The Dead Milkmen's songs found moderate success on alternative and college radio stations. Videos, notably Punk Rock Girl, even found their way onto MTV in the late 1980s. Topics for their music include satire on the 1980s music scene, toxic waste, jellyfish afterlifes, UFOs, conspiracy theories, and cover bands.
Irreverent absurdity fueled their initial popularity, particularly among college DJs. However, this genre was somewhat abandoned with the 1992 release of Soul Rotation, a much more subtle album.
After the Dead Milkmen went on indefinite hiatus in 1994, Genaro and Sabatino formed a new band, Butterfly Joe. Sabatino was also in the punk rock bands Narthex, Big Mess Orchestra, and Hunger Artists. Genaro was in a band called Touch Me Zoo. Linderman was in a band called Burn Witch Burn. Schulthise left music in the early 1990s after developing tendonitis, preventing him from playing bass, and committed suicide in 2004.
The Dead Milkmen took the stage again for two consecutive nights in November 2004 at the Trocadero Theatre in Philadelphia to play a show in memory of Dave Schulthise. Proceeds were donated to a variety of mental health organizations and to a Serbian monastery that Schulthise supported.
The band reunited in 2008 and released a new album (The King in Yellow) in 2011.
Beach Song
The Dead Milkmen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The air smells like rotting fish and Solarcaine
I hate the people on the beach
With their towels and umbrellas, they're so insane
I don't want to be on the beach, no!
I don't want to be on the beach, no!
I don't want to be on the beach!
I hate my girlfriend, she-she-she
Lies on the beach like a barrier reef
Soaking up the stupid sun
While the radio is blasting fun, fun, fun
I don't want to be on the beach, no fun!
I don't want to be on the beach, no fun!
I don't want to be on the beach!
I don't want to be on the beach, no fun, no!
I don't want to be on the beach, no fun!
I don't want to be on the beach, no fun!
I don't want to be on the beach!
I don't want to be on the beach, no fun, no!
This is no way to spend a summer
I've got sand caked on my feet
I gave my ice cream to a shark
And now I've got nothing to eat, no fun!
(I don't want to be on the beach!) no fun!
(I don't want to be on the beach!) no fun, no!
(I don't want to be on the beach!)
(I don't want to be on the beach, no fun!
The Dead Milkmen's song "Beach Song" is a satirical take on the typical beach experience. The singer opens the song by expressing their discomfort with walking on the sand and disliking the smell of fish and sunscreen. They then criticize the people around them who are enjoying their time at the beach with their towels and umbrellas. The singer's frustration with the beach experience is furthered by their distaste for their girlfriend who lies on the beach like a "barrier reef" while the radio plays mindless music.
The phrase "no fun" is repeated throughout the song, emphasizing the singer's dissatisfaction with the beach. They describe the experience as being "no way to spend a summer," highlighting the irony of spending time in a supposedly idyllic setting while feeling miserable. The final lines of the song reveal the singer's regret for giving their ice cream to a shark and being left with nothing to eat, further emphasizing their lack of enjoyment at the beach.
Overall, "Beach Song" is a humorous take on the beach experience, poking fun at the cultural ideal of a perfect day at the beach.
Line by Line Meaning
Sand is hurting my tender feet
Walking on the sand is causing pain to my feet
The air smells like rotting fish and Solarcaine
The air has a bad smell of decomposing fish and sunscreen lotion
I hate the people on the beach
I strongly dislike the individuals on the beach
With their towels and umbrellas, they're so insane
Carrying and using beach towels and umbrellas seem illogical to me
I don't want to be on the beach, no!
I have a strong desire not to be on the beach
I hate my girlfriend, she-she-she
I strongly dislike my girlfriend
Lies on the beach like a barrier reef
She's lying motionless on the beach like a reef barrier
Soaking up the stupid sun
She's sunbathing and enjoying the sun, which I find silly
While the radio is blasting fun, fun, fun
The radio is playing loud and upbeat music
This is no way to spend a summer
I think spending summer like this isn't enjoyable
I've got sand caked on my feet
My feet are covered with dry sand
I gave my ice cream to a shark
A shark stole my ice cream from me
And now I've got nothing to eat, no fun!
I have no food to eat and I'm not having any fun
Lyrics © DistroKid, BMG Rights Management
Written by: DAVID SCHULTHISE, DEAN SABATINO, JOSEPH GENARO, RODNEY LINDERMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@TubeRJF
"I gave my ice cream to a shark, now I have nothing to eat". Hate when that happens
@Naz1Ra2Mi3
That line is hilarious still😂
@stephenpitkin5492
I love how by negating the sense of fun, they manage to enhance it by about a million.
@samsquanch4201
My first concert back in 88’👍🏻👍🏻
@Veegs.
I hate sand. It's couse and it's rough, and it gets everywhere.
@Shitpostingdeer
Isn't that a Pokemon reference or am I crazy?
@AnotherRandomPoser
@@Shitpostingdeer oh man.... go watch episode II right now haha
@abracadaverous
Woke up with this song in my head. Definitely not goin to the beach today.
@qcgarcia
i gave myself goosebumps when i sang along the ice cream/shark bit... wasn't aware that i know some of the lyrics.
@horace411
I always start singing this when I am leaving the beach, and the sand starts sucking my feet in and not letting me walk....!!!