The Hives are a garage rock band from Fagersta, Sweden that emerged in the … Read Full Bio ↴The Hives are a garage rock band from Fagersta, Sweden that emerged in the US and the UK in the early 2000s, but existed for nearly a decade before that, playing punk rock.

The Hives are:
"Howlin" Pelle Almqvist (vocals)
Nicholaus "Arson" Almqvist (guitar)
Mikael "Vigilante Carlstroem" Karlsson (guitar)
Johan"The Johan and Only" Gustavsson (bass)
Christian "Chris Dangerous" Grahn (drums)

The band claims that their songs are written by an honorary "sixth Hive", Randy Fitzsimmons. Since Nicholaus Almqvist can be found listed under the pseudonym Randy Fitzsimmons in the archives of STIM (the Swedish equivalent of the Performing Right Society) many believe Fitzsimmons is 'fictional'. (Nicholaus Almqvist vehemently denies this.) The band are also known for their energetic live performances, with Howlin' Pelle running around stage and saying outrageous things, and with everyone strictly dressed in black and white.

The Hives formed in 1993 (originally they wanted to call themselves 'The HIVs', but decided to change it slightly resulting in their current name) and released their debut recording, the EP Oh Lord! When? How? in 1996, followed by 1997's Barely Legal LP, and 1998's a.k.a. I.D.I.O.T. EP on the Swedish skate punk oriented record label Burning Heart Records.

Soon after, they began touring in the US and finally released their 2000 US breakthrough album, Veni Vidi Vicious; the album included the hit singles "Main Offender" and "Hate to Say I Told You So". Their UK breakthrough, Your New Favourite Band, a greatest-hits compilation, was released on the Poptones label in 2001. This was followed by extensive touring, as well as the re-release of previous recordings in the US.

Their next album, entitled Tyrannosaurus Hives and released on July 20 2004, was a slight departure from earlier releases. It has been described as a sound similar to what it might sound like if the band taught robots how to play their music, and then re-learned it from the robots to record, because of its rigid/rapid-fire arrangement, yet the band kept their distinctive blend of garage and punk influences. The album includes the hit singles Walk Idiot Walk, Two-Timing Touch And Broken Bones, and A Little More For Little You.

The Hives' next record, titled The Black and White Album, was released on October 15, 2007 (November 13 in the U.S.). The band said they've recorded 20 to 30 songs (including seven recorded with producer Pharrell Williams) for this album and are currently choosing the best. Other tracks have been produced by Jacknife Lee and Dennis Herring. Sessions were held with Timbaland, with whom the band produced the song Throw It On Me, but took place too late for any of the resultant tracks to make the record. They hope to use these songs as b-sides, although Throw It On Me was released as a single on Timbaland's album Shock Value.

The Go Right Ahead Songfacts reports news detailing Swedish rock group, The Hives’, fifth studio album Lex Hives was announced on March 12, 2012. The record is composed of twelve self-produced tracks, with a deluxe version containing bonus songs produced by Josh Homme.

Love In Plaster
The Hives Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I really thought
That we had something moving faster
Than love in plaster.
I really thought
That we had something growing stronger
But it grew no longer.
I thought this time
Yeah

I really thought
That we had something set in motion
More than foul devotion.
I really thought
That we had something out of the ordinary
More than stationary.
I thought this time
What we had you and I!

Said I'm losing my mind
Yeah I got bit all the time
And I'm better off dead
Cause it was all in my head
Now it's all lost
It's all gone
Don't I know it

I really thought
That we had some-thing...More than a...
BORE!!!!
I really thought
That we had something more than a violation
Of my imagination
I thought this time...
What we had you and I

Said I'm losing my mind
Yeah I got bit all the time
And I'm better off dead
Cause it was all in my head
Now it's all lost
It's all gone
Don't I know it

And I'm better off dead!!!

I really thought it could work out
I learned it couldn't 'cause somehow
We couldn't get along..We wouldn't get along
A little something on the side
Would make you feel more worthwhile
You think..I won't be long...you couldn't be more wrong.
I thought this time..
What we had
You and I

Said I'm losing my mind
Yeah I got bit all the time
And I'm better off dead
Cause it was all in my head

Now it's all lost

And it's all gone!
Don't I know it.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to The Hives's song Love In Plaster delve into the singer's feelings of disappointment and disillusionment after believing they had a strong and passionate connection with someone. The metaphor of "love in plaster" refers to a love that is not able to grow and move forward, but instead is stuck in place, unable to progress or evolve. The singer thought that their relationship was different, unique, and set in motion, but they come to realize that it was stagnant and lacking in depth.

The lyrics express a sense of frustration and resignation as the singer acknowledges that they were mistaken and that their hopes were dashed. They feel like they are losing their grip on reality and that their pain is so intense that they would rather be dead. In the end, they come to terms with the fact that what they thought they had was just a figment of their imagination and that it is all lost and gone.

Line by Line Meaning

I really thought That we had something moving faster Than love in plaster.
I believed we had a relationship that was growing and evolving rapidly, advancing beyond stagnant love.

I really thought That we had something growing stronger But it grew no longer.
I believed our love was becoming more robust, but it started to weaken instead.

I thought this time Yeah
I had confidence that this relationship would work out.

I really thought That we had something set in motion More than foul devotion.
I believed our relationship was moving forward with more than just a shallow commitment.

I really thought That we had something out of the ordinary More than stationary.
I believed that our relationship was unique and progressing, not staying still.

I really thought That we had some-thing...More than a... BORE!!!!
I believed that our relationship was not dull, but it turned out to be just that.

I really thought That we had something more than a violation Of my imagination
I believed our relationship was more than just a product of my imagination and thoughts.

I thought this time... What we had you and I
I believed that what we had was real and not just fleeting.

Said I'm losing my mind Yeah I got bit all the time And I'm better off dead Cause it was all in my head Now it's all lost It's all gone Don't I know it
I feel like I'm going crazy because my perception of our relationship didn't match reality and now it's over, I realize I was just fooling myself.

And I'm better off dead!!!
I'm so hurt and disappointed that I feel like I'd rather be dead than feel this pain.

I really thought it could work out I learned it couldn't 'cause somehow We couldn't get along..We wouldn't get along A little something on the side Would make you feel more worthwhile You think..I won't be long...you couldn't be more wrong. I thought this time.. What we had You and I
I thought we had a chance at making things work, but it didn't happen because we could never connect. You thought that cheating would make you feel better, but it won't last long. I still believed that we had something special, but it turned out to be a mistake.

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Randy Fitzsimmons

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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