Cleaver and Walker began playing together in 2001 as a result of Cleaver’s stage fright when asked to perform a brief run of solo shows. The duo’s first performance was largely unplanned and yet went without incident.. so they agreed to continue and expand. Mark Messerly joined in 2002 as bassist and utility man, and Dawn Burman joined on drums shortly thereafter. The four-piece has released three full-length albums and one EP on their native Cincinnati’s Shake It label. Klug joined the band shortly after Burman's departure in early 2009.
The band is known for its use of "an army of alternately droning and jangling guitars" (Uncut 6/09) to offset the traditional three-minute pop format. Lyrics are typically split evenly between Cleaver and Walker.
Their work has met with critical praise from Rolling Stone and SPIN, both of which gave the band’s second and third albums four stars each, in addition to favorable reviews from Village Voice, NPR, Washington Post, Uncut, and many other press outlets. The “Dean of American Critics” Robert Christgau placed the band’s first two albums (Funeral Dress and Left for Dead) on his Best of the Decade list, and their third album (Wussy) ranked tenth in his best of 2009 Dean’s List.
Crooked
Wussy Lyrics
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After 17 years on this side of town
Singing the songs they learned underground
They've been missing so long
I'm surprised they're around
It wasn't meant the way you took it
With all your pictures hanging crooked
But I was glad to see
This is the part where I break you out
And remove any doubt as to which side I'm on
Taking the chance and breaking the glass
And people will talk
For years to come
It wasn't meant the way you took it
With all your pictures hanging crooked
But I was glad to see
The look on your face anyway
The song "Crooked" by Wussy is a haunting and poetic reflection on the cyclical nature of life and relationships. The lyrics focus on the emergence of insects after 17 years of being underground, likening their emergence to the reappearance of old feelings and memories. The insects are a metaphor for the return of old emotions and thoughts, and the singer expresses surprise and disbelief at their sudden appearance. This can be interpreted as a reflection on the way that old feelings can resurface unexpectedly in our lives, and how we must learn to navigate these changes and find new ways of coping with them.
The song also touches on the idea of breaking free and embracing change. The final lines "This is the part where I break you out / And remove any doubt as to which side I'm on" suggest a willingness to move forward and take risks, even if it means breaking away from the familiar and safe. The singer is willing to take a chance on change, regardless of what people might say or think, and this sense of daring and determination is mirrored in the soaring melody and haunting lyrics of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
This is the night the insects appear
It's the night when insects show up after 17 years on this particular side of town
After 17 years on this side of town
The insects have been absent from this side of the town for 17 years
Singing the songs they learned underground
The insects are singing the songs they learned while living underground
They've been missing so long
They have been absent for a significantly long duration
I'm surprised they're around
It's surprising that the insects are present now
It wasn't meant the way you took it
The singer's words or actions were misunderstood by the recipient
With all your pictures hanging crooked
The recipient's pictures are hung unevenly
But I was glad to see
The artist felt positive about something that occurred
The look on your face anyway
The artist enjoyed seeing the recipient's expression, regardless of the situation
This is the part where I break you out
The artist intends to liberate or rescue the recipient of the message
And remove any doubt as to which side I'm on
The singer is taking action to indicate their loyalty or allegiance
Taking the chance and breaking the glass
The artist is taking a risk by breaking something made of glass or engaging in a potentially dangerous action
And people will talk
The singer's actions will provoke discussion, perhaps even gossip
For years to come
The talk will endure long after the events have passed
Contributed by Jayden C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.