In 1981, a fan of the Clean founded the Flying Nun label to release their first single, "Tally Ho." A follow-up track off one of their early EPs, "Beatnik", also achieved success, as did the second single, "Getting Older". The Flying Nun label went on to be New Zealand's biggest independent record company, championing the Dunedin Sound, a loosely-connected style of music largely produced by bands from this southern city. Others on the label included The Chills, The Verlaines, The Bats, and Sneaky Feelings.
During much of the 1980s, The Clean disbanded, and during this time the Kilgour brothers worked together on an experimental album and EP using the deliberately punning titles "The Great Unwashed" and "Clean Out of Our Minds". Reforming in the late 1980s, the band explored a slightly poppier vein of music while still retaining their experimental edge.
In June 2008 a live album recorded during the 2007 New Zealand tour was released in New Zealand on Arch Hill Records, entitled "Mashed". A new studio album, titled Mister Pop was released on September 7, 2009 on Arch Hill, and on September 8 in the United States on the Merge label.
In December 2009, The Clean announced their first European dates in more than 20 years, supporting the cult U.S band Pavement at Brixton Academy on the 10th of May. They also played at the Pavement curated ATP at Butlins Minehead on the 14th of May. Other dates on the tour included Amsterdam (May 22), Hamburg (May 23), Berlin (May 25) and Barcelona's Primavera Sound festival May 29).
Fish
The Clean Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're a good girl.
You know where the parade was ? It's out there in the shopper's park and then Santa and his two little elves Jingle and Jangle, and they've got a lot of these chocolate thin candies wrapped...
Bright suburban Mr. & Mrs. Clean Machine
Sucker children twisters on your TV screen
Look away, fill your heads with decay
Find yourselves another piece of clay to play with.
Simple Simon warriors fighting battles won
Christopher Columbus, you find your setting sun.
By the way, your directions are wrong
And the words are too long.
Tomorrow's just another song to play with.
Take it, David!
Look away, fill your heads with decay
Down trip news broadcast day
Find yourselves another piece of clay to play with.
Bubble bath parader in your parking lot
Stumbling over backward with the things you've got
Better pay, the price is so high
Stoned fast against the sky
I don't give you no lines to play with.
Screaming pirate handing me a double line
Instructions painted plainly on a billboard sign
Walk away, your life you don't live
And your mind you must give to the people.
Third floor: underwear, Barbie dolls, war toys, underarm deodorants, hair-spray, plastic artificial flowers, bubble bath powder.
The Clean's song "Fish" is a cryptic commentary on consumerism, pop culture, and the absurdity of everyday life. The first stanza begins with the singer declining an invitation to participate in a parade, suggesting a rejection of conformity and superficiality. The singer's statement that the parade takes place in a "shopper's park," alludes to the culture of consumerism as well as the performative nature of parades. The mention of Santa and his two little elves emphasizes the commercialization of Christmas and the trivialization of traditions.
The following stanza critiques the "Clean Machine," suburban families who fall prey to consumer culture, and the media's tactics of sensationalizing negative events. The singer urges the listener to "look away" from these harmful influences that fill their heads with "decay." The reference to "simple Simon warriors" and Christopher Columbus represents the futility of fighting for meaningless causes and the dangerous consequences of blindly following leaders.
The third stanza mentions a "bubble bath parader" stumbling backward and the need to pay a high price for material possessions, further emphasizing the theme of consumerism. The line "I don't give you no lines to play with" suggests a rejection of societal expectations and the need to forge one's own path. The final stanza introduces a "screaming pirate" offering instructions, but the singer urges the listener to walk away and give their mind to the people, suggesting that real change comes from collective action.
Overall, "Fish" is a sarcastic, biting commentary on contemporary society's overblown obsessions, the emphasis on the material and trivial, and the disappointing reality of many American suburban families.
Line by Line Meaning
You had an invitation to ride shotgun in a parade tomorrow and I declined for you.
I was asked to accompany you to the parade tomorrow, but I decided not to go with you.
You're a good girl.
You are a well-behaved and respectable individual.
You know where the parade was ? It's out there in the shopper's park and then Santa and his two little elves Jingle and Jangle, and they've got a lot of these chocolate thin candies wrapped...
Do you know about the parade that will take place in the shopping mall? Santa Claus, accompanied by his two elves Jingle and Jangle, will be distributing lots of chocolate thin candies during the parade.
Bright suburban Mr. & Mrs. Clean Machine
Sucker children twisters on your TV screen
Look away, fill your heads with decay
Down trip news broadcast day
Find yourselves another piece of clay to play with.
The suburban families shown on TV are only trying to manipulate and influence children. Refrain from watching, as it can fill your minds with negativity. Look away from the fake news and find another source of entertainment.
Simple Simon warriors fighting battles won
Christopher Columbus, you find your setting sun.
By the way, your directions are wrong
And the words are too long.
Tomorrow's just another song to play with.
The battles already fought and won by the warriors do not require any more attention, and Christopher Columbus must look elsewhere for new discoveries. Moreover, his directions and descriptions are confusing, making it difficult for others to understand him. Tomorrow will bring new challenges to tackle.
Take it, David!
Pass the mic and let David take over now.
Look away, fill your heads with decay
Down trip news broadcast day
Find yourselves another piece of clay to play with.
Avoid the negative influences of the news and try to find a more positive way to spend your time.
Bubble bath parader in your parking lot
Stumbling over backward with the things you've got
Better pay, the price is so high
Stoned fast against the sky
I don't give you no lines to play with.
The person who is showcasing in the parking lot with bubble bath items is actually struggling with their belongings, and their worth is too high to pay for. They are stoned and out of touch, and I do not wish to engage with them.
Screaming pirate handing me a double line
Instructions painted plainly on a billboard sign
Walk away, your life you don't live
And your mind you must give to the people.
An aggressive person is offering me advice about what to do, despite not knowing the situation well. They do not offer me any real solutions and instead offer generic suggestions. They urge me to sacrifice my own thoughts and ideas for the sake of society.
Third floor: underwear, Barbie dolls, war toys, underarm deodorants, hair-spray, plastic artificial flowers, bubble bath powder.
The third floor of a store displays a range of products, including underwear, Barbie dolls, war toys, deodorants, hair sprays, fake flowers, and bubble bath powders.
Contributed by Bella T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@amortdipav190
love the sound of this
@noisepollution6761
Eyes Front And Center
@CNS946
Bloody great sounds from New Zealand
@peterplummer6100
I bet this shit was awesome live
@Jointanatomy
it probably was, i have always thought Fugazi was the most awesomest liveband before hearing this.
@SM-pk7pg
Yup, it was.
@noisepollution6761
no one's noticed
@noisepollution6761
Their Live Act
@kevincrook8945
@@noisepollution6761 No one noticed your comment :( Are you ok?
@noisepollution6761
What does he think of us?