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.
Slushy
The Vaselines Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Prettiest girl I've ever seen,
And you'll never miss what you never had.
Oh, you'll never miss what you never had.
Long brown hair, eyes were gray.
Tried and tried to stay away,
And you'll never miss what you never had.
I do, I do,
I really miss you,
And if I'd only ask your name again.
The Vaselines' song "Slushy" tells the tale of a man who met two, strikingly beautiful women with different-colored eyes and long brown hair. The first woman had green eyes, and according to the man, she was the prettiest girl he had ever seen. However, despite his admiration for her, he never had the chance to be with her, concluding that, "you'll never miss what you never had." The second woman had gray eyes, and the man found himself struggling to resist her. He admits that he also won't miss the opportunity with the second woman, even though he missed his chance with the first. Ultimately, the man misses the first girl and wishes he had asked for her name.
On the surface, the song appears to be a simple love story. However, the repeated phrase "you'll never miss what you never had" suggests a deeper meaning. It speaks to the idea that people must make the most of their opportunities, as life is fleeting, and the chance lost could be the one that truly mattered. The man's regret for not asking the first girl's name suggests that he understands this and now struggles with missed chances.
Line by Line Meaning
Long brown hair, eyes were green.
The girl had beautiful green eyes and long brown hair.
Prettiest girl I've ever seen,
In the singer's opinion, the girl was the most attractive he had ever seen.
And you'll never miss what you never had.
You cannot feel the absence of something you never possessed.
Oh, you'll never miss what you never had.
This statement is repeated to emphasize the idea that absence isn't felt until you experience the presence first.
Long brown hair, eyes were gray.
The girl's hair was still brown but her eye color appeared to be gray.
Tried and tried to stay away,
The singer attempted to avoid the girl but could not resist her charm.
I do, I do,
The singer affirms that he truly misses the girl.
I really miss you,
This line repeats the idea that the singer feels a strong sense of longing for the girl.
And if I'd only ask your name again.
The singer wishes he had the opportunity to ask for the girl's name a second time because he knows that he will miss her if he never sees her again.
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: FRANCES MCKEE, EUGENE KELLY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind