The band's original members were singer-songwriter-guitarist Rachel Flotard and drummer Ben Hooker, both formerly of Hafacat; and Kim Warnick, formerly of the Fastbacks. Warnick retired at the end of 2004, but Muffs co-founder Ronnie Barnett signed on to play the bass during the band's 2005 tour.
Visqueen's song "Vaxxine" has received frequent airplay on U.S. independent radio stations.
Rachel Flotard also writes a love advice column for Seattle-based online publication Three Imaginary Girls called Love is Hard with Rachel Flotard, where she dolls out spirited, sharp-witted advice for the love-lorn.
A Viewing
Visqueen Lyrics
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Close and sew your pretty eyes shut
It's your funeral from 1 to 3
They never knew you were suicidal
You tried a hundred dresses on but
You're not feeling all that bridal
Dead love, I never meant to lay you out
Has turned me around
Languidly beside me keeping granite hands
On polished granite shoulders
It's your funeral from 1 to 3
They never knew you were still deciding
Some traded you for sympathy
Some were never worth inviting
Dead love, I never meant to lay you out
Dead love, what's hunting you down
Has turned me around
Long before your love was at my door
The letter was dated but can't resurrect what you mean
One down, one for the team
Visqueen's song "A Viewing" is a haunting and melancholy tribute to a lost love. The lyrics paint a picture of a funeral where the deceased is an apparent suicide, with mourners struggling to come to terms with what has happened. The singer of the song, presumably the one left behind, is clearly still grieving and confused over their lover's untimely death. They recall how the deceased repeatedly tried on wedding dresses, but in the end, didn't feel "bridal." The lyrics "Dead love, I never meant to lay you out/Dead love, what's hunting you down/Has turned me around" further drive home the sense of regret and confusion that comes with sudden loss.
Throughout the song, there is a sense of finality and sadness that pervades every line. Even the description of the funeral itself, with "wooden benches" and "purses," feels bleak and stripped down. The use of the phrase "It's your funeral from 1 to 3" emphasizes the idea that this is a predestined event that the singer can do little to change or control. Ultimately, the song suggests that love and loss are inextricably intertwined, and that the memories of those we have loved and lost can reverberate for a lifetime.
Line by Line Meaning
Cry to me from wooden benches, purses
The singer is asking someone to cry to them while sitting on wooden benches and holding purses
Close and sew your pretty eyes shut
The singer is telling the person to close their eyes and sew them shut
It's your funeral from 1 to 3
The singer is referring to the person's funeral that will take place from 1pm to 3pm
They never knew you were suicidal
The artist is stating that nobody knew the person was suicidal
You tried a hundred dresses on but
The artist is saying that the person tried on 100 dresses but
You're not feeling all that bridal
The person doesn't feel like a bride despite trying on so many dresses
Dead love, I never meant to lay you out
The singer is regretting laying out their dead love
Dead love, what's hunting you down
The artist is trying to figure out what caused their dead love to die
Has turned me around
The artist is saying that the circumstances have made them change their perspective
Languidly beside me keeping granite hands
The artist is someone next to them with hands like granite (hard and unyielding)
On polished granite shoulders
The person with granite hands is keeping them on polished granite shoulders
They never knew you were still deciding
Nobody knew that the person was still deciding something
Some traded you for sympathy
Some people traded the person for their own sympathy
Some were never worth inviting
Some people were not worth inviting to the person's funeral
Long before your love was at my door
The singer is saying that the person's love was there long before it was acknowledged
The letter was dated but can't resurrect what you mean
A letter was received but it cannot bring back what the person meant
One down, one for the team
The artist is referring to one person who has passed away, and how it affects everyone else like a team
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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