Words Are Enough: Ween
Ween is not for everyone. From a 2003 interview, Ween stated the following: "Our music generally appeals
to children and retarded people, and I'm into that. "
As am I.
Ween, to me, is post-music. They will create songs in the rough aesthetic of whatever it is that currently appeals to them. Like
lorem ipsum dorem copy on a test layout of a
magazine spread, Ween's lyrics often fulfill the rough impression of the genre. Drugs ... may be involved.
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WEEN
 
To download the podcast of this story
click here.
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The example I like to offer the most is from "The Mollusk":
Sgt. Peppery horns triumphantly toot in this tale of a child, a man and a crustacean. An interlude begins, with a narrator intoning:
You see there are three things that spur the mollusk from the sand / the waking of all creatures that live on the land / and with
just one faint glance, back into the sea / the mollusk lingers, with its wandering eye
This all sounds totally great in the song. HOWEVER:
The three things that spur the mollusk are never mentioned.
The second line means absolutely nothing. Maybe it's the three things?
The mollusk is leaving the sea? Or returning? Wha?
Oh its lingering. With one eye. That wanders. I see.
Gibberish! Sweet, sweet gibberish that is hilarious and wonderful at the same time. These lyrics are designed to fill the frame, and the
only statement they make is one that points to the nature of the frame itself.
After steeping yourself in the aesthetic of this album, You'll push through the absurdism, and appreciate the music for its earnest heart,
its meaning not actually reliant on coherence. When you hear their pirate sea shanty "She Wanted to Leave," you might tear up — not because you
buy it, but because you don't buy it, and you embrace it anyway.
People often align postmodernism with cynicism. People might find Ween's lack of earnest dedication to a particular style, or wildly
varying lack of interest in adhering to the rules of musicianship childish or perhaps insulting. But when you strip the illusion of the rules
as reality away, you can reapproach them and find a true affection of the heart, with humor and joy.
Besides, if you don't think "Mister Will You Please Help My Pony" is funny, you've lost your inner child. Or inner retard.
Take your pick.
— Dan Norton)
