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.
WOLF
Veruca Salt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I knew you well.
There was no time for calling
Me when you fell.
This is a time to take cover
In a wishing well.
Summer was blowing all over me
When you fell.
Out of the sail.
I took a trip when you needed me...
When you fell,
Waters were driving me
To a deep place;
I close my eyes to see
Your sweet face.
A coke inside me,
I slept in hell...
Angels can be so deceiving
When they love you well.
Did you think you would be leaving me?
These are some lavender flowers
In a broken shell; (I was broken)
They comfort me ever since the day when you fell.
When you fell,
Waters were dancing me
In a dark place,
I close my eyes to see
Your determined face,
My secret inside me
I slept in hell...
This is a time for believing
In fairy tales;
One in which you are brought back to me.
Wolf, I cried wolf.
Wolf, I cried wolf.
Wolf, I cried wolf.
The song "Wolf" by Veruca Salt can be interpreted in many ways, but one possible meaning could be about a former lover who betrayed the singer by leaving unexpectedly. The lyrics suggest that the singer was there for the lover during a difficult time, but when the lover fell, they did not reach out for help. The singer expresses their longing for the lover and their sorrow over the loss, using powerful and vivid imagery to convey their emotional state.
The first stanza sets the scene for the rest of the song. The singer describes a time of turmoil and uncertainty, where they knew the lover well but were not able to communicate with them when they needed help. The second stanza reveals the singer's sense of vulnerability and their need to seek refuge in a "wishing well." In the third stanza, the singer recalls a specific memory of the summer when the lover left, when they were surrounded by the beauty of nature but still felt the pain of the loss.
The fourth stanza brings in a new metaphor, comparing the lover to a sailor who takes all the "breathing" out of the sail. This could suggest that the lover drained the singer of their life force and energy, leaving them feeling lost and adrift. The fifth stanza is one of the most powerful in the song, as the singer grapples with the deep pain of the loss, using the metaphor of sinking into deep water. They close their eyes to see the lover's face, suggesting that they still long for them even in their absence. The final stanza contains the repetition of the phrase "Wolf, I cried wolf," which could symbolize the singer's sense of warning that went unheeded by the lover. They may have tried to signal that they were in distress, but the lover did not respond until it was too late.
Line by Line Meaning
That was a time for falling
That was a time when things were going wrong.
I knew you well.
I was familiar with you.
There was no time for calling
There was no time to communicate.
Me when you fell.
When things started going wrong for you.
This is a time to take cover
This is a time to find protection.
In a wishing well.
In a place where it is safe and peaceful.
Summer was blowing all over me
The summer brought a lot of change.
When you fell.
When things started going wrong for you.
Sailors can take all the breathing
Sailors can be very demanding.
Out of the sail.
Putting a lot of work and effort in.
I took a trip when you needed me...
I went away when you needed me the most, when things were going wrong.
When you fell,
When things started going wrong for you.
Waters were driving me
The situation was overwhelming and consuming.
To a deep place;
To a place of deep despair and sadness.
I close my eyes to see
I try to remember and hold onto what was.
Your sweet face.
Your kind and loving face.
A coke inside me,
A drink to help ease the pain and anxiety.
I slept in hell...
I was in a state of deep despair and sadness.
Angels can be so deceiving
Even something that is supposed to bring comfort and hope can be misleading.
When they love you well.
Even the best of intentions can lead to destruction.
Did you think you would be leaving me?
Did you know that you would leave me all alone?
These are some lavender flowers
These are some flowers that bring me comfort and peace.
In a broken shell; (I was broken)
In a place of brokenness and despair.
They comfort me ever since the day when you fell.
They bring comfort to me since the day when you first faced hardship.
When you fell,
When things started going wrong for you.
Waters were dancing me
The situation was unpredictable and chaotic.
In a dark place,
In a place of despair and sadness.
I close my eyes to see
I try to remember the good things that we shared.
Your determined face,
Your unwavering and resolute face.
My secret inside me
My hidden emotions that I keep inside.
I slept in hell...
I was in a state of deep despair and sadness.
This is a time for believing
This is a time for having faith and hope.
In fairy tales;
In a story of hope and happy endings.
One in which you are brought back to me.
A story where we are reunited and happy again.
Wolf, I cried wolf.
I called out for help when there was none to be found
Wolf, I cried wolf.
I called out for help when there was none to be found
Wolf, I cried wolf.
I called out for help when there was none to be found
Lyrics © Hipgnosis Songs Group
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Charles
on Volcano Girls
Louise and Nina are the two singers…