The Posies began as a set of informal home recordings by Stringfellow and Auer, but soon became a full-fledged band. Those early demos were released as the album Failure (1988). Mike Musburger and Rick Roberts joined soon after, allowing the band to play its first live shows in Seattle and Bellingham. The four then moved into a house in Seattle's University District. The band's first full album was their major-label début Dear 23 (1990). It was produced by John Leckie and features lush orchestrations for the songwriters' literate, clever, melodic pop with occasional hard-hitting guitars.
The Posies' guitars hit even harder on their third and fourth albums, 1993's Frosting On The Beater and 1996's Amazing Disgrace. These two albums are the band's most succesful and are still widely regarded as classics in indie rock and 'power pop'.
The band's rhythm section underwent many changes over the years. During the recording of 'Frosting', Roberts left and was replaced by Dave Fox. During the 1994 European tour, Musberger left (new bassist: Joe Howard a.k.a. Joe Skyward), whole Brian Young took over on drums
The 'Amazing Disgrace line-up' also recorded album #5, Success (1998), which failed commercially. The Posies went on hiatus while the members concentrated on outside projects, including solo albums (Stringfellow, Auer) and projects such as Lucky Me, Skyward and Chariot, while Brian Young played drums in Fountains of Wayne. From 1997 to 2001, there was only sporadic Posies activity, although two live albums saw the light of day: an 'electric' one (Alive Before The Iceberg, 1999) and an 'acoustic' one (In Case You Didn't Feel Like Plugging In, 2000).
After a satisfying tour as a duo, Auer and Stringfellow brought the band back to active service, now with Darius Minwalla on drums and Matt Harris on bass. The new line-up recorded and released the studio albums Every Kind Of Light (2005) and the particularly well-received Blood/Candy (2010).
From 1993 onwards, Auer and Stringfellow also joined Alex Chilton and Jody Stephens as band members of 'power pop' legends Big Star, playing on many tours as well as the Big Star studio album, In Space (2005).
The years 2010-2016 were a particularly dark time for The Posies. Ayer and Stringfellow's association with Big Star came to an abrupt end when Alex Chilton died in 2010. The Posies' 2014 incarnation included Darius Minwalla on drums and Joe Skyward on bass, but disaster would strike: on May 21, 2015, Darius Minwalla died suddenly in his home in Vancouver, from unknown causes. On March 26th 2016, Joe Skyward passed away after a battle with cancer.
The Posies, however, re-emerged with a new album (their 8th), Solid States, set for an April 2016 release.
Golden Blunders
The Posies Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What they know is what they've seen
Education wasn't fun, but now that school is done
Higher learning's just begun
(Chorus)
You're gonna watch what you say for a long time
You're gonna suffer the guilt forever
You're gonna get in the way at the wrong time
Disappointment breeds contempt, it make you feel inept
Never thought you'd feel alone (at home)
His and hers forever more, throw your freedom out of the door
Before you find out what it's for
(Chorus)
Four weeks seemed like a long time then - but nine months is longer now
But even if you never speak again - you've already made the wedding vow
(Chorus)
Honeymoons will never start, bonds will blow apart
Just as fast as they were made
Men and women please beware : don't pretend you care
Nothing lasts when nothing's there
(Repeat Chorus)
The Posies's song Golden Blunders, is a cautionary tale about the consequences of making impulsive decisions. The "golden blunders" in the lyrics refer to the mistakes that the characters make in their lives. They are "unaware" of the impact their choices will have on their future, and instead base their decisions on what they have seen or heard from others. The song suggests that education is the key to avoiding these mistakes, but even after completing formal schooling, there is still much to learn. The chorus warns that the guilt and consequences of these mistakes will linger and interfere with their lives for a long time to come.
The lyrics of Golden Blunders are complex and layered, dealing with themes such as disappointment, loneliness, commitment, and the fleeting nature of relationships. The verse "His and hers forever more, throw your freedom out of the door, before you find out what it's for" highlights the pressure people can feel to conform to societal expectations of relationships and marriage. The line "Honeymoons will never start, bonds will blow apart, just as fast as they were made" conveys the fleeting nature of love and how easily things can fall apart.
Line by Line Meaning
Golden blunders come in pairs, they're very unaware
People often make mistakes without realizing it
What they know is what they've seen
People's knowledge is often limited to what they have personally experienced
Education wasn't fun, but now that school is done, Higher learning's just begun
School wasn't enjoyable, but life after school is still a learning experience
You're gonna watch what you say for a long time, You're gonna suffer the guilt forever, You're gonna get in the way at the wrong time, You're gonna mess up things you thought you would never
When people make mistakes, those mistakes can have lasting consequences
Disappointment breeds contempt, it make you feel inept, Never thought you'd feel alone (at home)
When people are disappointed in themselves or others, it can lead to animosity and feelings of worthlessness
His and hers forever more, throw your freedom out of the door, Before you find out what it's for
People sometimes rush into relationships without fully understanding the implications
Four weeks seemed like a long time then - but nine months is longer now, But even if you never speak again - you've already made the wedding vow
Marriage is a serious commitment and can seem daunting even to those who think they are ready for it
Honeymoons will never start, bonds will blow apart, Just as fast as they were made
Relationships can quickly fall apart even after a promising start
Men and women please beware: don't pretend you care, Nothing lasts when nothing's there
It is important to be honest and genuine in relationships or they won't last
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JONATHAN PAUL AUER, KEN STRINGFELLOW
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Josh Porter
This might be their best song ever despite having written dozens of other amazing songs. Easily one of the most underappreciated bands and song writers EVER.
Michael Bacon
I think Flood Of Sunshine is my favorite.
Joshua Porterfield
@Wrack My Brain please tell me you’re being sarcastic. Go look at the songwriting credits.
W B
@Joshua Porterfield Maybe he is right.
Rob Czypinski
Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Mine is that the Posies are one of the best and most influential and critical bands in the development of melodic indie/power pop. They were over-shadowed by Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, etc and the grunge scene - not surprising and perfectly understandable at the time as it was a paradigm shift in pop music and they are all legit artists in their own right. But the Posies music has stood the test of time and has a classic quality that will never be lost. Tight riffs & melodies, wonderful harmonies with great rhythmic variation and soaring, poignant vocals. Their competence, quality and contribution has been proven by being part of the re-formed Big Star, R.E.M. and many, many other high quality projects. And having a Beatle cover your song is never a bad thing - I'd call it a ringing endorsement! Quality always stands the test of time!
Anthony Marabito
It was a paradigm shift, but the bands you mentioned weren't really the problem. The record labels were signing and prioritizing any band with morose lyrics and distorted guitars.None of the them had Cobain's songwriting ability.
The Posies were an amazing band though.Overshadowed in the record industy rush.
iosinc
"Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Mine is that the Posies are one
of the best and most influential and critical bands in the development
of melodic indie/power pop." Teenage Fanclub is 10x better than The Posies in that regard.
Treff Bennett
....while I am a big fan of Teenage Fanclub, there is no way in Hell they are 10x the band The Posies are! Jon and Ken are both better vocalists and their melodies and glorious harmony vocals surpass Fanclub's! Both are supremely talented,though! Also,check out Sloan for excellent power pop!
Mooseboy08
I'll agree that they're one of the best power pop bands I'm aware of. Love 'em!
541967
I saw Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden in a two year period between 1992 and 1994. I was a fan and I was glad that I did so, but the truth is I now listen to The Posies more often than all of the aforementioned. I met Jon and Ken one evening, and both are as nice as they are talented.