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.
Muscle Cars
Wussy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴
Sleeping under lock and key
Kissing on the fire escape
Rock of ages cleft for me
And the room
Is picking up my cues
It spins and waits to see
It's okay (it's okay)
Pull me under (pull me under)
All the way (all the way)
All the way (all the way)
On the other side of town
You're sleeping through the fire alarms
I could watch this city drown
From your everlasting arms
We could row
Against the undertow
There's nothing here to see
Till you talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk to me
It's okay (it's okay)
Pull me under (pull me under)
All the way (all the way)
All the way (all the way)
It's okay (it's okay)
Pull me under (pull me under)
All the way (all the way)
All the way (all the way)
The sky is falling everywhere
But you don't have to be afraid
It's just bombs bursting in mid-air
For the Independence Day parade
And the stars
Faster than muscle cars
Are racing here to see
If you'll talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk to me
Talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk to me
It's okay (it's okay)
Pull me under (pull me under)
All the way (all the way)
All the way (all the way)
It's okay (it's okay)
Pull me under (pull me under)
All the way (all the way)
All the way (all the way)
It's okay (it's okay)
Pull me under (pull me under)
All the way (all the way)
All the way (all the way)
It's okay (it's okay)
Pull me under (pull me under)
All the way (all the way)
All the way (all the way)
It's okay (it's okay)
Pull me under (pull me under)
All the way (all the way)
All the way
The lyrics to Wussy's song "Muscle Cars" draw upon themes of tension, desire, and hope. The opening verses hint at a sort of claustrophobic intimacy, as the singer describes their subject as "singing on my tape" and "sleeping under lock and key." Meanwhile, the fire escape where the two have shared a kiss is a symbol of escape and forbidden passion. The lines "Rock of ages cleft for me / And the room / Is picking up my cues" suggest both a religious allusion (to the song "Rock of Ages") and a sense of approaching climax or resolution.
The chorus, with its repeated refrain of "It's okay / Pull me under / All the way," emphasizes the sense of surrender the singer feels in relation to their subject. Even as they acknowledge the risk involved ("on the other side of town / You're sleeping through the fire alarms"), they express a willingness to take it. The second verse adds an element of danger to the mix, with the suggestion that the two could "row against the undertow" - another symbol of struggle and resistance.
The final verse, with its reference to the Independence Day parade, creates a sense of both celebration and uncertainty. The "bombs bursting in mid-air" could be seen in a positive light, as a symbol of liberation and triumph, or in a negative light, as a reminder of the dangers that surround us. Either way, the stars racing to see if the subject will "talk, talk, talk" emphasizes the sense of anticipation and longing that permeates the entire song.
Contributed by Sarah T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.