Wussy is a four-piece rock and roll band comprising ex-Ass Ponys frontman C… Read Full Bio ↴Wussy is a four-piece rock and roll band comprising ex-Ass Ponys frontman Chuck Cleaver (guitar, vocals), Lisa Walker (guitar, vocals), Mark Messerly (bass, keyboards) John Erhardt (pedal steel) and Joe Klug (drums). They formed in Cincinnati, Ohio in the early 2000's with original drummer Dawn Burman.

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.

Soak It Up
Wussy Lyrics

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You cut off your hair despite all the warnings
And burned all my letters on your concrete block
I wasn't there when they found you in the morning
I found a bullet while you were finding god

I'll take the blame
But drinking's just too easy
And I can't soak it up

When the memories start to run
I have a plan that could
Get us to the next town
But I never thought I'd drive
This far without a gun

When the hurricane came I didn't board the windows
I knew by the name it was coming for me
I wasn't there when the sun came in the morning
I never had a reason to stay anyway

I'll take the shot
Right between the eyes
But I just can't soak it up
When the memories start to run
I have a plan that could
Get us through the next four summers

I never thought I'd drive
This far without a gun

Overall Meaning

The song Soak It Up by Wussy is a poignant and reflective ballad about loss, regret, and the struggle to move on. The lyrics detail the aftermath of a break-up or a loss of a loved one, with the singer grappling with the memories and emotions that come flooding back. The opening lines speak of the woman cutting off her hair and burning the letters, symbolic of a break from the past, and the singer's absence when she is found dead in the morning adds to the sense of disconnectedness and guilt. The mention of finding a bullet while she was "finding god" suggests a connection to mental health or suicide, and the singer's sense of responsibility and struggle to cope with the loss is palpable in the lines "I'll take the blame / But drinking's just too easy / And I can't soak it up / When the memories start to run."

The second verse continues the themes of loss and regret, with the hurricane acting as a metaphor for the tumultuous emotions that the singer is experiencing. The use of "I knew by the name it was coming for me" suggests a sense of inevitability and helplessness, and the final lines "I never had a reason to stay anyway" add to the melancholy and sense of resignation. The chorus repeats the sentiment that the singer cannot "soak it up" or deal with the memories, and the final lines "I never thought I'd drive / This far without a gun" add a layer of uncertainty and foreboding.

Overall, Soak It Up is a hauntingly beautiful song that speaks to the universal experiences of loss and grieving, with the lyrics offering a raw and honest portrayal of the emotions that come with it.

Line by Line Meaning

You cut off your hair despite all the warnings
You ignored all the warnings and cut off your hair

And burned all my letters on your concrete block
You destroyed all the letters I wrote to you and burned them on a concrete block

I wasn't there when they found you in the morning
I wasn't there when you were discovered in the morning

I found a bullet while you were finding god
I discovered a bullet while you were searching for faith

I'll take the blame
I am willing to accept responsibility

But drinking's just too easy
But alcohol is an easy escape

And I can't soak it up
And I can't handle the emotions

When the memories start to run
When memories begin to flood back

I have a plan that could
I have a potential solution

Get us to the next town
To take us to a new place

But I never thought I'd drive
But I never anticipated driving