The Queers play a Ramones style of pop punk with songs about girls and beer. King has often collaborated with Ben Weasel, from Screeching Weasel. The band begun with a notoriety primarily in their own backyard, but with the release of Love Songs for the Retarded, recorded by legendary punk producer Mass Giorgini, their following grew to international proportions. They have collaborated with Mass Giorgini several times since.
Along with his casual acquaintance Ben Weasel, Joe King has criticized the re-emergence of the street punk scene and what he sees as the glorification of violence and class warfare by certain bands. The song, "Little Rich Working Class Oi Boy" from the album Beyond the Valley of the Assfuckers takes aim at the working class pretensions and bellicose attitudes of some members of the Oi! scene. In a 2005 post to The Queers official website, King criticizes the effect of Boston punk band, the Dropkick Murphys. Writes King, "With all this stupid fucking Irish/Dropkick BS these days the whole punk scene (what's left of it) is full of assholes that just wanna fight."
Feeling Groovy
The Queers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My life is a shambles, you know I'm a Queer
My head it really pounds and pounds
Records just go round and round
Mom and Dad - they just hate my guts
The only girls I know are sluts
Say I'm deeply troubled
Oh I shake my head it just ain't so
Got kicked out of the Webelos
Feeling so groovy
I'm feeling so groovy
I'm feeling so groovy it sucks
Phone's disconnected, hey I'll never learn
Just eleven more months 'til my income tax returns
I'm really not that dumb you know
Got lots of beer and Tuinols
Ran over Rin Tin Tin today
His Alpo's mine now, hey it's great
Say I'm deeply troubled
Oh I shake my head it just ain't so
Daddy beat me with a hose
Kicked out of the Webelos
[Chorus]
Well I was walking down the street
With my head held high
Thinking everything was alright
When a big fat bird came and shit on my head
Man that's the story of my life
Feeling so sick, someone get me a beer
My life is a shambles, you know I'm Joe Queer
I'm not really that dumb you know
Got lots of beer and Tuinols
Ran over Rin Tin TIn today
His Alpo's mine now, hey it's great
Say I'm deeply troubled
Oh I shake my head it just ain't so
I've gone completely out of hand
I want Dan Vapid in my band
[Chorus]
The Queers's song Feeling Groovy is a sarcastic take on the idea of feeling good, as the lyrics present a character who is clearly not feeling good at all. The song begins with the singer feeling sick and wanting a beer, while acknowledging that their life is a mess and that they are considered an outsider ("you know I'm a Queer"). The next lines suggest that the singer is suffering from a headache, and that they find little comfort in their records or relationships with other people. The third verse is particularly dark, as the singer mentions being beaten by their father and kicked out of the Webelos (the Cub Scouts).
Despite all these struggles, the chorus of the song repeats the phrase "Feeling so groovy" multiple times, and the verses end with the repeated line "Say I'm deeply troubled / Oh I shake my head it just ain't so". These lyrics create a sense of irony, as the singer is clearly troubled but chooses to deny it in a flippant way. The song ends with the singer being shit on by a bird, which can be interpreted as a final insult adding to their misery.
Overall, Feeling Groovy can be seen as a commentary on the pressure to appear happy and successful even when one's life is full of difficulties. The lyrics suggest that denial and sarcasm can be coping mechanisms, but also hint at the deeper pain that lies beneath the surface.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm feeling so sick, someone get me a beer
I am feeling terrible and need something to numb the pain, please get me a beer.
My life is a shambles, you know I'm a Queer
My life is a mess, and I am proud to be a queer.
My head it really pounds and pounds
I have a terrible headache that won't go away.
Records just go round and round
I am stuck in a routine that keeps repeating itself.
Mom and Dad - they just hate my guts
My parents have a deep dislike for me.
The only girls I know are sluts
I am surrounded by promiscuous women.
Say I'm deeply troubled
People think I have serious issues.
Oh I shake my head it just ain't so
I disagree with what people think about me.
Daddy beat me with a hose
My father has physically abused me.
Got kicked out of the Webelos
I was kicked out of the Webelos organization for youth.
Feeling so groovy
I am feeling disconnected from reality.
I'm feeling so groovy
I am feeling lost and directionless.
I'm feeling so groovy it sucks
I am feeling so far gone that it's a bad thing.
Phone's disconnected, hey I'll never learn
I am constantly making the same mistakes and facing the same consequences.
Just eleven more months 'til my income tax returns
I am eagerly anticipating a small victory in my otherwise dismal life.
I'm really not that dumb you know
Despite how others perceive me, I am intelligent.
Got lots of beer and Tuinols
I have plenty of alcohol and painkillers to numb my pain.
Ran over Rin Tin Tin today
I killed a beloved dog today.
His Alpo's mine now, hey it's great
I gained ownership of the dog's food, which surprisingly makes me happy.
Well I was walking down the street
I was simply walking and minding my own business.
With my head held high
I was feeling confident and positive.
Thinking everything was alright
I thought everything was going well in my life.
When a big fat bird came and shit on my head
My moment of happiness was ruined by an unfortunate incident.
Man that's the story of my life
This event encapsulates the unfortunate pattern of my life.
Feeling so sick, someone get me a beer
I need alcohol to cope with my problems.
My life is a shambles, you know I'm Joe Queer
My life is a mess, and I am proudly Joe Queer.
I've gone completely out of hand
I have lost control and am spiraling downwards.
I want Dan Vapid in my band
I have a specific desire that I think will improve my life.
[Chorus]
Refrain of the song.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind