental illness, suggesting that the singer feels like they are not in control of their own mind and that an external force is influencing their thoughts and emotions. The line "Its up to you well I don't know / I don't know friend" suggests a feeling of helplessness, as if the singer is unsure of how to deal with this situation and is looking for guidance from someone else.
The chorus of the song, with its repeated cries of "Stranger (Oh) / Stranger (Oh)" creates a sense of urgency and desperation, as if the singer is trying to connect with themselves or others but is unable to. The final lines of the song, "State your feelings deep inside / look into immoral eyes / Stranger (you) / Stranger (yeah) / Stranger (yes) / Stranger Strange Strange Strange" could be interpreted as a call to confront and understand the unknown parts of oneself in order to overcome these feelings of disconnection.
Overall, "Stranger" is a haunting and melancholic song that explores the complexities of mental health and the struggle to connect with oneself and the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Someone is living inside of you
The realization that someone else’s presence is felt through the behavior of the person under scrutiny
There heart is beating inside of you
The feeling that the intruder has gained a hold over the victim to such an extent that the victim starts feeling like they no longer have control over themselves
Something is wrong
The recognition that the state that they’ve found themselves in is not normal and the possibility of the presence being malefic starts seeming real
Something has changed
The acknowledgement that things have altered to such an extent that they can no longer be ignored
Feel your mind turn inside out
The actual sensation of the mind being disjointed and trying to make sense of the presence that they cannot fully comprehend
Quick whats your name!
The feeble attempt to question the presence in order to gain some control over the situation
Someone is watching using my eyes
The intrusion has extended to taking over the physical body of the victim and they’ve started looking at the world through the eyes of their captor
There hearts are filling my mind with lies
The realization that their own thoughts are under the influence of the presence and they’re susceptible to believing falsehoods
Its up to you well I don't know
The helplessness of the victim who realizes that they’re stuck in a situation that they can’t get out, neither can they make sense of or find a solution to
I don't know friend (kinda grunted)
The repetition of their own confusion in a feeble attempt to find a solution, that ultimately results in insignificance
State your body deep inside, look into immoral eyes
The sensation that the captor is encroaching upon their personal space and the realization that this is the endgame
And we don't feel like it today
The despair of realizing that you can wake up hopelessly trapped and the entire day seems like a burden
And yes the whole world goes away
The encroachment of the presence is so intense that the victim might as well be nonexistent in the world that they knew
State your feelings deep inside look into immoral eyes
The sensation that the captor is encroaching upon their personal space and the realization that this is the endgame
Stranger (you)
The feeling of talking to a stranger, without any familiarity, even if it’s their own body
Stranger (yeah)
The realization that you can be a stranger to your own body and yourself, this inescapable feeling of distance and unfamiliarity
Stranger (yes)
The confirmation of the true fear that the victim has been feeling all along: someone else is in control of them
Stranger Strange Strange Strange
The repetition of the same word, but each time signifying the realization that the situation is not normal and stranger than anything could have previously imagined
Writer(s): Dave Dederer, Jason Finn, Chris Ballew
Contributed by Samuel V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.