Landing their first record deal with Twin/Tone in 1984, Soul Asylum recorded a total of four albums for the local label: Say What You Will... Everything Can Happen in 1984 (later reissued as Say What You Will, Clarence... Karl Sold the Truck), Made To Be Broken in 1986, While You Were Out in 1986, and the EP Clam Dip and Other Delights in 1988. The band then switched to A&M, releasing Hang Time in 1988 and And the Horse They Rode In On in 1990 under that label. Although they enjoyed some success as a live band, Soul Asylum suffered from low album sales and considered disbanding.
In 1992, they signed with Columbia Records to produce Grave Dancers Union, a record that would come to transform them from underground college rockers to international superstars. The first two singles off the album, Somebody To Shove and Black Gold, both came in at high positions at the Modern Rock and Album Rock charts, but it was the album's third track and it's video of missing teens that led them to their major breakthrough. Runaway Train peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100, raised album sales to double-platinum level, and won Soul Asylum the Grammy Award for Best Rock Song in 1994.
In 1995, Soul Asylum followed up the success of Grave Dancers Union with Let Your Dim Light Shine, which climbed to #6 on the Billboard 200 and featured the #1 Modern Rock track Misery. After releasing Candy From A Stranger in 1998, the band members took a break from recording and didn't release a new studio album for the better part of seven years. During the interim singer Dave Pirner released a solo album and Dan Murphy toured and recorded with Golden Smog.
They reunited in 2004 to record their ninth full-length album, The Silver Lining, brought together by the news of Mueller being diagnosed with throat cancer. Up until this point, Soul Asylum had always included Murphy, Mueller, and Pirner, despite several line-up changes. This changed on June 17th, 2005, when Mueller passed away after finishing his work on several tracks on the new album. The Silver Lining was released in 2006 and dedicated to Karl Mueller's life and memory, with Murphy expressing that, "For me, this record is Karl."
In late 2005, ex-Replacements bassist (and current Guns N' Roses bassist) Tommy Stinson and former Prince drummer Michael Bland joined Soul Asylum in tribute to the late Karl Mueller. They completed their American tour in support of The Silver Lining in late 2006. In November and December 2006 they opened for Cheap Trick on their American tour. On March 10th, 2007, Soul Asylum joined Cyndi Lauper, Mint Condition, and Lifehouse to hold a concert to benefit Wain McFarlane, the leader of the legendary reggae band Ipso Facto, to help pay for the expenses of a kidney transplant.
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Nice Guys
Soul Asylum Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hopped in a big black Studebaker, they were acting pretty scary
No one talked as they synchronized their watches
And they drove past a train station
The train rolled out with a passenger car
Filled with retired millionaires and movie stars
? coats
And the gangsters, cowboys, gypsies, and freewheelers
Sold out their trades to become drug dealers
There ain't no money in doing things straight
Your community thanks you, business is good, and nice guys don't get paid
Outside the train window fast as he could ride
Was a kid on a horse with a head full of lies
And the tears of excitement couldn't put out the fire in his eyes
For the house he was riding to burglarize
All through the house they were dancing and singing
An extended family with fiddlers and magicians
A juggler and a chemist who'd invent potion
to pacify all the killers and rapist
The chemist died in the burglary and they sold the prescription
For a case of cheap red wine to a traveling salesman
In a three-wheeled jalopy; he bought and sold potions
To the city that looked over the ocean
And he sold the last drop, it was big with the rich kids
And soon the city would be crawling with addicts
And back rooms, dark allies, basements and attics
(When?) a fly is trapped in a spider's web (but a bat's got the spider?)
And no one knows what's going on
But you've gotta show up for yourself at the end of the day
And nice guys don't get paid
Nice guys don't get paid
Now all the hopeless romantics are wearing white collars
(Upstanding assassins?) cleaning filthy dollars
Car-jacking fanatics who kill for religion
In a city full of addicts and color television
Upon first listen of Soul Asylum’s “Nice Guys,” one may assume that the song is a crime story. However, upon delving deeper into the lyrics, one can see that the song is meant to be a commentary on the concept of the “American Dream.” The song features various characters and events that work together to create a picture of society that values money and success over morality and fairness.
The song begins with a group of “gangsters, cowboys, gypsies, and freewheelers” who have given up their trades to become drug dealers. They’ve synced their watches and are ready to distribute their drugs across the city. While they do this, a kid on a horse with a head full of lies is on his way to burglarize a house. Inside the house, there are extended family members dancing and singing with fiddlers, magicians, jugglers, and a chemist who is inventing a potion to pacify killers and rapists.
The chemist dies in the burglary and the prescription is sold for a case of cheap red wine. The wine is then sold by a traveling salesman in a three-wheeled jalopy, and the prescription becomes popular among the rich kids in the city. Soon, the city is overrun with addicts and the song describes the various crimes being committed in the city, including car-jacking and religious killings. The song ends with the reminder that “nice guys don’t get paid.”
Line by Line Meaning
Well they packed up their violin cases ?
The people in question gathered their belongings and left quickly.
Hopped in a big black Studebaker, they were acting pretty scary
They left in a black car, and appeared threatening.
No one talked as they synchronized their watches
The people being discussed remained silent, while coordinating embarking actions.
And they drove past a train station
They passed by a train station.
The train rolled out with a passenger car
A train began to move, with people inside.
Filled with retired millionaires and movie stars
The people in the train were rich or famous.
? coats
The passengers in the train were wearing expensive clothing.
? and that would be all she wrote
That was the end of that.
And the gangsters, cowboys, gypsies, and freewheelers
Various types of people changed their professions and sold drugs instead.
Sold out their trades to become drug dealers
They gave up their old jobs to sell drugs.
There ain't no money in doing things straight
There is more profit in selling drugs than in honest work.
Your community thanks you, business is good, and nice guys don't get paid
The drug dealers are making a lot of money, and the community is showing gratitude. Honesty doesn't pay.
Outside the train window fast as he could ride
Someone was going by the train window quickly, on a horse.
Was a kid on a horse with a head full of lies
The person on the horse was a liar.
And the tears of excitement couldn't put out the fire in his eyes
The excitement the person felt was so great that he cried tears of happiness.
For the house he was riding to burglarize
The person riding the horse was set out to steal from somewhere.
All through the house they were dancing and singing
People were enjoying themselves and having fun inside the house.
An extended family with fiddlers and magicians
The group of people inside the house consisted of relatives who played instruments and performed magic tricks.
A juggler and a chemist who'd invent potion
The group also included a person who could juggle and someone who could make potions.
to pacify all the killers and rapist
The potions were meant to subdue dangerous people.
The chemist died in the burglary and they sold the prescription
The person who made the potions died during a robbery, and the recipe was sold to others.
For a case of cheap red wine to a traveling salesman
The people who bought the recipe paid for it with a case of low quality wine, from a salesman who travels.
In a three-wheeled jalopy; he bought and sold potions
The salesman had a three-wheeled vehicle and would buy and sell potions.
To the city that looked over the ocean
He sold potions to the city by the ocean.
And he sold the last drop, it was big with the rich kids
The salesman sold the last of the potions, a big buyer were the rich children.
And soon the city would be crawling with addicts
People were becoming addicted to the potions, and the entire city would continue to follow suit.
And back rooms, dark allies, basements and attics
People would take the potions in private and hidden places.
(When?) a fly is trapped in a spider's web (but a bat's got the spider?)
An unknown event, possibly someone's revenge plot.
And no one knows what's going on
People don't understand what is happening.
But you've gotta show up for yourself at the end of the day
You have to take care of yourself and your own interests every day.
And nice guys don't get paid
Honest people don't receive the same rewards as those who engage in illicit behavior.
Nice guys don't get paid
An emphasis on how honesty and good behavior doesn't pay.
Now all the hopeless romantics are wearing white collars
People who believe in love and hope have become businessmen.
(Upstanding assassins?) cleaning filthy dollars
People who commit terrible acts are trying to cleanse their money through legitimate businesses.
Car-jacking fanatics who kill for religion
Some people steal cars or kill people in the name of their religion.
In a city full of addicts and color television
The city is full of drug addicts and televisions.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVID PIRNER, DAVID ANTHONY PIRNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind