The Jesus Lizard is an American alternative rock band formed in 1987 in Aus… Read Full Bio ↴The Jesus Lizard is an American alternative rock band formed in 1987 in Austin, Texas, United States. They are "a leading noise rock band in the American independent underground…(who) turned out a series of independent records filled with scathing, disembowelling, guitar-driven pseudo-industrial noise, all of which received positive reviews in underground music publications and heavy college-radio play."

After a brief run as a recording-only project based in Austin, founding vocalist David Yow, bassist David Wm. Sims and guitarist Duane Denison relocated to Chicago, Illinois in 1989, finding kindred spirits in recording engineer Steve Albini and the Touch and Go Records imprint. With the addition of drummer Mac McNeilly, they began operating as a live band, expanding their following beyond Chicago's alternative scene into an international audience. Drummer Jim Kimball replaced McNeilly late in 1996, and was himself replaced by Brendan Murphy two years later.

Despite releasing a split single with leading alt-rockers Nirvana and signing to Capitol Records, the band failed to find commercial success amid the alternative rock explosion of the 1990s, and disbanded in 1999. Their reunion from 2008 to 2010 and following tour enjoyed positive responses from audiences and critics.

In October 2013, The Jesus Lizard were set to play at the All Tomorrow's Parties event Release the Bats in Melbourne, Australia. They cancelled this show due to "unforeseen circumstances."

Members:

David Yow - vocals;
Duane Denison - guitars;
David Wm. Sims - bass;
Mac McNeilly - drums.

Former members:

Jim Kimball - drums;
Brendan Murphy - drums.

http://www.thejesuslizard.net

Happy Snakes
The Jesus Lizard Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Happy snakes are here again
The skies above are gray
Let's drown ourselves in beer again
Drug addiction's here again
Wipe off your shirt when you throw up
Sponge of your stinking face
You're gonna die before you grow up
Won't even leave a trace

Screaming out in pain
Completely insane
You're gonna die before you grow up

Won't even leave a trace
I can hear the sirens

Overall Meaning

The Jesus Lizard's song "Happy Snakes" is a haunting representation of punk rock's nihilistic tendencies. The opening lines, "Happy snakes are here again, the skies above are gray," signify that the singer is acknowledging the repetitive and meaningless aspects of life. The lines "Let's drown ourselves in beer again, drug addiction's here again" suggest that the singer is turning to self-destructive behaviors to cope with the overwhelming sense of despair.

The lines "Wipe off your shirt when you throw up, sponge off your stinking face," are indicative of the filthy and reckless world the singer is inhabiting. The line "you're gonna die before you grow up, won't even leave a trace" outlines the singer's belief that there is no meaningful legacy to be had in life. The repetition of this line highlights the nihilistic tendencies of the song.

Line by Line Meaning

Happy snakes are here again
Troublesome situations have resurfaced

The skies above are gray
The atmosphere is tense and gloomy

Let's drown ourselves in beer again
To temporarily escape from reality through alcohol consumption

Drug addiction's here again
The dangerous influence of drugs is back

Wipe off your shirt when you throw up
To regain composure and cleanliness after vomiting

Sponge of your stinking face
To clean off the dirt and filth from one's face

You're gonna die before you grow up
An early death is imminent

Won't even leave a trace
There will be no lasting impact or legacy

Screaming out in pain
Expressing deep physical or emotional suffering

Completely insane
Having lost all sense of rationality and sanity

I can hear the sirens
Emergency vehicles are on their way