They self-released an album called Bliss in 1993 and the gay? EP in 1996, one year after moving to Minneapolis.
12 Rods signed with V2 in 1996 and re-released gay? while they recorded a new album. Split Personalities, which many consider their best album, was released in 1998.
After two strong releases, despite the departure of drummer Christopher McGuire, 12 Rods looked set to make some sort of an impact on the charts with their next album, the Todd Rundgren-produced Separation Anxieties, but it was not to be. The album failed miserably, both critically and commercially, and 12 Rods were dropped by V2.
They struggled on for one more album, 2002's self-released Lost Time, but ceased to be as of 2004.
Currently, Ev plays keyboards for Halloween, Alaska. Ryan performs as FoodTeam using circuit-bent keyboards as a part of the band Mystery Palace on ZOD Records.
Marionette
12 Rods Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
and you know how to move me
(i'm a marionette, i'm a marionette)
hanging from threads i can't see
(i'm a marionette, i'm a marionette)
you cut my strings
and we'll see what freedom brings
am i a casualty when i'm away from you
fucked up but with nowhere to go
(i'm a marionette, i'm a marionette)
i'm slack from my head to my toe
(i'm a marionette, i'm a marionette)
a quick goodbye
doesn't give me time to cry
i'm just a slumping doll with nothing else to do
a black box you're calling my home
(i'm a marionette, i'm a marionette)
the ken doll won't leave me alone
(i'm a marionette, i'm a marionette)
he cut me down to size
and it opened up my eyes
i gotta take the power back away from you
don't wanna be a marionette
not made to be a marionette
don't wanna be a puppeteer's pet
but i'm a marionette cuz i'm in love with you
gonna wish upon a star
tell me who the hell i are
(i'm a marionette like you)
shake that wooden cross
and remind me that you are the boss
so i'll do a little dance designed by you
fucked up but with nowhere to go
(i'm a marionette, i'm a marionette)
i'm slack from my head to my toe
(i'm a marionette, i'm a marionette)
a quick goodbye
doesn't give me time to cry
i'm just a slumping doll with nothing else to do
a black box you're calling my home
(i'm a marionette, i'm a marionette)
the bitch dolls won't leave me alone
(i'm a marionette, i'm a marionette)
they cut me down to size
and it opened up my eyes
i gotta take the power back away from you
The lyrics of "Marionette" by 12 Rods depict a relationship in which one partner feels like a puppet, manipulated by the other. The singer describes himself as a "disposable playtoy" and a "marionette," emphasizing his lack of agency. He is hanging from unseen threads and is completely controlled by his lover, who knows just how to move him. The implication is that the singer is in love with this person but is aware that he is being used.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "I don't wanna be a marionette" over and over, underscoring the singer's desire to break free from his partner's control. He feels "fucked up but with nowhere to go" and is resigned to being a "slumping doll with nothing else to do." However, he realizes that he has to "take the power back away from" his lover, but he is struggling to figure out how.
Overall, "Marionette" is a powerful exploration of the dynamics of an unbalanced relationship, in which one partner is dominant and the other feels powerless. The use of the metaphor of a puppet underscores the singer's sense of being controlled and manipulated, while the repeated refrain suggests that he is determined to break free from his lover's strings.
Line by Line Meaning
a disposable playtoy
I am treated like a toy that can be easily thrown away
and you know how to move me
You have control over me and can make me do anything
(i'm a marionette, i'm a marionette)
I feel like a puppet being controlled by you
hanging from threads i can't see
I am being manipulated and controlled by invisible forces
you cut my strings
If you were to leave me, I would be free from your control
and we'll see what freedom brings
I am unsure of what freedom would feel like because I have never experienced it
am i a casualty when i'm away from you
I fear that I will not be able to function properly without you
fucked up but with nowhere to go
I am messed up, but I have no other options
i'm slack from my head to my toe
I am weak and powerless
a quick goodbye
If you were to leave me suddenly
doesn't give me time to cry
I would not even have time to process my emotions
i'm just a slumping doll with nothing else to do
Without you, I am nothing and have no purpose
a black box you're calling my home
I feel trapped and confined in a dark place
the ken doll won't leave me alone
I am constantly reminded of your control over me
he cut me down to size
I am belittled and made to feel insignificant
and it opened up my eyes
This experience has made me realize the truth about my situation
i gotta take the power back away from you
I need to regain control over my own life and decisions
don't wanna be a marionette
I do not want to be controlled like a puppet
not made to be a marionette
I was not meant to be controlled by someone else
don't wanna be a puppeteer's pet
I do not want to be owned by someone else
but i'm a marionette cuz i'm in love with you
I am willingly allowing myself to be controlled because of my love for you
gonna wish upon a star
I am hoping for a miracle to happen
tell me who the hell i are
I am lost and do not know who I am anymore
shake that wooden cross
You religiously control me like a puppeteer controlling its puppet with strings
and remind me that you are the boss
You remind me of your dominance over me
so i'll do a little dance designed by you
I will do whatever you want me to do, just like a puppet dancing on strings
the bitch dolls won't leave me alone
Other people are also controlling and manipulating me, in addition to you
they cut me down to size
They belittle me and make me feel small
and it opened up my eyes
This experience has made me realize the truth about other people's intentions
i gotta take the power back away from you
I need to regain control over my own life and decisions
Contributed by Thomas W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.