The Muffs are a rock band based in Southern California, formed in 1991.
… Read Full Bio ↴The Muffs are a rock band based in Southern California, formed in 1991.

After releasing their initial 7" EPs and singles independently and on local labels, The Muffs signed to Warner/Reprise in the early '90s. The band was heavily promoted along with acts such as Mudhoney in the hope of repeating the commercial success of Green Day. Despite the wide exposure afforded by appearing on a wide variety of movie soundtracks ("Clueless" director Amy Heckerling, in particular, had taken a keen interest in their songs) as well as a lucrative Fruitopia commercial, The Muffs were eventually dropped from the label. The Muffs have since continued to release new records on various independent labels.

The Muffs' leader was singer-songwriter Kim Shattuck. The original lineup also included guitarist Melanie Vammen (like Shattuck, a former member of 1980s all-female garage rock outfit The Pandoras), bassist Ronnie Barnett and drummer Criss Crass. Vammen and Crass left after the band's self-titled debut album. Crass was replaced by Jim Laspesa for their 1993 tour with the Goo Goo Dolls, and later by Roy McDonald in 1994. Ironically, McDonald's former band Redd Kross had released a 1987 single, "Play My Song," whose chorus was viewed by many as directed toward The Pandoras, who had recently moved into a hair metal direction: "No metal sluts or punk rock ruts for me, oh no." The Muffs have been a 3-piece since 1995 with members Kim Shattuck, Ronnie Barnett and Roy McDonald.

Lead singer Kim Shattuck died on October 2, 2019, and the band disbanded shortly after.

A character on Mr. Show (HBO, 1995-1999) was named Dr. Shattuck, this was a reference to the lead singer of The Muffs.

Not Like Me
The Muffs Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Doing everything I can
And I'm feeling okay
Oh yeah
But whenever you are near
I want to run away
Oh yeah

Whenever I come alive

It seems that you are dead
Could you ever take the time
And be a man and say
You are not like me (4x's)

And if you should ever go
Away another day
Oh yeah
There might be a world of me
And I won't be afraid
Oh yeah

Doing the impossible
Where I could never win
And I know what you're thinking
........
You are not like me (4x's)

(Repeat First 2 Verses)

Me me me me me me yeah
Me me me me me me yeah

Overall Meaning

The Muffs's song "Not Like Me" is a track about feeling like an outsider and not being able to relate to someone. The singer in the song is working hard to be okay with who they are, but whenever this other person is around, they want to run away. It's clear that the other person is causing some sort of emotional distress for the singer. The lyrics suggest that whenever the singer is feeling alive, the other person is feeling dead. This is an interesting metaphor because it's not entirely clear what it means -- it could be that the other person is emotionally dead, or perhaps they're just not as energetic or passionate as the singer is. Regardless, it's clear that the two people are very different.

The chorus of the song is a plea for the other person to acknowledge their differences. The singer is asking them to be a man and say that they're not alike. It's not clear from the lyrics whether this is something that the other person has outright denied or if it's just something that the singer assumes, but either way, the message is the same. The singer wants the other person to recognize that they're not the same and that's okay.

The second half of the song continues this theme of feeling like an outsider. The singer talks about doing the impossible and knowing what the other person is thinking. It's not clear whether these are related to the other person or just general feelings of isolation, but it's clear that the singer feels like they're on their own. The song ends with a repetition of the earlier lyrics, and the final lines are just "Me me me me me me yeah" -- a perhaps slightly bitter acknowledgment that the singer is still alone.

Line by Line Meaning

Doing everything I can
I am putting in all my effort

And I'm feeling okay
I am feeling alright about my progress

Oh yeah
Expressing positivity and enthusiasm

But whenever you are near
When you are in my presence

I want to run away
I get the urge to escape

Oh yeah
Expressing positivity and enthusiasm

Whenever I come alive
When I am at my best

It seems that you are dead
You do not share my energy or excitement

Could you ever take the time
Would you be willing to consider

And be a man and say
To speak honestly and directly

You are not like me (4x's)
You and I are fundamentally different