The band released their self-titled first album in March 1995 via PopLlama Records. After they garnered massive acclaim, Columbia Records quickly signed them. The album peaked at number six on the Billboard 200 and has shipped over three million copies. The RIAA has certified it as triple platinum. Songs "Peaches", "Kitty", "Lump", and "Dune Buggy" received major airplay.
Their 1996 follow-up album, "II", did not reach the same acclaim, though it reached the top forty on the Billboard 2000. Single "Mach 5" also garnered some airplay. The band then fell of the radar for many listeners, dropped by their major label. However, their albums of the new millennium, 'Freaked Out and Small' followed by 'Love Everybody' and 'These Are the Good Times People' (released in 2000, 2004, and 2008, respectively), picked up positive critical reviews, such as from the All Music Guide. Although their touring schedule became more sporadic into the 00s and 10s, they continue to perform and satisfy audiences with their off-beat humor and catchy hooks.
Tremolo Blooz
The Presidents of the United States of America Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ain't got nothin' but those tumblin', mumbling blooz.
Brains came out first when I was born,
I bent down to catch a rose and I caught a thorn.
Hey Miss Monkey, how d'ya get so blue?
Monkey looked up with her teary eyes and said:
I've been missin' you...
She got those tremelo blooz, ain't got nothin' to loose,
Hello Chickey, you've been packed away,
For nine months and a cold December day.
Your yellow body's crumpled and covered with doo.
Here's a microphone, Chickey, sing whatever you choose...
Chickey got those tremelo blooz, ain't got nothin' to loose.
He ain't got nothin' but those tumblin', mumbling blooz.
My friend Froggie, collapsed back stage,
Face down in a pile of cocaine.
The rocker doctor said he had the flu,
But Froggie felt it deep inside.
He knew exactly what he had to do...
He sing those tremelo blooz, he ain't got nothin' to loose.
He ain't got nothin' but those tumblin', mumbling blooz.
The song “Tremolo Blooz” by The Presidents of the United States of America is a bluesy track that explores the theme of loss and pain. The lyrics talk about different characters who are going through a tough time, but find solace in music. The first character mentioned is the singer who feels like he has nothing to lose and is plagued by the “tumblin’, mumbling blooz”. He talks to a monkey who is also feeling blue and is missing him. The second character, Chickey, is a yellow object (possibly a toy) that has been packed away for nine months. The singer gives Chickey a microphone and asks him to sing, suggesting that singing is an escape from the pain they’re feeling. The final character, Froggie, collapses backstage due to drug use. But he knows exactly what he has to do, which is to sing the “tremolo blooz” to deal with the pain.
Overall, the song is about finding comfort in music, even when everything around you is going wrong. It is a reminder to use music as a coping mechanism when life gets tough.
Line by Line Meaning
Tremelo blooz, ain't got nothin' to loose,
Feeling down and out, with nothing left to lose
Ain't got nothin' but those tumblin', mumbling blooz.
All that remains are these blues that constantly tumble and mumble in my mind
Brains came out first when I was born,
An odd and unsettling fact that makes me feel like maybe something went wrong from the very beginning
I bent down to catch a rose and I caught a thorn.
Life is full of surprises, often painful ones, that catch us off guard
Hey Miss Monkey, how d'ya get so blue?
Curious about why someone else is feeling down, perhaps in hopes of finding some common ground
Monkey looked up with her teary eyes and said:
I've been missin' you...
The source of the monkey's sadness is a feeling of loneliness and longing to be with someone they care about
She got those tremelo blooz, ain't got nothin' to loose,
Ain't got nothin' but those tumblin', mumbling blooz.
The monkey, like the singer, is also feeling down and has nothing left but these blues that refuse to let go
Hello Chickey, you've been packed away,
For nine months and a cold December day.
Your yellow body's crumpled and covered with doo.
Addressing an old friend who has been put away and neglected for far too long, with a visual image of their poor condition
Here's a microphone, Chickey, sing whatever you choose...
Trying to lift Chickey's spirits by giving them a way to express themselves musically
Chickey got those tremelo blooz, ain't got nothin' to loose.
He ain't got nothin' but those tumblin', mumbling blooz.
Despite the opportunity to sing, Chickey is also feeling down and has nothing left but these same blues as before
My friend Froggie, collapsed back stage,
Face down in a pile of cocaine.
The rocker doctor said he had the flu,
Relating the story of a friend who has fallen hard in the music world, and the people around them who are hesitant to acknowledge the real issue
But Froggie felt it deep inside.
He knew exactly what he had to do...
Despite what others may say or think, Froggie is in tune with their own needs and knows what they have to do to persevere
He sing those tremelo blooz, he ain't got nothin' to loose.
He ain't got nothin' but those tumblin', mumbling blooz.
Froggie, like the others mentioned before, is feeling these same blues and has nothing left but to sing them out
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: CHRISTOPHER WELDON BALLEW, DAVID MICHAEL DEDERER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind