S5 V2: Mike Wheeler Music Analysis
*i know most of us are a little disappointed with the outcome of Volume 2 but I wanted to focus on something to get my mind off the mess :)
The name Butthole Surfers can be interpreted as a reference to people floating down rivers on inner tubes, or a crude reference to homosexual men, as explored in the song “Butthole Surfer” [I analyse this at the very end of this post]. This once again links Mike Wheeler to homosexuality. As we know from extensive analysis, he is not only associated with homosexuality through the narrative and cinematographic choices but also through song, as his previous associations to “Smalltown Boy” and “”Heroes”” are also relevant.
The band did not begin as Butthole Surfers, although they did have a song of that title, ‘Butthole Surfer’. This changed at their first paid concert, when an announcer forgot what the band was called and used the song title for the group's name and they stuck with that. Prior to that, Butthole Surfers performed under a different name at every live show.
Some earlier names: The Dick Clark Five, Nine cm Worm Makes Own Food, The Vodka Family Winstons, Ashtray Babyheads, Ed Asner Is Gay, Fred Astaire's Asshole, The Right to Eat Fred Astaire's Asshole, Zipgun, The Inalienable Right to Eat Fred Astaire's Asshole.
Although these aren’t relevant to Mike’s characterisation (obviously) they do prove the extent of the band’s rebellion and non-conformity as they push the limits of the socially acceptable and strive against modesty.
Genre: experimental/punk/psychedelic/indie rock -which i love for him :)
Song in Season: “Human Cannonball”
Album: Locust Abortion Technician
Themes: pleasure, disorientation, drug culture, dark psychological states, heartbreak, non-conformity, social critique, childhood trauma, change
The piece of work “Fido and the Clowns” by Arthur Sarnoff is portrayed. The archetype of the clown is often analyzed as a reflection of society, an innocent who sees reality without convention, and a figure embodying paradox (humor and horror, public performance and private pain- possibly reflecting Mike’s experience with a facade of conformity/performance). There is a lack of authenticity in the image, due to the eerie feeling the clowns evoke as they play with the dog, both innocent and creepy. This reflects the themes of the corruption of childhood innocence and social critique found in the songs.
Lyrics and Explanation/Connection:
Pardon me, I'm only bleeding
But you cut me to the bone
My imperfections have reduced you
The speaker has been hurt by someone they are in a relationship with. He confesses that his faults/imperfections are what have caused his own pain and his partners attack on him. This could possibly link to Mike and Eleven’s relationship, as Mike’s emotional-distancing and lack of communication are what have lead to the couple’s relationship breakdown, creating room for Eleven to break up with him or distance herself from him- as she is apparently on a suicide mission for the final :/
A part of me was introduced to you
Then it walked right out the door
And tonight you're probably feeling
A part of him knew that something was wrong the day he met her, but he still went through with the relationship. An initial connection/understanding has now been lost. Human cannonball= the partner is shot out of a cannon- Eleven is being released/set free (but this can also present Eleven as a kind of weapon)
It used to be that loving you
And now, now I'm only bleeding
In the beginning it was easy to be in the relationship openly and comfortably (possibly referring to seasons 2 and a bit of 3 as the facade of conformity was easy to maintain) but now the relationship’s love is gone and the speaker is left with only pain to indulge in
Pardon me, I'm only bleeding
But you cut me to the bone
And tonight you're probably feeling
Verse is repeated to add emphasis on the end of the relationship and the partners/Eleven’s release. I feel like his song could be referencing to a Mike and Eleven breakup, maybe not necessarily for Will, but because of the ‘new developments’ regarding Eleven’s arc. This could lean into a Mike and Will endgame.
Other Songs in the Record/Album:
Mike was adamant about defending the record as a good one, so i know this is a reach but i think a bit more can be said about Mike through interpretations of some of the other songs. Most of their songs have abstract meaning, however multiple fitting interpretations can be drawn from them.
[There are a few instrumental songs in the album which can be connected through their loud, heavy sounds- almost as if Mike is trying to avoid silence/ time to reflect or think]
Well son, the funny thing about regret is that it's better to regret
something you have done than to
Regret something that you haven't done
And by the way, If you see your mom this weekend, will you be sure and
[apart from these main lyrics, the phrase “Rape of desire” is repeated in the song]
The title and main riff directly reference Black Sabbath's "Sweet Leaf," a song about marijuana, but the Butthole Surfers twist it into something unsettling and distorted. This seems like a conversation between a father and son, and this is possibly a family with divorced/estranged parents, which could signal to the unhealthy relationship between Mike’s parents, who we have seen arguing in S5. An interpretation suggests that the son is the mistake/regret the father is speaking of, and that he violated his desire by indulging in it. Mike is set as the “mistake,” which forms an interesting connection to Will, as this is what he called himself in the van scene. The idea of regret for Mike could also refer to his reluctance in accepting his sexuality and his feelings for Will- the song a reminder to take action rather than pass opportunity, however, this is submerged within his father’s disapproval. This song can also generally focus on his negative relationship with his father, which we see with the distance in their relationship, unlike the focus on his interactions with his mother. Therefore, Teds attempts to villainise the mother in the song are to be interpreted as wrong. His acknowledgement of Karen as “SATAN” could be due to her open acceptance and encouragement for her son to be open and honest about himself to her, as seen in the S1 ‘coming out’ scene undertones.
You've got nothing to say
You control my thoughts now
This is a metaphorical song for a dead or lost relationship which lingers in memory. The relationship is rotting away. “I talk to you daily/ You’ve got nothing left to say” implies a lack of communication/ connection and a finality in the relationship. The “making plans” and “you control my thoughts now” shows an inability to let go of the past (literally the definition of Mike Wheeler), as the partner/ Eleven moves on planning her future, and the all-consuming nature of the relationship- an obsessive attachment. The “dust from sand” line shows that memory reduces something into nothing, exploring the destructive power of memory and longing for the past- something we know Mike struggles with accepting.
Well, I crawled outa my momma
Well, I was blind as can be I bought my first shotgun
By the time that I was five
Said lord the way that I am living
You know that l'm gonna windup a live Shotgun
This song focuses on the ideas of childhood trauma and premature adulthood, using absurdity to critique American culture. It has hints of old country, mixed with punk rock to bring on an absurdist outlook on American tradition. It follows the story of a baby ages 3-5 indulging in alcohol, women and shotguns. I believe the message conveyed here is that these STEREOTYPICAL MALE INTERESTS ARE ENFORCED ON YOUNG BOYS. This song perfectly translates Mike’s experience with being forced/ feeling obligated to grow up and become what is known as a traditional definition of a man (S3 Mike). The phrase “blind as can be” shows how Mike was not fully developed or able to formulate his own opinions when he was introduced to these masculine ideals. He was blind to the socialisation which guided him to act the way he did, showing the consequences of such toxic male stereotypes. There is also meaning in title “Pittsburg(=industrial/developing) to Lebanon(=historical/natural escape)” suggesting a shift from conformity to self-understanding and acceptance.
A different mix of the "22 Going on 23" recording, played backwards at double speed. What sounds like voices saying "Hey!" in the song are, in fact, field recordings the band made of cows mooing outside a nearby slaughterhouse, also backwards at double speed. In the final part, there is something that seems to be a high-pitched voice speaking gibberish. This is the speech from the beginning of "22 Going on 23," including the repeated words.
The auditory manipulations in the songs can reflect those in real life, maybe suggesting that underneath Mike’s optimistic persona as ‘Mike the Brave,’ he has dark and nihilistic thoughts about the world and the society around him (this is a central focus for the band so it is not only this song which exposes this). Maybe deep down his fear is that they are these cows being lead to slaughter, being mislead by deceptions of hope. That’s why he tries so hard to be a beacon of hope and support for those around him.
Woman: I enjoy your show and I've been trying to get through for quite a while.
Man: Well, We're glad you kept trying
Woman: Umm. I have this problem. Last July, I was assaulted... sexually,
and ever since then, I've been having trouble sleeping.
Woman: I'm 22 going on 23
Man: Medicine... Counselling...
Anxiety... Sleep Programming. Medicine... Sleep Programming
Anxiety... Counselling...
Programming... Depression..
Woman: Well, they told me, when l have these bad dreams, to try and put
dreams, like I come out a winner.
But everytime i try to do that, I
just... don't get anywhere. It seems, I keep having the same dream over and over every night, and
that's why l'm up so late.
Woman: And I watch one soap opera a day. And if he happens to walk in
paranoid. I just jump up and turn off the TV. Except he says, "Is that
day, just sit around and watch TV?" And I love to travel, so l've
mentioned traveling to him.
And finances are no problem.
But he says that he did all the traveling
that he wanted to do while
The lyrics include samples of a phone-in show hosted by one Dr Harry Ruebens, it features the testimony of a caller who has been sexually assaulted, complaining of the trauma she still suffers, followed by another caller describing the frustrations of a homebound, loveless marriage. While the audio sounds deeply distressing, the band has claimed the woman was likely a regular "crank caller" to the show who made up different stories each time. Leary noted she sounded significantly older than 22, leading him to believe the persona was a fabrication. Critics are divided on whether the track is exploitative or cathartic. Either way, the band’s perspective implies that the woman is deceptive. Therefore, the song’s focus is on manipulation and fabrication. This could hint to Mike’s false appearance as this stoic hero and the crumbling of that to reveal an inner-weakness? This character development would have been amazing in V2 but we all know how that went sadly.
[I’ve removed the repetition of lyrics]
I was walkin' down around Venice way
A man came up to me about 40, gay
I say "Go away, okay, no way, hey"
Here we see the speaker rejecting a homosexual man (in California)
I was riding a wave around Malibu beach
And a guy came up to me, he was looking like a leech
He says, "Hey, Sonny boy, can I eat your peach?"
I say "Motherfucker, if you reach I don't know what I'm gonna do"
Again rejection- bear with me pls
I was riding my cruiser down in West Hollywood
And a girl came driving by and she was looking mighty good
Well, I was eating quaaludes like butthole surfers should
She left me there, right there where I stood
We see attraction towards a woman here, however the speaker is taking quaaludes(= psychedelics/hallucination drugs) which are implied to be for gay men (“like butthole surfers[=homosexual men] should”). I might be crazy but doesn’t this imply that the speaker is gay? So the drugs are causing him to see this girl as attractive. This is forced conformity. And even so, the girl does not acknowledge him in that way. ELEVEN LEAVES MIKE.
We all like you cause you're a slut!
Here is either a focus on the misogynistic comments that arise as a shield to an attacked sense of masculinity due to rejection, or a comment directed to gay men, in order to showcase the sexualisation of homosexuality.
Ok well i have no idea if any of this actually means anything maybe I’ve over-analysed but i would think that when they pick these songs they make sure to associate them properly to the characters? So i do not think it’s all unrelated. The main ideas that stick in mind for me are falling out of love, forced conformity, toxic masculinity, longing/yearning, corrupted childhood innocence, sexuality, social criticism. These ideas have always been key in analysing Mike’s character from the perspective of internalised homophobia, so it is shocking to find so many similarities for it all to be unintentional. I feel that for a series that has an impactful focus on music (and that in the scene, Mike and Robin share dialogue regarding the record, encouraging the viewers to pay attention to it), this choice has to be intentional. And to choose such a bold, rebellious album for Mike, a character that so far has been shoved in the back of the narrative as a passive figure (I’m sorry but despite a couple leader moments he has not had a big impact on the narrative, or even a character development arc), there has to be some significance in his role in this show FOR OUTCASTS.
Mike can live up to his character. They need to give his character time onscreen. Not background reactions to conversations or small remarks. I need him in the forefront. To show his value as a main character. A representative of someone. Even if it isn’t for Byler, to save his character from this narrative mess, they need to explain who he is to the viewers. SHOW DON’T TELL. I don’t need another interview where we’re told he is a leader, he is brave, he is compassionate, he is protective. I need to see it onscreen. Give him the ending he deserves as a character of depth and complexity.
Let me know if you have any thoughts on any of this to add!!! 💙💛
