90s alternative. People either love it or hate it. Despite the excesses of the genre, or the just plain slackness of it, I still love it. 3 Car Pile-Up was never going to win any awards for their musical contributions–unless it was maybe the high school talent show. Their one and only album is raw, somewhat sloppy, and even kind of juvenile in its approach to both music and lyrics. However, that is exactly what I love about it.
If you can’t relate to the lyrics of “Dweeb” then I’m not sure you actually lived through American Christianity in the 80s/90s:
When I was in grade school, my friends made fun of me
They used to call me stupid names, like “Jesus Boy” or “Freak”
But I knew come Sunday, that I’d be number one
‘Cuz I knew all my verses, and I would get some gum
I’m a dweeb! A dweeb for Jesus!
That is simultaneously the dumbest and most awesome lyric of a 90s Christian band ever. The joys of the Christian life juxtaposed with being made fun of for your lifestyle, plus add a mild dose of martyr complex and stir! What’s really beneath all of that though is the sense that Christianity was more than a belief system–it was our tribe.