Kristin Hersh spent more than a decade previously playing with Throwing Muses, releasing several solo albums as well. Her solo tours in the late 1990s and early 2000s focused on acoustic guitar playing. In 2003, she launched the more electric guitar-oriented 50 Foot Wave.
The band was designed as a power trio, with a lineup including former Chalk FarM drummer Rob Ahlers and Throwing Muses bassist Bernard Georges. Hersh contributes guitar, lyrics, and vocals to this project. The band's first live performance was recorded in Burbank in October 2003 and released on a very limited basis as an official bootleg. Among other live appearances internationally in 2004, 50 Foot Wave performed a month-long residency of shows in January that year at the Silverlake Lounge, while the group was based in the Los Angeles area. The group's self-titled studio mini-album was co-released in March 2004 by the band's ThrowingMusic label and 4AD Records.
Hersh has described 50 Foot Wave's music as "having a lot of math in it," while also calling it less emotionally and musically "tangled" than some of her past Throwing Muses work. Others have described some of the new songs as having "confrontational" lyrics.
In March 2005, the group released its long-planned, full-length album, Golden Ocean, on ThrowingMusic, in partnership with 4AD.
The group toured Europe and the United States in 2005, while Hersh simultaneously continued her solo concerts in alternating parts of the year.
In December 2005, the band released a new EP called Free Music! available via free FLAC and mp3 downloads at their website and several download partner sites. The downloads reserved some rights though Creative Commons licenses.
In December 2008, the band released their new EP Power + Light as a stream. In early March 2009, the band released all their previous albums along with a selection of live tracks, an Instrumental EP and the upcoming Power+Light album for download at their website. As before the tracks were available in FLAC and mp3 format and the band reserved some rights though Creative Commons licenses.
Clara Bow
50 Foot Wave Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I never liked you, but I wish I did
But I wish I did
Whether it was soaking in your poppy tea
Or your southern hospitality
Your voice has a sing-song quality
And bones were made to be broken
Yes, all right, I can
With sunburned lips I can bitch
Yes, all right, I can
With sunburned lips I can bitch
About another stupid summer
About another stupid summer
About another stupid summer
About another stupid summer
Paste eaters like this sad season
Strong women gripe and bite your heavy tongues
And bite your heavy tongues
Whether it was soaking in your poppy tea
Or your southern hospitality
Your voice has a sing-song quality
And bones were made to be broken
And bones were made to be broken
Yes, all right, I can
With sunburned lips I can bitch
Yes, all right, I can
With sunburned lips I can bitch
About another stupid summer
About another stupid summer
About another stupid summer
About another stupid summer
The lyrics to the song "Clara Bow" by 50 Foot Wave are quite enigmatic and open to interpretation. The singer is expressing a sense of regret and nostalgia, wishing they had used or liked someone, though it's not clear who they are referring to. The repetition of the line "whether it was soaking in your poppy tea or your southern hospitality" creates a dreamlike quality, emphasizing the foggy nature of the singer's memories.
The lines "your voice has a sing-song quality, and bones were made to be broken" are particularly intriguing. The first half of this line suggests that the person being addressed has a pleasant or musical voice, whereas the second half is darker, alluding to the idea that people are inherently fragile or easily damaged. It's possible that the singer is reflecting on a relationship that turned sour, or perhaps they are simply waxing nostalgic about a summer that has now passed.
The repetition of the phrase "about another stupid summer" at the end of the song implies a sense of resignation. The singer seems to be acknowledging that they will likely experience the same disappointments and frustrations again and again. The line "paste eaters like this sad season, strong women gripe and bite your heavy tongues" adds a touch of bitterness to the overall tone of the song, suggesting that the singer is not entirely at peace with their memories.
Overall, "Clara Bow" is a captivating and poignant song that offers a glimpse into the complexity of human emotion and memory.
Line by Line Meaning
I didn't use you, but I wish I had
The singer regrets not taking advantage of their relationship with someone.
I never liked you, but I wish I did
The singer wishes they had a better relationship with someone they never really enjoyed being around.
But I wish I did
The singer reiterates their regret in not liking someone.
Whether it was soaking in your poppy tea
The artist recalls a specific experience involving someone and their poppy tea.
Or your southern hospitality
The artist recalls another experience involving someone's hospitality.
Your voice has a sing-song quality
The singer appreciates how someone talks.
And bones were made to be broken
The singer acknowledges the fragility of humans.
And bones were made to be broken
The artist reiterates the fragility of humans.
Yes, all right, I can
The artist expresses their ability to do something.
With sunburned lips I can bitch
The artist alludes to potentially complaining about something in a harsh way.
Yes, all right, I can
The singer again asserts their ability to do something.
With sunburned lips I can bitch
The artist again alludes to potentially complaining in a harsh way.
About another stupid summer
The singer references something they may complain about.
About another stupid summer
The singer again references what they may complain about.
About another stupid summer
The singer continues to reference what they may complain about.
About another stupid summer
The artist one last time references what they may complain about.
Paste eaters like this sad season
The artist makes a derogatory comment about those who enjoy certain types of drugs.
Strong women gripe and bite your heavy tongues
The singer suggests that strong women may be prone to complaining about someone who is overly talkative.
And bite your heavy tongues
The singer continues to suggest that someone who is overly talkative could face criticism from others.
Lyrics © HEYDAY MEDIA GROUP LLC
Written by: Bernard Georges, Kristin Hersh, Robert Ahlers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@j0eX
Can't understand why she is not on any "Greatest Guitarists " lists. Makes no sense. Such an imaginative, soulful musician. Thanks for posting.
@sadiqmohamed681
She refused to play nicely with the record companies. I agree with you. And she is till doing it now in 2020.
@AnthonyDOrazio
I mean, she wasn't even the best guitarist in Throwing Muses - but I don't disagree with you.
@MrBardoTube
In an interview she said she was fourth in a best female guitarists ranking
@Ring0fSaturn
Kristin is in a league of her own. On electric or acoustic guitar, she's incredible.
@backcountryme
I was a huge Throwing Muses fan in the 90s. Hearing her voice takes me back.
@Ring0fSaturn
All members of 50 Foot Wave threw themselves 100% into their songs and Kristin's son (?) brings brilliant dance moves to the mix. 🎵🖤
@pachiove
This song is a little masterpiece.
@64TMS
I was just listening to "Bug" over and over (20 times)
@64TMS
Kristen needs to front 3 or 4 more bands and then someone will notice. 🤪