Veruca Salt was formed alongside the friendship of Louise Post and Nina Gordon. Introduced by Gordon's good friend, actress Lili Taylor, Gordon and Post quickly bonded and formed what is now known as Veruca Salt. Originally, the band was an Indigo Girls-inspired acoustic act, but the women quickly realized this wasn't their sound. They quickly enlisted bass player Steve Lack and eventually Gordon's brother Jim Shapiro joined as a drummer, even though he originally was just drumming as a favor to his sister.
Veruca Salt released a self-funded demo tape and shopped it to labels, and began to play a handful of small club shows. The buzz around the band grew furiously, and after only a few live gigs, the band was signed to Minty Fresh Records and began recording with producer Brad Wood. At the time Brad was popular due to having recently produced Liz Phair's critically acclaimed Exile in Guyville.
The band released an orange 7" single for the song "Seether" to radio. "Seether" was a bratty, distorted alt-rocker about an angry and misunderstood woman. Compared to the rest of Veruca Salt's material, "Seether" was very pop, so much so that Gordon said that when she wrote it, she didn't think the rest of the band would like it. They sent "Seether" to radio, as it was the most radio-friendly song they had written and the reaction was unexpectedly positive. Unfortunately, the album wasn't complete and they found themselves rushing to complete the album, before "Seether" lost its radio momentum. It ended up peaking at #8 on the Modern Rock charts.
Geffen Records signed the band after an intense label bidding war and American Thighs was released October 25, 1994. It peaked on the Billboard Top 100 at 69 and was certified Gold. The follow-up single "All Hail Me" failed to chart Top 40 on Modern Rock, and the last single from the album, "Number One Blind", written by Gordon, did better than the previous single at 20 on Modern Rock chart, but nowhere near as well as "Seether". Gordon and Post were unhappy with the song's video, and it was pulled after airing fewer than five times on MTV.
To support this album, Veruca Salt opened for such acts as Hole, Live and PJ Harvey, as well as their own headlining club tour.
The band released an EP in 1996 titled Blow It Out Your Ass It's Veruca Salt to tide fans over until their next album.
After touring for American Thighs, Gordon and Post entered the studio with Bob Rock to record their second album. They were inspired to work with Bob after hearing Metallica's "Enter Sandman" on the loud-system before a Veruca Salt concert at an outdoor music festival.
Eight Arms to Hold You, which was released February 11, 1997 on Geffen Records, proved to be a difficult and dividing album. Some fans of American Thighs were disappointed by the polished, hard-rock and distinctively Bob Rock production, in comparison to the laidback indie buzz-bin vibe of American Thighs. The new album garnered mixed reviews from music critics as well. Band members have since admitted that this album was difficult for the band, and the recording process was extremely tense. However, Eight Arms to Hold You sold well due to the success of the first single "Volcano Girls", written by Gordon. It was a catchy, power-pop tantrum that matched "Seether"'s success, peaking at #8 on the Modern Rock charts. This album, however, didn't have longevity, and despite peaking higher (Billboard Top 100 at 55) than American Thighs, sales dropped off drastically when the second single "Shutterbug" failed to chart despite a high budget video and Saturday Night Live performance, as well as other promotion. Three more singles were sent to radio ("The Morning Sad", "Straight" and "Benjamin") but none of them did well enough to warrant a video. However, the Gordon-penned "Benjamin" was released internationally as the third and last commercial single from the album despite having no video and no promotion. "Benjamin" also failed to chart. Shapiro left the band soon after the release of Eight Arms and was replaced by Stacy Jones (of Letters to Cleo and now American Hi-Fi). Jones toured with the band on the Eight Arms tour, but never recorded with them.
Veruca Salt toured extensively for Eight Arms to Hold You, opening for Bush as well as a lengthy international headlining club tour.
Nina Gordon left Veruca Salt in early 1998 amid rumors of stolen boyfriends and physical altercations with bandmate Louise Post. Post, now the only original band member, recruited a new band, consisting of Stephen Fitzpatrick (guitar), Suzanne Sokol (bass) and Jimmy Madla (drums), and continued to record and perform under the Veruca Salt moniker. The new band signed with Beyond Records. The first album with the new lineup was 2000's Resolver.
December 2002 saw the release of both Resolver and lead single "Born Entertainer", in Australia through Embryo Records / MGM. Following the release of "Born Entertainer" Embryo Records / MGM released the single "Officially Dead" which contained newly recorded tracks as well as a remix of 'the Same Person. The band toured Australia, including the "Splendour in the Grass" festival alongside bands such as Placebo and Coldplay. 'Yeah Man' was released as a radio only single.
After planning to take some time to step away from the music industry the band once again toured and performed at some festival shows in Australia. The tour took in the capital cities as well as performances at both the "Falls Festival" and the newly created Southbound festival in Perth. The band completed the 2 week tour and upon arrival back in the United States performed a show at the iconic "Viper Room". The band debuted the tracks 'Blissful Queen' and 'Circular Trend' live, both would end up on the album "IV"
2005 saw another couple of line-up changes with Sokol and Madla leaving, being replaced by Solomon Snyder on bass and Michael Miley on drums for the recording of the EP Lords of Sounds and Lesser Things (LOSALT). The band then went on tour as Post, Fitzpatrick, drummer Kellii Scott and bassist Nicole Fiorentino. LOSALT was released and sold independently at the bands shows and via the website and included six new songs. The title of the EP is an extract from Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God. This preluded the full length album, "IV", released September 2006 and accompanied by a US tour. The lead single "So Weird" was released to radio at the end of October 2006.
They recorded a cover of Neil Young's song "Burned" for a 2007 Breast Cancer Benefit album due for release in October 2007. The band became inactive sometime after that, announcing in 2012 that they had entered an indefinite hiatus.
In 2013, the original lineup of the band reunited. In 2014, the band released the single "The Museum of Broken Relationships." and went on a tour of the United States and Australia. The band's first album in nine years, "Ghost Notes", was released in July 2015.
Disconnected
Veruca Salt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The Cult Electric is my favorite record of the week
Cause I'm not feeling sweet
But I can't say that when everyone is so judgmental
And I can't play back all the times when you were gentle
Cause even you can't be true
Laurel Canyon was the best place for you and me to be
I chose the curtains and I dreamed a dream of domesticity
What a freak you made of me
Now I'm on Zoloft because you told me I was crazy
And I won't jump cause now I know you'd never catch me
And I can't leave you because you swore you'd never let me
But even you, talk shit too.
It's January when I jumped the fence of your backyard
Finish the fairy tale that you weren't drunk enough to start
It's kind of scary when your lover leaves you for a movie star
But I'm still in the dark
But you have trained to watch my back and drop my standards
And you have shamed me since the first time you were with her
And you can't make me love your band or buy your records
Cause you have tainted my respect for your adventures
And you will never have the chance to trace my features
And you will never make me feel like such a loser
And you can have the past 'cause I'm in love with the future
I'm in love with the future
And I have met a boy
Who makes you look so shallow (I'm in love with the future)
And there is so much time
And so much space to travel (I'm in love with the future)
And I will make the climb and I will kiss the gravel (I'm in love with the
Future)
(Touch the sky) (It's kinda scary)
And I will kiss the gravel (I'm in love with the future)
(Touch the sky) (It's kinda scary)
And I will kiss the gravel
I'll touch the sky
I'll touch the sky
Watch me, watch me
I'll touch the sky
I'll touch
The sky, the sky
The lyrics to Veruca Salt's "Disconnected" focus on a relationship that has soured and the singer's desire to move on. The opening lines convey the singer's desire to be detached from the relationship, stating that being "disconnected" is the way she wanted it to be. She then mentions that she is listening to The Cult Electric, her "favorite record of the week," which suggests that she's going through a phase of liking a particular album while also feeling distant towards her partner. She states that she is "not feeling sweet," again emphasizing her negative feelings towards the relationship.
The second verse delves deeper into why the singer can't get out of the relationship, despite wanting to. She mentions that others judge her, preventing her from speaking her mind, and that even her partner cannot be true to her. She then reflects on the effect that love can have, referring to Laurel Canyon as a place where the couple was happy. However, the singer feels like her partner has irreparably damaged their relationship with his actions, making a "freak" out of her. The verse ends with the singer alluding to mental health issues and thoughts of self-harm, which her partner has accused her of having.
The final verse shows the singer making a conscious decision to move on from the relationship. She mentions how scared she was when she thought her lover was leaving her for a movie star and how she felt ashamed when he was with her. She also expresses that she doesn't want to buy her partner's records because he has "tainted" her respect for his "adventures." Finally, the singer declares that she is in love with the future and has "met a boy" who makes her partner look "shallow." The final lines of the song are an expression of the singer's determination to succeed and thrive, to "touch the sky," and make her way forward towards happiness.
Line by Line Meaning
Disconnected, it's the way that I wanted it to be
I want to be disconnected from everyone and everything in my life.
The Cult Electric is my favorite record of the week
I like listening to The Cult Electric album.
Cause I'm not feeling sweet
I am not in a good mood.
But I can't say that when everyone is so judgmental
I can't express my feelings because people are always judging me.
And I can't play back all the times when you were gentle
I can't remember the times when you were kind to me.
Cause even you can't be true
Even you can't be honest with me.
It's astounding what love can do to a city
Love can have a huge impact on a place.
Laurel Canyon was the best place for you and me to be
Laurel Canyon was the perfect place for us.
I chose the curtains and I dreamed a dream of domesticity
I wanted a simple life and I dreamed of it.
What a freak you made of me
You made me look ridiculous.
Now I'm on Zoloft because you told me I was crazy
I am taking Zoloft because you made me think I am insane.
And I won't jump cause now I know you'd never catch me
I won't jump into anything because I know you won't be there to catch me.
And I can't leave you because you swore you'd never let me
I can't leave you because you promised to never let me go.
But even you, talk shit too.
Even you say bad things about me.
It's January when I jumped the fence of your backyard
One January, I jumped over your fence.
Finish the fairy tale that you weren't drunk enough to start
Finish the story you never started because you weren't drunk enough.
It's kind of scary when your lover leaves you for a movie star
It's frightening when someone leaves you for a celebrity.
But I'm still in the dark
I still don't know what's going on.
But you have trained to watch my back and drop my standards
You taught me to lower my standards and keep a watchful eye.
And you have shamed me since the first time you were with her
You have made me feel ashamed since the first time you were with her.
And you can't make me love your band or buy your records
You can't force me to like your music or buy your albums.
Cause you have tainted my respect for your adventures
You have ruined my respect for your experiences.
And you will never have the chance to trace my features
You will never be able to find me.
And you will never make me feel like such a loser
You will never make me feel like a failure again.
And you can have the past 'cause I'm in love with the future
You can keep the past, I am looking forward to the future.
I'm in love with the future
I am excited about what is to come.
And I have met a boy
I have met someone else.
Who makes you look so shallow (I'm in love with the future)
He makes you seem unimportant compared to him.
And there is so much time
There is plenty of time.
And so much space to travel (I'm in love with the future)
There are many places to go and explore.
And I will make the climb and I will kiss the gravel (I'm in love with the future)
I will succeed no matter what I have to go through.
(Touch the sky) (It's kinda scary)
Reaching great heights can be terrifying.
And I will kiss the gravel (I'm in love with the future)
I will persevere, no matter how difficult it may be.
(Touch the sky) (It's kinda scary)
Reaching great heights can be terrifying.
I'll touch the sky
I will achieve great things.
Watch me, watch me
Pay attention to what I can do.
I'll touch the sky
I will achieve great things.
I'll touch
The sky, the sky
I will soar higher than ever before.
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jenna Wilkinson
Disconnected, it's the way that I wanted it to be
The Cult Electric is my favorite record of the week
Cause I'm not feeling sweet
But I can't say that, when everyone is so judgmental
And I can't play back, all the times when you were gentle
Cause even you can't be true
It's astounding what love can do to a city
Laurel Canyon was the best place for you and me to be
I chose the curtains and I dreamed a dream of domesticity
What a freak you made of me
Now I'm on Zoloft, because you told me I was crazy
And I won't jump, cause now I know you'd never catch me
And I can't leave you, because you swore you'd never let me
But even you talk shit too
It's January when I jumped the fence of your backyard
Finish the fairy tale that you were drunk enough to start
It's kind of scary when your lover leaves you for a movie star
And I'm still in the dark
But you have trained me, to watch my back and drop my standards
And you have shamed me, since the first time you were with her
And you cant make me, love your band or buy your records
Cause you have tainted, my respect for your adventures
And you will never have the chance to trace my features (it's kind of scary when your lover leaves you)
And you will never make me feel like such a loser (it's kind of scary when your lover leaves you)
And you can have the past 'cause I'm in love with the future (it's kind of scary when your lover leaves you)
I'm in love with the future (it's kind of scary when your lover leaves you)
And I have met a boy who makes you look so shallow (it's kind of scary when your lover leaves you) (I'm in love with the future)
And there is so much time and so much space to travel (it's kind of scary when your lover leaves you) (I'm in love with the future)
And I will make the climb and I will kiss the gravel (it's kind of scary when your lover leaves you) (I'm in love with the future)
(Touch the sky) (It's kinda scary)
And I will kiss the gravel (I'm in love with the future)
(Touch the sky) (It's kinda scary)
And I will kiss the gravel
I'll touch the sky
I'll touch the sky
Watch me, watch me
I'll touch the sky
I'll touch
The sky, the sky
Jenna Wilkinson
Disconnected, it's the way that I wanted it to be
The Cult Electric is my favorite record of the week
Cause I'm not feeling sweet
But I can't say that, when everyone is so judgmental
And I can't play back, all the times when you were gentle
Cause even you can't be true
It's astounding what love can do to a city
Laurel Canyon was the best place for you and me to be
I chose the curtains and I dreamed a dream of domesticity
What a freak you made of me
Now I'm on Zoloft, because you told me I was crazy
And I won't jump, cause now I know you'd never catch me
And I can't leave you, because you swore you'd never let me
But even you talk shit too
It's January when I jumped the fence of your backyard
Finish the fairy tale that you were drunk enough to start
It's kind of scary when your lover leaves you for a movie star
And I'm still in the dark
But you have trained me, to watch my back and drop my standards
And you have shamed me, since the first time you were with her
And you cant make me, love your band or buy your records
Cause you have tainted, my respect for your adventures
And you will never have the chance to trace my features (it's kind of scary when your lover leaves you)
And you will never make me feel like such a loser (it's kind of scary when your lover leaves you)
And you can have the past 'cause I'm in love with the future (it's kind of scary when your lover leaves you)
I'm in love with the future (it's kind of scary when your lover leaves you)
And I have met a boy who makes you look so shallow (it's kind of scary when your lover leaves you) (I'm in love with the future)
And there is so much time and so much space to travel (it's kind of scary when your lover leaves you) (I'm in love with the future)
And I will make the climb and I will kiss the gravel (it's kind of scary when your lover leaves you) (I'm in love with the future)
(Touch the sky) (It's kinda scary)
And I will kiss the gravel (I'm in love with the future)
(Touch the sky) (It's kinda scary)
And I will kiss the gravel
I'll touch the sky
I'll touch the sky
Watch me, watch me
I'll touch the sky
I'll touch
The sky, the sky
VLRMusica
Why is this album never to be found in Spotify or even in the official s Veruca Salt's site or YouTube page? I loved this CD. Didn't sound like Louise and Nina's VS, but it was cool.. so raaaw ❤️
VLRMusica
By the way. I have this CD (album)
caivs
i heard this on loveline from 2000. adam carolla was taken a bit aback and said the song was quite haunting. he normally doesn't comment on guests' songs.
GB
Still remember going to the record store to buy this cd despite being too young for parental advisory. Classic album
Ruby Wilson
...Did she low-key roast Dave Grohl?
Karmapur
Yes she did!
JL PM
Pretty much
Kip Vaughan
My favorite from this album. Wonder why it didn’t airplay?
Karmapur
They never got the airplay they deserved except fir the two big songs, Wish they would put I=out another LP. I was lucky enough to see them Feb, 2017.