Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain once described Kelly and McKee as his "most favorite songwriters in the whole world".
The band released two singles, "Son of a Gun" and "Dying for It", prior to releasing an album. In 1989 they released their only album, Dum Dum, on the record label Rough Trade. Following the closing of the record label 53rd and 3rd, which they had originally signed to, the band broke up in 1990. However, they reunited later that year to open for Nirvana when they played in Edinburgh.
Though they were not widely known when the band existed, covers of their songs by Nirvana and Kurt Cobain's tendency to mention them as an influence brought exposure to the band. With their songs "Son of a Gun" and "Molly's Lips" covered on Nirvana's album Incesticide and "Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam" covered as "Jesus Doesn't Want Me for a Sunbeam" on MTV Unplugged in New York, the band gained a new audience from people who wanted to discover the bands that influenced Cobain (a similar situation happened to the band The Meat Puppets). Due to this new exposure, in 1992 Sub Pop released The Way of the Vaselines: A Complete History, a compilation that contained The Vaselines' entire body of work on one album.
No longer together, members of the band moved on to new bands. Kelly went on to found the band Captain America (later renamed Eugenius). He currently performs solo. McKee founded the band Suckle and released her first solo album, Sunny Moon, in 2006.
In 2008, the band reformed and began to make sporadic appearences at festivals in the United Kingdom and the United States and various tours supporting Belle and Sebastian. The band will perform at the Belle and Sebastian's second Bowlie Weekender festival in December 2010.
In 2010, the band announced they would release their second album "Sex With An X" on September 14, 2010 on Sub Pop Records.
No Hope
The Vaselines Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I can't give it up.
In the fast lane of misery and pain,
And I can't give it up.
I've had a good time on the weeds and the wine,
And I can't give it up.
I've been up and down, below and above ground,
And I can't give it up,
And I can't give it up.
Better under the table than under the ground,
And I can't give it up.
I like what I take, but my life's a mistake,
And I can't give it up.
It all went wrong the day I was born,
And I can't give it up.
I've tried to invest, but my life was a mess,
And I can't give it up,
And I can't give it up.
It's hard to refuse, when there is nothing to lose,
And I can't give it up.
I need to drink more, cause my life's such a bore,
And I can't give it up.
I've had my fill and I made out my will,
And I can't give it up.
I drink all I can cause it makes me a man,
And I can't give it up,
And I can't give it up.
The Vaselines song "No Hope" is a reflection of a life that has been lived recklessly and without caution. The lyrics of the song talk about being on the edge constantly and not being able to let go of that lifestyle. The first two lines of the song, "I've lived my life on the edge of a knife, and I can't give it up" sets the tone for the entire song, revealing the singer's struggle with wanting to keep living a wild and reckless life but also knowing deep down that it's not sustainable. The lyrics continue to paint a picture of a life filled with misery and pain, but the singer cannot let go of it. It seems as though the singer is addicted to the thrill of the unknown, the excitement of living on the edge, but they know that it is taking a toll on their life.
Later in the song, the singer acknowledges that their life is a mistake and everything went wrong the day they were born, yet they continue to drink and live recklessly because they have nothing left to lose. The line "better under the table than under the ground" implies that the singer would rather drink and live recklessly than be dead. They also drink to feel like a man in order to escape the boring and mundane reality of their life. In the end, "No Hope" reveals a life that is on a dangerous path, and there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel, no way out.
Line by Line Meaning
I've lived my life on the edge of a knife,
My life has been filled with danger and the possibility of harm, and I'm addicted to this way of living.
In the fast lane of misery and pain,
My life has been an endless cycle of suffering and I'm addicted to the pain.
I've had a good time on the weeds and the wine,
I've enjoyed the highs and lows of drug and alcohol use, and I'm not willing to give them up.
I've been up and down, below and above ground,
I've experienced every aspect of life and death, and I'm stuck in my current state of addiction.
Better under the table than under the ground,
I'd rather be drunk and passed out under a table than dead and buried underground.
I like what I take, but my life's a mistake,
I enjoy the drugs and alcohol, but I know my life has been a series of mistakes and regrets.
It all went wrong the day I was born,
My life has been a disappointment from the very beginning and I can't escape that fate.
I've tried to invest, but my life was a mess,
I've attempted to build a better life for myself, but my past mistakes have prevented me from doing so.
It's hard to refuse, when there is nothing to lose,
My life is already such a wreck that it's difficult to resist the temptation of drugs and alcohol, since I believe I have nothing else to lose.
I need to drink more, cause my life's such a bore,
I'm constantly drinking in order to escape the boredom and lack of fulfillment in my life.
I've had my fill and I made out my will,
I've consumed enough drugs and alcohol to potentially endanger my life, and I've made preparations for the worst possible outcome.
I drink all I can cause it makes me a man,
I associate heavy drinking with masculinity and feel pressure to continue doing so in order to maintain a sense of identity.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: FRANCES MCKEE, EUGENE KELLY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind