The lineup: Zac, Matt, Adam, Shon and Adam.
The lineup: Zac, Matt, Adam, Shon and Adam.
Let’s get this out of the way up top: no, Solid Gold is not a syndicated top 40 countdown show which aired from 1980 to 1988 featuring the Solid Gold Dancers. But I could see the Solid Gold Dancers doing a fine routine to a couple of Solid Gold’s numbers—maybe the slinky “Bible Thumper,” or the dreamier “Who You Gonna Run To?”
Now that we’ve cleared that up, here’s the deal: Solid Gold is a band with the ability to compel you to Shake. Your. Ass. After meeting in 2000 at the University of Wisconsin, Zach Coulter and Matthew Locher founded the band along some shared fundamental principles: love of futuristic art and architecture, and an obsession with the old-school doob. After their drummer left, they continued on, crafting tranced-out slow-dance grooves. Lifting guitarist extraordinaire, Adam Hurlburt, from one of their favorite bands proved itself to be excellent. In 2005 they left Madison and the haze of smoke behind, relocating to Minneapolis. Lost and confused in a new city, the three found that they still agreed on three things 1) they enjoy guitar licks 2) they enjoy fucked up old keyboards 3) they enjoy synthed-out hip-hop beats.
With that in mind, it’s kind of weird that they didn’t find a drummer for a couple of years, but they’ve recently corrected that problem, augmenting their laptop-full of special effects with Sticks, a real live human metronome. Finally, they filled out their sound with a shamanistic slide guitar player, Shon Troth, who may or may not be a real live human.
Thus situated, Zach, Adam, and Matt reconnoitered in the studio to put the finishing touches on their years-in-the-making debut record, Bodies of Water. Full of songs about breaking up and running away, there is a penumbra of heart wrench lingering over Bodies of Water that belies the ironic Duran Duran-esque superficiality of their band name (and the flat plasticine whap of their beats).
The stories are familiar, breaking up and figuring it out on your own—but Coulter's lyricism vacates narrative possibility, refusing to go forward in any kind of linear development, instead relying on that beat and washes of keyboard and guitar to swirl around repetitive phrasing and imagery. “I’m not a good storyteller,” he says, before adding, “I don’t want to force it.” His songs are suggestions, but oftentimes suggestions recall mood and emotion and memory more powerfully than stories.
Solid Gold has been on the road for a couple years now, performing showcases in London and New York, playing festivals in the middle of Texas and the middle of Sweden, and enjoying triumphant hometown returns every time they make it back to Minneapolis. Who knows, maybe Solid Gold will find a slot on a Top 40 countdown show yet.
Bible Thumper
Solid Gold Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I found a wasp in my room,
Buzzing with the ceiling fan
But he's too tired to sting
With weapon in hand
I start thinking about love,
And things I wish I never said
But what's life, it don't mean anything
Woah woah
Baby what you trying to be?
When I awoke from the fight
In the middle of the night
With hands that smell like gasoline
But I'm too cold to burn
All in my head, something she said
"You mean more than anything"
Will I ever learn?
Ain't my time, I gotta wait my turn
Woah woah
Baby who you trying to be?
You mean more than anything
The lyrics to Bible Thumper by Solid Gold are rich with metaphor and introspection. The first stanza describes the singer waking up to find a wasp in the room. The wasp, though it has a weapon, is too tired to sting. The singer then reflects on love and regrets, describing feeling cornered in the ring of life. The chorus asks a question of someone, urging them to be true to themselves rather than trying to be someone else.
The second stanza begins with the singer waking up from a fight in the middle of the night, with hands that smell like gasoline but feeling too cold to burn. The fight and the gasoline hands seem to represent internal struggles and conflicts. The singer then reflects on someone who has told them that they mean more than anything. The final line suggests that the singer has to wait their turn, implying that they are not yet ready to fully embrace the love and connection that they have found.
Overall, the song seems to be about the struggle to be true to oneself and to embrace love and connection, despite the fear and regret that can hold us back.
Line by Line Meaning
When I woke in the morning
Upon waking up in the morning
I found a wasp in my room,
I discovered a wasp inside my bedroom
Buzzing with the ceiling fan
The wasp was producing a humming sound due to the ceiling fan
But he's too tired to sting
However, he was too lethargic to sting
With weapon in hand
Holding onto a weapon
I start thinking about love,
My thoughts shift towards love
And things I wish I never said
I began pondering about the words I regretted uttering
I was cornered in the ring
In that moment, I felt trapped like a boxer in a corner of a boxing ring
But what's life, it don't mean anything
I ultimately realised how insignificant life can be
Woah woah
An exclamation to express surprise or excitement
Baby what you trying to be?
A rhetorical question about the person's aspirations
When I awoke from the fight
After waking up from the conflict
In the middle of the night
During the early hours of the night
With hands that smell like gasoline
My hands had an odour of gasoline on them
But I'm too cold to burn
However, I was numb to the point of being unable to feel pain from it
All in my head, something she said
Something they said continued to linger in my mind
"You mean more than anything"
The exact words said by that person were 'You mean more than anything'
Will I ever learn?
A question of whether or not the person will ever learn from their past experiences
Ain't my time, I gotta wait my turn
Implying that it's not their time yet and they have to wait their turn to achieve whatever they want in life
Woah woah
An exclamation to express surprise or excitement
Baby who you trying to be?
An inquiry into the who the person wants to become
"You mean more than anything"
Reiteration of the previous statement about the person meaning more than anything
Contributed by Sebastian C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@jayk9777
massively under rated
@bravegamesps4pro273
Slow day at work. Remembered this gem.
@watch2run
Just heard this on SomaFM. Had to have another listen here. Great stuff!
@OhJimmyJimmy
I remember when this came out. I was instantly hooked and I still am.
@Trixiepi
this should be so much longer. I love this song!
@tcranley
My My, I love this song. Solid Gold has carved out a sound for themselves. Nice work!!!!
@hotgirl12331
i love this band so much! thanks Philip Hurlburt!
@takeimotion
I just saw them in concert for the first time. Didn't know who they were until then....... I was... missing out.. GREATLY!!! I LOVE YOU, SOLID GOLD!!! :D
@TJWasiuk
Just saw an article on them and had to check them out. I am impressed, very cool band.
@evilalicerarr
I love this song. Love. it. I just saw them at rock the garden in Minneapolis, never having seen them before. They were amazing!