Paul Westerberg once said he wanted the Replacement albums to have a timeless sound and not tied to a decade…for the most part he got his wish. I love the irrelevance of the band…how they didn’t take themselves seriously.
The Replacements were a handful to record but they made some fantastic albums…for me some of the best of the 80s. This song is as subtle as a brick through a window. It’s the band’s open letter about the state of the Replacements and the 1980’s music industry. They were releasing what are now considered classic albums but were getting nowhere. The song is credited to Paul Westerberg, Tommy Stinson, and Chris Mars.
Do we give it up? (I don’t know)
Should we give it hell? (I don’t know)
Are you makin’ a fortune? (I don’t know)
Or don’t you wanna tell? (I don’t know)
Should we give it up? (I don’t know)
Or hang around some more? (I don’t know)
Should we buy some beer? (I don’t know)
Can I use your hairspray?
One foot in the door, the other foot in the gutter
The sweet smell that you adore, yeah I think I’d rather smother
This was off of the album Please To Meet Me recorded in Memphis with Jim Dickinson producing. Dickinson also produced Big Star’s Third/Sister Lovers album a decade before. Bob Stinson was out of the band at this time and it was recorded as a trio of Westerberg, Tommy Stinson, and Mars.
John Hampton was behind the board so Westerberg had fun with him with the line Who’s behind the board? (I don’t know) They tell me he’s a dope (I don’t know).
The lead single off of this album was The Ledge but MTV in their infinate wisdom decided not to play the song because it discussed suicide. I Don’t Know was sometimes used as the closing song on their reunion tour. I like the saxaphone and the energy of it…and it rocks.
Jim Dickinson: “Every day they were like a sine wave, they wouldn’t be drunk enough early on in the day to get anything. Then they’d be good and drunk, and it would be great. And then they’d be too drunk, and they’d get useless.”
“They couldn’t conceivably play the same song four or five times in a row, because they would get bored, so I would pick three or four songs, and we’d cut them like a set.”
I Don’t Know
Do we give it up? (I don’t know)
Should we give it hell? (I don’t know)
Are you makin’ a fortune? (I don’t know)
Or don’t you wanna tell? (I don’t know)
Should we give it up? (I don’t know)
Or hang around some more? (I don’t know)
Should we buy some beer? (I don’t know)
Can I use your hairspray?
One foot in the door, the other foot in the gutter
The sweet smell that you adore, yeah I think I’d rather smother
Should we top it off? (I don’t know)
It’s startin’ to smoke (I don’t know)
Who’s behind the board? (I don’t know)
They tell me he’s a dope (I don’t know)
What the fuck you sayin’? (I don’t know)
Our lawyer’s on the phone (I don’t know)
How much are you in for? (I don’t know)
What did we do now?
One foot in the door, the other one in the gutter
The sweet smell that they adore, I think I’d rather smother
One foot in the door, the other one in the gutter
The sweet smell that they adore, well I think I’d rather smother
(4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12)
Are you guys still around? (I don’t know)
Whatcha gonna do with your lives? (Nothin’!)
One foot in the door, the other one in the gutter
The sweet smell that you adore, hey I think I’d rather smother
One foot in this door, the other one in the gutter
The sweet smell that they adore, oh I think I’d rather smother
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This song is very unique, and they deserve credit for recording it. Something about it reminds me of the Fugs.
It’s raw and punkish…the sax is different.
That was fun! An apparent “unrefined oomph” is a lot harder to achieve than some highly controlled “clean” recordings!
Glad you liked it Bruce. They were a wild bunch but a lot of fun.
Can’t get more raw or ‘garage’-y than that! Am I the only one who’s instantly put in mind of Elvis Costello’s ‘Pump It Up’ by it?
Tempo wise it’s up there.
Love the tune. The Replacements are boss. Great description, “…as subtle as a brick through a window.”
I enjoyed this a lot. The sassy instrumentals not to mention the obtuse lyrics mean this song is a keeper. Thanks Max!
This has an angry, Sex Pistols feel to it. The music industry, in general, sux.
Yes the music business does suck…I love the hairspray line…
Love the engineers take on them- try to get the tape rolling while they’re in that sweet upbeat zone before the buzz goes off.
I seem to have an affinty with these seldom heard bands….drunk or otherwise.
Kind of kindred Spirts?
Yep!
This song ROCKS. First time hearing it. It reminds me a little of ELO. That horn adds so much to it.
Glad you liked it! I like the call and response.
Me too!
I always thought it was about marijuana, with the references to dope and sweet smell. I think Let It Be, and maybe All Shook Down, are the least tied to the era they were recorded in. There is a little bit of 1980s studio gloss on Pleased to Meet Me, but it sounds pretty good.
I pretty much quoted from the book. They were thinking of breaking up at the time. All Shook Down yes…that one is no doubt.
I’m sure you’re right since yours is an official source and mine is a word association thing.
It’s a quite unusual tune – catchy, but in unusual way. That saxophone is really cool. The whole thing definitely rocks! And these lyrics – I don’t know! 🙂
LOL Yea it’s not one of their commercial sounding songs but a cool one.
Great track. Thanks Max.
I can hear how these songs influenced the music of Spoon.
Cool…I just read where Britt Daniel was influenced by them.