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.
The Morning Sad
Veruca Salt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's a long time since last night
I know we said things, the saddest things
And I'm not sure it was wise
When the morning's sad
You don't look back
And you sure don't look ahead
The morning sad
The morning sad
Never had it so bad
Never had it so bad
I'm writing desperate songs
While you're fast asleep inside
I could try to sing
(I could try to bide my time to wake up)
Until it rings
But my voice comes out uptight
So when the morning's sad
You don't relax,
No you cannot clear your mind
The morning sad
You know the morning sad
The morning sad
Never had it so bad
Never had it so bad
I tried a little
I tried a lot
I'm not a window
And you've seen through everything I've got
Oh, I don't think that I'll be safe
Until everyone's awake
Everybody, everybody, everybody, yeah
So wake up and talk to me
Such a long time since last night
I know we said things, the maddest things
And I'm not sure who was right
When the morning's sad
You won't attack
Cause you're much to weak to bite
The morning sad
You know the morning sad
The morning sad
Never had it so bad
Never had it so bad
Never had it so bad
Never had it so bad
Never had it so bad
Never had it so bad
Never had it so bad
Never had it so bad
Never had it so bad
No
Never had it so bad
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Never had it so bad
The lyrics to Veruca Salt's song The Morning Sad are about a couple who are trying to reconnect after a fight. The singer is trying to get her partner to wake up and talk to her, but there is an underlying feeling of sadness that is making it difficult for them to move past their argument. The singer acknowledges that the things they said to each other were sad and perhaps unwise, but they still want to find a way to reconcile. The morning after a fight is always difficult, and it seems that both parties are struggling to come to terms with what happened.
The title of the song, 'The Morning Sad', is a clever play on words. It can be interpreted as a reference to the feeling of sadness that often accompanies the morning after a fight. However, the word 'sad' can also be read as an acronym for 'seasonal affective disorder', a type of depression that is linked to the changing of the seasons. This double meaning adds an extra layer of depth to the lyrics and speaks to the nuanced emotions that the singer is experiencing.
Throughout the song, the singer seems to be struggling with their own sense of self-worth. They talk about writing "desperate songs" and feeling like their voice "comes out uptight". They also express a fear that they won't be safe until "everyone's awake", indicating a sense of unease or vulnerability. It's clear that there is a deeper pain at play here, beyond just the fight with their partner.
Line by Line Meaning
Wake up and talk to me
Please wake up and speak to me, as it's been a long time since we last talked and I'm feeling lonely.
It's a long time since last night
It feels like an eternity since last night, as if time has been slowed down and everything is moving in slow motion.
I know we said things, the saddest things
We had a very emotional conversation last night, and we both said some deeply upsetting things to each other.
And I'm not sure it was wise
In hindsight, I'm not sure whether it was a good idea for us to have such a heated argument and say hurtful things to each other.
When the morning's sad
When you wake up feeling sad and everything around you seems gloomy and hopeless.
You don't look back
You don't dwell on the past or think about what could have been done differently, you just focus on the present.
And you sure don't look ahead
You don't think about the future or plan for what's to come, you're just trying to get through the current moment.
The morning sad
The feeling of sadness that comes over you when you wake up, as if it's a physical weight on your shoulders.
Never had it so bad
I've never felt this low or hopeless before, the sadness is overwhelming.
I'm writing desperate songs
I'm trying to express my emotions through music, but it's difficult because I'm feeling so hopeless and lost.
While you're fast asleep inside
While you're sleeping soundly, I'm lying here awake and tormented by my thoughts and emotions.
I could try to sing
I could try to distract myself from my sadness by singing, but it's not helping because my voice sounds strained and heavy.
Until it rings
I could keep singing until my voice is hoarse, but it's not going to change how I'm feeling inside.
But my voice comes out uptight
My singing sounds forced and unnatural, because my emotions are so overwhelming that I can't express them properly through music.
You don't relax,
You can't let go of your worries and relax, because the morning sadness is weighing you down.
No you cannot clear your mind
Your thoughts are racing and you can't seem to quiet your mind, even though you know it would help ease your sadness.
I tried a little
I've tried to push through the sadness and find joy in the little things, but it's not working.
I tried a lot
I've done everything I can think of to try and shake off the sadness, but it's not budging.
I'm not a window
I'm not someone that you can look through to see into my soul and understand my emotions, because they're too complex and difficult to express.
And you've seen through everything I've got
You know me so well that you can see past my defenses and understand the true depth of my sadness, even when I try to hide it.
Oh, I don't think that I'll be safe
I'm worried that I'll never be able to shake off this sadness and find a way to be happy again.
Until everyone's awake
I'm hoping that once everyone's up and moving, I'll be able to distract myself with their company and start to feel better again.
You won't attack
You're not going to lash out or argue with me, because you're also feeling the weight of the morning sadness.
Cause you're much too weak to bite
You're feeling so exhausted and drained by the sadness that you don't have the energy to pick a fight or be aggressive towards me.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Charles
on Volcano Girls
Louise and Nina are the two singers…