7 Year Bitch was an American punk rock band from Seattle, Washington that w… Read Full Bio ↴7 Year Bitch was an American punk rock band from Seattle, Washington that was active between 1990 and 1997. Their career yielded three albums, and was impacted by the deaths of their guitarist Stefanie Sargent and close-friend Mia Zapata of fellow Seattle punks The Gits.

7 Year Bitch was formed in 1990 by vocalist Selene Vigil, guitarist Stefanie Sargent, bassist Elizabeth Davis and drummer Valerie Agnew. Vigil, Sargent, and Agnew had been playing together in the Seattle band Barbie's Dream Car when their bassist left for Europe. They subsequently recruited Davis and renamed their band after the movie Seven Year Itch.

At their first concert, the band opened for The Gits, who would prove to have a significant influence on their music. In 1991 the band released the single "Lorna" and signed with C/Z Records. Their first album, Sick 'Em, was released in 1992, but it was overshadowed by Sargent's death on June 27. Sargent passed out on her back after returning home from a party where she had drunk alcohol and taken a small amount of heroin. She died of asphyxiation when she failed to wake up after throwing up the contents of her stomach. After a prolonged period of uncertainty, the band decided to continue, recruiting guitarist Roisin Dunne as Sargent's replacement later that year.

In July 1993, longtime friend and Gits frontwoman Mia Zapata was brutally raped and murdered while walking home late at night. This event, coupled with Sargent's death the previous year, had a profound effect on the group. As a reaction, the band recorded and released their second album ¡Viva Zapata! (1994) in tribute to both of their fallen friends. Valerie Agnew also became the primary instigator and co-founder of the anti-violence and self-defence organisation Home Alive. On April 8, 1994, the band played a benefit show for Rock Against Domestic Violence at the Cameo Theatre on Miami Beach, alongside Babes in Toyland and Jack Off Jill.

In 1995 the band signed with Atlantic Records, and in 1996 released their third album, Gato Negro. Following the tour supporting Gato Negro, guitarist Roisin Dunne left, and was replaced by Lisa Faye Beatty, the band's live sound engineer and long-time friend.

In early 1997, the band began recording material for what was to be their fourth album. The band moved from Seattle to California, Elizabeth Davis and Valerie Agnew to San Francisco and Selene Vigil to Los Angeles. With the recent departure of their guitarist, Roisin Dunne and the geographical separation between bandmates, Seven Year Bitch's career came to a close after a final tour with San Francisco's Lost Goat.

Following the break-up of 7 Year Bitch, bassist Elizabeth Davis joined the San Francisco-based band Clone, with whom she performed until 2003. In 2005 she helped to form the band Von Iva. Vocalist Selene Vigil formed a gothic/psychedelic-influenced band by the name of Cistine, in 2000. Roisin Dunne joined the band The Last Goodbye in 2006, and now resides in New York.

Their songs, "The Scratch" and "Icy Blue" were featured in the movie Mad Love with Drew Barrymore and Chris O'Donnell.

8-Ball Deluxe
7 Year Bitch Lyrics

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With the wit of a gnat
And you're tit for tat
Well I'm sick of that
You little dingbat
You little dingbat
Well it's not too deep
And it's not too shallow
There's just enough room for me to wallow

Wallow

Oh my god
He grabbed my tit
Did you give him a slap?
Cuz he was lit
Did you slap him back?
Slap

Well we used to have such a great friendship
Now I'm sittin' on the battleship
The battleship

With the wit of a gnat
And you're tit for tat
Well I'm sick of that
You little dingbat
You little dingbat

Yeah it's not too deep
And it's not too shallow
There's just enough room for me to wallow
Wallow

Yeah you can't finish but you can dish out the shit
And you can tie a knot and it held till you will fall
Maybe a little more than you thought
Maybe a little more than you thought

Yeah you can't finish but you can dish out the shit
And you can tie a knot and it held till you will fall
Maybe a little more than you thought
I used to think about thoughts
And I thought that you might think
But you ran the table
And you scratched on the eight
But you ran the table
And you scratched on the eight

You sank my battleship

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of the song “8-Ball Deluxe” by 7 Year Bitch speaks of the frustration and disappointment caused by the actions of a close friend. The use of the phrase “with the wit of a gnat” and “you little dingbat” shows the anger and irritation towards this person. The reference to “tit for tat” suggests that there may have been a back-and-forth exchange of insults or actions between the two parties, and the singer is tired of engaging in this behavior.

In the second verse, the song takes a more serious tone as it recounts an incident where someone grabbed the singer’s breast without consent. The use of the phrase “cuz he was lit” implies that the perpetrator may have been under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and the singer’s reaction of slapping him is a clear message that this type of behavior will not be tolerated. The final verse shows a shift from frustration to sadness as the singer reflects on the loss of a once-great friendship, comparing it to sinking a battleship.

Line by Line Meaning

With the wit of a gnat
You're not very clever

And you're tit for tat
You always retaliate

Well i'm sick of that
I'm tired of your behavior

You little dingbat
You're foolish

Well it's not too deep
It's not a serious situation

And it's not too shallow
It's not a trivial situation

There's just enough room for me to wallow
I can be upset about it

Wallow
To indulge in self-pity

Oh my god
An exclamation of shock or surprise

He grabbed my tit
He sexually harassed me

Did you give him a slap?
Did you physically retaliate?