33. Hyper Enough

Song: "Hyper Enough"
Album:  Here's Where the Strings Come In
Artist:  Superchunk
Year: 1995
Length:  3:31
Label: Merge Records
Rating:  (none available)

• Download Superchunk - "Hyper Enough".mp3

"I think I'm hyper enough as it is!"

That blast of pure pop excellence from way back in 1995 was my first taste of Superchunk, a band that would go on to be among my top 5 favorite bands of all-time for the entire decade that followed (up to and including today).  So, needless to say, I have fond memories.  The first single off their 5th album, "Hyper Enough" actually scored them a minor MTV and alternative radio hit (which is how I was exposed to it), building on their underground, independent success (of which I was still oblivious at the time).  The rest of the album is pretty brilliant and stacks up well against their more raw, punk rock earlier releases and the more mellow predecessor Foolish.  "Detroit Has a Skyline Too", "Animated Aeroplanes over Germany" and "Hyper Enough" are about as rocking that Superchunk got in the middle years of their career, and while a lot of the music from that time in my life hasn't held up so well upon memory, I still love the entire 'Chunk catalog, and "Hyper Enough" is right at the top.

As for the lyrics, well, any long-time fan of the band who owns the Laughter Guns EP knows the story behind this, but for the uninitiated, it's a pretty interesting tale.  The EP included 4 unreleased tracks from Superchunk plus a bonus track, a 42-minute discussion on a college radio station in North Carolina, dissecting the lyrics of "Hyper Enough."  I think the liner notes describe the effort as supposedly a full look at the new album, but the DJs discussing the first song never move past it and actually, if I recall correctly, never really get past the opening verses.  The title of the EP is from a line that the DJs attributed to the song, which sparks about a 10-minute discussion about whether or not Mac is singing "laughter guns" and if so, what that cryptic phrase is supposed to mean.  It's freaking hilarious.  And no, that's not the actual line in the song, although to this day, I'm not sure I ever found out the actual lyrics.  I've posted the best ones I could find below, but I can't vouch for accuracy.  Oh, and here is the take from one of the college DJs featured on the record, as reported on his blog a couple years ago...

While I'm talking about Superchunk and dabbling in the art of Merge-inspired mp3 blogging, I might as well go ahead and share an mp3 of that infamous Superchunk bonus track for which I am partially responsible. Over 8 years ago, a couple of other WXYC DJs and I got on the air and jokingly took the art of deconstruction and lyrical overanalysis to absurd new heights by talking about Superchunk's "Hyper Enough" single for an entire hour. We had a really enjoyable time doing it, and the band thought the show was funny enough to warrant tacking it onto the end of their next EP, titled "The Laughter Guns EP" in reference to our mistaken version of the lyrics. This one's a really huge file because it's 42 minutes long. 

Interestingly enough, things came full circle with this incident earlier this week.  During the special 3-hour Merge feature on WXYC this past Monday, one of the trivia questions that Spott asked was "What was the name of the WXYC radio show where the DJs talked about 'Hyper Enough' for an entire hour?". "Into the Ground" was the answer that they incorrectly gave, but our show had actually been called "Into the Groove" in reference to its music talk show nature and as a play on the very different WXYC show "Into the Ground" (off the air by that point). Spott had called into that "Laughter Guns" show to let us know that we were getting certain Superchunk lyrics wrong...so it was only fitting that I finally got to return the favor by calling up the Merge feature and clarifying certain words on WXYC's behalf. Lofty currents, indeed...

If it weren't for those (laughter guns??) you're riding on
You would not exist
If it weren't for the flashlight shining in my face
Maybe I could resist

I think I'm hyper enough as it is
I think I'm hyper enough as it is
I think I'm hyper enough as it is
I think I'm hyper enough

When all our bones and muscles hurt
What's so funny about that?
When you remember a saying you can't relearn
What's so funny about that?

I think I'm hyper enough as it is
I think I'm hyper enough as it is
I think I'm hyper enough as it is
I think I'm hyper enough

And I know you are never wrong
I know you are never wrong
I was not weak but the drink was strong
I know you are never wrong

I think I'm hyper enough as it is
I think I'm hyper enough as it is

Comments

[Cleveland Bug Guy]

Damn Yankees!

[hnez brnwvoki]

qwypzguch vjgyw zhysxl zxikav iprjqzvx zpmyowg fhsl

[Impotence causes]

The term "nigga, please", first used in the 1970s by comics such as Paul Mooney as "a funny punctuation in jokes about Blacks," is now heard routinely in comedy routines by African Americans. The growing use of the term is often attributed to its ubiquity in modern American hip hop music.

[Streamlight Polystinger Led]

Stations should do something like "1 song 1 hour once a month". More frequent would probably warrant a mob with pitchforks, we don't want that.

[affordable web design]

is that a poem? it is a little bit funny, all i can see is hyper bla bla bla hyper.lols it is a funny article i ever read so.. thank you!

[AngeWayne]

Well i think you are really hyper.lols all i read is hyper. That was a funny hyper poem i guess. Keep posting an hyper article!

[Loreem]

Is it a poem? i believe, you are really hyper:D I think you are really hyper! I enjoy reading your poem. keep posting!