Back to the Shack

"Back to the Shack" is a song by the American rock band Weezer. It was released as the first single from their ninth studio album Everything Will Be Alright in the End on July 22, 2014. The song was sent to radio stations and uploaded to Weezer's YouTube channel a day before the single's official release. It was written in response to the band's past several albums, with lead vocalist Rivers Cuomo wanting to return to their roots. The song received generally favorable reviews.

## Overview

"Back to the Shack" was written by Rivers Cuomo and Jacob Kasher Hindlin. The song was produced by Ric Ocasek. Cuomo wrote a majority of the song, with Karl Koch describing Jacob Kasher Hindlin's contribution to the song as "randomly singing out the title while hanging out on the couch listening to [Rivers Cuomo] strumming the song. It doesn't take much to get half a songwriting credit." At one point, the song was performed with the bridge containing the lyric "we belong in the rock zone", before Cuomo, based on fan suggestions changed it from "rock zone" to "rock world". Regarding the composition of the song, Cuomo stated that he "tried to find different melodies and different beats and all these different things." Further, he stated that as he "couldn't crack the code" they had to go ahead and record it anyway. Ocasek introduced a synth melody line to the song during this period.

Cuomo explained that the lyrics refer to how he feels bad for the direction the band has taken on some of their past material. He admitted that sometimes he "went over the edge". He explained his desire to create "a classic alt-rock record." The word "shack" serves as a reference to Amherst house, a home where some of the original Weezer members had lived and recorded a few of their demos.

Lyrically, "Back to the Shack" deals with the theme of nostalgia and a wish to return "to [the band's] 1994 roots". Dave Lewis stated the song serves as a thematic continuation of two previous Weezer songs, "In the Garage" and "Memories". It also deals with Weezer's relationship with their fans and serves as "basically an apology for the past two decades and a promise to embrace their nerdy roots." The song's opening lines—"I'm sorry guys, I didn't realize that I needed you so much"—in particular reinforce this theme. The song has been categorized under alternative rock and power pop.

## Music Video

The video for the song was directed by Warren Fu. It premiered on September 29, 2014 on noisey.vice.com.

## Lyrics

[Verse 1]

Sorry guys, I didn't realize that I needed you so much

I thought I'd get a new audience, I forgot that disco sucks

I ended up with nobody and I started feelin' dumb

Maybe I should play the lead guitar and Pat should play the drums

[Chorus]

Take me back, back to the shack

Back to the strat with the lightning strap

Kick in the door, more hardcore

Rockin' out like it's '94

Let's turn up the radio

Turn off those stupid singing shows

I know where we need to go

Back to the shack

[Verse 2]

I finally settled down with my girl and I made up with my dad

Had to go and make a few mistakes so I could find out who I am

I'm lettin' all of these feelings out even if it means I fail

'Cause this is what I was meant to do and you can't put that on sale

[Chorus]

Take me back, back to the shack

Back to the strat with the lightning strap

Kick in the door, more hardcore

Rockin' out like it's '94

Let's turn up the radio

Turn off those stupid singing shows

I know where we need to go

Back to the shack

[Bridge]

We belong in the rock world

There is so much left to do

If we die in obscurity, oh well

At least we raised some hell

[Guitar Solo]

[Chorus]

Take me back, back to the shack

Back to the strat with the lightning strap

Kick in the door, more hardcore

Rockin' out like it's '94

Let's turn up the radio

Turn off those stupid singing shows

I know where we need to go

Back to the shack

## See Also

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