Yerself Is Steam is the 1991 debut album by Mercury Rev. The title is a malapropism of the phrase "Your self-esteem," and is taken from a recurring lyric in the opening "Chasing a Bee." "Car Wash Hair" was released as a single to follow the album. "Very Sleepy Rivers" is supposedly about a serial killer, with the river acting a metaphor for the killer's relative calm and sudden tendency to snap. Dean Wareham made a guest appearance on "Car Wash Hair" and helped with recording, supposedly after Fridmann spent the band's advance on a holiday package .