The Cramps were an American garage punk band formed in Sacramento, Californ… Read Full Bio ↴The Cramps were an American garage punk band formed in Sacramento, California in 1976. The band was influential in founding of a hybrid subgenre later known as "psychobilly," which is a fusion of punk and rockabilly. Their music is mostly in blues form, played at varying, (though usually fast) tempos, with a very minimal drumkit. An integral part of the early Cramps sound is dual guitars, without a bassist. The content of their songs and image is sleaze, trashy Americana (much in the style of filmmaker John Waters), sexual fetishism, clever bad jokes, and cheap, horror B-movie clichés.

Their line-up has rotated much over the past couple of decades, with husband and wife Lux Interior and Poison Ivy--the lead singer and lead guitarist, respectively--as the only permanent members.
Lux picked up Ivy when he was driving on the highway. Ivy had raised her hand for an auto stop, Lux stopped his car and ...fate brought them together.

They were part of the early CBGB's punk rock movement that had emerged in New York, although they had formed several years earlier in California. The band is credited as a prominent factor in terms of influence on the gothabilly genre.

Their sound was heavily influenced by early rockabilly and proto-rock'n'roll like Link Wray and Hasil Adkins, 1960s surf music acts such as The Ventures, The Surfaris and Dick Dale, 1960s garage rock artists like The Standells, The Gants, The Trashmen, The Green Fuz and The Sonics, as well as the post-glam/early punk scene from which they emerged. They also were influenced to a degree by The Ramones as well as Screamin' Jay Hawkins, who is often credited for having pioneered their style of theatrical horror-blues.

On February 4, 2009, Lux Interior died of a pre-existing heart condition at the age of 62.

Discography:

Albums & EPs:
Gravest Hits
Songs The Lord Taught Us
Psychedelic Jungle
A Date with Elvis
Stay Sick!
Look Mom No Head!
Blues Fix
Flamejob
Big Beat from Badsville
Fiends of Dope Island
Live albums:
Smell of Female
Rockin n Reelin in Auckland New Zealand
Singles:
"Surfin' Bird" / "The Way I Walk" "Human Fly" / "Domino" "Fever" / "Garbageman" "Garbageman" / "TV Set" "Garbageman" / "Drug Train" "Drug Train" "Goo Goo Muck" "The Crusher" "Faster Pussycat" "I Ain't Nuthin' But a Gorehound" "Can Your Pussy Do the Dog?" "What's Inside a Girl?" "Kizmiaz" "Get Off the Road" "Bikini Girls with Machine Guns" "All Women Are Bad" "Creature from the Black Leather Lagoon" "Eyeball in My Martini" "Let's Get Fucked Up" / "How Come You Do Me?" "Ultra Twist!" "Naked Girl Falling Down the Stairs" "Like a Bad Girl Should" "Big Black Witchcraft Rock"
Compilations
...Off the Bone Bad Music for Bad People How to Make a Monster The Secret Life of the Cramps

Human Fly
The Cramps Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'm a human fly
I spell (it) F-L-Y
I say buzz buzz buzz
and it's just because
I'm a human fly
and I don't know why
I've got 96 tears
and 96 eyes

I've got a garbage brain
it's driving me insane
and I don't like ___________
so push that pest aside

baby I won't care
cause baby i don't scare
cause I'm a reborn maggot
using germ warfare

I'm a human fly
I ______________________
I say buzz buzz buzz
and it's just because
I'm an unzipped fly
and I don't know why
and I don't know why
but I say buzzzz
(rock it right?)
_________________________

but I don't know why
I just don't know why

Overall Meaning

The Cramps's song "Human Fly" is a unique and unusual song that is both fascinating and bizarre. The lyrics seem to describe a person who believes themselves to be a fly. The opening line, "I'm a human fly, I spell it F-L-Y," suggests a kind of identity crisis, in which the singer identifies as both human and fly. The repeated "buzz buzz buzz" further reinforces this connection to a fly, as this is the sound they are known for.

The lines "I've got 96 tears and 96 eyes" are a reference to a song by the same name by Question Mark and the Mysterians. This line suggests that the singer is not only a human fly but also a kind of hybrid creature with extra eyes and tears. The metaphor seems to suggest that the person is out of place and doesn't fit in with either the human or fly communities.

The line "I've got a garbage brain, it's driving me insane" suggests that the singer is struggling with mental health issues. The line "and I don't like...so push that pest aside" is a bit unclear, but it seems to suggest that the singer doesn't like someone or something and wants to be left alone. The lines "cause I'm a reborn maggot using germ warfare" suggest that the singer is using their fly-like qualities for nefarious purposes.

Overall, the lyrics to "Human Fly" are enigmatic and open to interpretation. It is unclear whether the song is meant to be taken literally or if it is a playful exploration of identity and mental health.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm a human fly
I am a creature with wings that buzz like a fly

I spell (it) F-L-Y
I can also be spelled as FLY

I say buzz buzz buzz
I make the sound of buzzing like a fly

and it's just because
there's no particular reason for my buzzing sound

I'm a human fly
I am still that creature with wings that buzz like a fly

and I don't know why
I don't know the reason for my existence

I've got 96 tears
I have a lot of tears to shed

and 96 eyes
with 96 eyes, I can see everything

I've got a garbage brain
my brain is filled with trash and rubbish

it's driving me insane
it's making me go crazy

and I don't like ___________
I don't like something that is left blank or unknown