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.
Fragile
Veruca Salt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Four o'clock in the morning
I close my eyes and consider you
Is this some kind of warning
To let me know you're just passing through my life?
It's a good place to be
For someone like you to take solace in me
For someone as eager as you
Can break me in threes
And break through my needs
To get to the dirt
You learned how to hurt... me
Six o'clock in the evening
I brush my hair and will you to know
Is this some kind of teasing?
And are you prepared to be half as true as you try,
As you try hard to be?
Someone so cautious and careful and free
And why are you waiting for me?
You're steady and stable and able to be close to me
I'm strapped to my seat
The tables have turned
You know how they burn right through me
Why do you wrestle with my right to be different from you?
Why do you settle for me if it's not what you wanted to do?
I'm fragile too
I'm fragile too
I'm fragile too
Only with you
Four o'clock in the morning
I hold your head and take care of you
Are these symptoms of touring?
Did someone you love leave you black and blue?
Sometime, somewhere I'll never be
Aware of misfortunes and torture and grief
This life is a good place to be
For someone as fragile as you
I'm fragile too
I'm fragile too
I'm fragile too
But only with you
Only with you
I'm fragile too
But only with you
Only with you
I'm fragile too
But only with you
I'm fragile too (7x)
But only with you
Only with you
I'm fragile too
But only with you.
The lyrics of "Fragile" by Veruca Salt are tinged with vulnerability, as they explore the complex emotions of someone who is struggling with the fragility of their relationship. The opening verse sets the tone for the entire song, with the singer feeling like their partner is only passing through their life. They acknowledge that this individual is a good source of solace for them but also recognize how easily they could be broken in their presence. As the song continues, the lyrics delve into the idea that the singer is incredibly fragile themselves but only with this one specific person. They ask their partner why they settle for them, indicating that there may be a power dynamic at play in the relationship.
The bridge of the song is where the singer declares that they too are fragile, but only with this specific person. It's almost as if they are saying that they are not weak in general, but only when it comes to this one relationship. The closing verse continues to explore the idea of fragility, with the singer taking care of their partner in the wee hours of the morning and wondering if their current struggles are related to a past relationship.
Overall, Veruca Salt's "Fragile" is a melancholic song about the complexity of relationships and the vulnerability that comes with them.
Line by Line Meaning
Four o'clock in the morning
It's a very early hour, and the singer is reflecting on their feelings for someone else.
I close my eyes and consider you
The singer is thinking deeply about the person they have feelings for.
Is this some kind of warning
The singer is questioning whether their feelings are a sign that something bad is going to happen.
To let me know you're just passing through my life?
The artist is considering whether the other person is only in their life for a brief period of time.
It's a good place to be
The artist feels satisfied with their current emotional state.
For someone like you to take solace in me
The singer feels like they are someone that the other person can rely on for comfort and understanding.
This is my fragile reality
The singer recognizes that their emotional state is precarious and easily shaken.
For someone as eager as you
The artist acknowledges that the other person is also emotionally fragile and needs support.
Can break me in threes
The artist is vulnerable to being hurt by the other person.
And break through my needs
The other person is able to penetrate the artist's emotional defenses.
To get to the dirt
The other person is able to uncover the singer's hidden emotional pain.
You learned how to hurt... me
The other person has the power to cause the artist emotional pain.
Six o'clock in the evening
It is now early evening, and the singer is again reflecting on their relationship with the other person.
I brush my hair and will you to know
The singer is trying to communicate their feelings to the other person, even if it's only through their thoughts.
Is this some kind of teasing?
The singer wonders if their attempts to communicate their feelings will be met with ridicule or indifference.
And are you prepared to be half as true as you try,
The artist is wondering if the other person is really capable of being honest and sincere with them.
As you try hard to be?
The artist is questioning whether the other person is putting in as much effort as they are to make the relationship work.
Someone so cautious and careful and free
The singer sees the other person as someone who is careful with their emotions and values their freedom.
And why are you waiting for me?
The singer is unsure why the other person is interested in them.
You're steady and stable and able to be close to me
The artist sees the other person as emotionally stable and capable of being in a committed relationship.
I'm strapped to my seat
The artist feels stuck and unable to move forward in the relationship.
The tables have turned
The artist feels like the dynamics of the relationship have changed.
You know how they burn right through me
The other person is able to hurt the singer deeply with their actions or words.
Why do you wrestle with my right to be different from you?
The artist feels like the other person is trying to change them or make them conform to their expectations.
Why do you settle for me if it's not what you wanted to do?
The singer wonders why the other person is with them if they aren't happy or fulfilled in the relationship.
I'm fragile too
The singer acknowledges that they themselves are emotionally fragile and in need of care and support.
Only with you
The singer feels like they are only able to be vulnerable with the other person.
Four o'clock in the morning
The artist is again reflecting on their relationship in the early morning hours.
I hold your head and take care of you
The artist sees themselves as a caregiver to the other person, providing emotional support and comfort.
Are these symptoms of touring?
The singer wonders if the other person is struggling with the pressures of their career or lifestyle.
Did someone you love leave you black and blue?
The singer wonders if the other person has experienced emotional or physical abuse in a past relationship.
Sometime, somewhere I'll never be
The artist acknowledges that they will never fully understand the other person's experiences or emotions.
Aware of misfortunes and torture and grief
The artist recognizes that the other person has lived through difficult and painful experiences.
This life is a good place to be
Despite the challenges and struggles of relationships, the artist still sees life as worth living.
For someone as fragile as you
The singer recognizes that the other person is also emotionally fragile and in need of care and support.
I'm fragile too
The artist acknowledges that they themselves are emotionally fragile and in need of care and support.
Only with you
The singer feels like they are only able to be vulnerable with the other person.
I'm fragile too
The singer acknowledges that they themselves are emotionally fragile and in need of care and support.
But only with you
The singer feels like they are only able to be vulnerable with the other person.
I'm fragile too (7x)
The repeated line emphasizes that both the artist and the other person are emotionally fragile.
But only with you
The artist feels like they are only able to be vulnerable with the other person.
Contributed by Kaylee O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@jarmanglover216
This song is awesome i like it