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.
Icy Blue
7 Year Bitch Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Seethe and burn, you ignite me
You move away but not too far
You move away but not too far
I need to know just where you are
'Cuz I keep track of my friends
And I keep track of my enemies
Who is who, who is who, it changes daily
And you loved her truly yet you loved her cruelly
You loved her truly but you loved her cruelly
You love her
I see you icy blue
Cold and indifferent
No emotion, no commitment
I see she and she sees a red red sea
Bleeding for life, now she's bleeding to death
Feeling the power and the pain
So much loss she tries harder to gain
And you loved her truly yet you loved her cruelly
You loved her truly but you loved her cruelly
You love her
Are you gonna let him, let him love you to death?
Are you gonna let him, let him love you to death?
Are you gonna let him?
'Cuz if he can't break your heart well maybe he'll bust a couple of ribs
I toss and turn, your presence disturbs me
Seethe and burn, you ignite me
You move away but not too far
You move away but not too far
I need to know just where you are
'Cuz I keep track of my friends
And I keep track of my enemies
Who is who, who is who, it changes daily
I see you icy blue
Cold and indifferent
No emotion, no commitment
Are you gonna let him?
Let him love you to death?
Are you gonna let him?
Let him love you to death?
Are you gonna let him, let him love you to death?
Are you gonna let him?
And he loved you truly yet he loved you cruelly
He loved you truly but he loved you cruelly
The opening verses of "Icy Blue" by 7 Year Bitch expresses a sense of restlessness and unease. The presence of someone seems to be causing disturbance and igniting intense emotions. The singer appears to be keeping tabs on people, knowing where they are, and distinguishing between friends and enemies. The chorus "And you loved her truly yet you loved her cruelly, you loved her truly but you loved her cruelly, you love her" implies a relationship where love and cruelty both exist in equal measure.
Later verses depict the singer seeing someone as being "icy blue, cold and indifferent" and lacking emotion or commitment. Meanwhile, a person who is bleeding out profusely sees themselves in a sea of red while striving to retain strength amidst their loss. The repeated questioning "Are you gonna let him, let him love you to death?" seems to suggest that someone is knowingly allowing themselves to be hurt and that they may end up dead if this continues. The final verse recalls the opening lyrics, implying that the singer may be struggling with these feelings for some time. Overall, the song is a tragic portrayal of an unhealthy and damaging relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
I toss and turn, your presence disturbs me
The singer is kept awake by the thought of the addressee.
Seethe and burn, you ignite me
The addressee inspires powerful emotions in the singer, both positive and negative.
You move away but not too far
The addressee is emotionally present but physically distant from the singer.
I need to know just where you are
The singer feels a compulsive need to keep tabs on the addressee.
'Cuz I keep track of my friends
The singer is a vigilant and calculating person who monitors the relationships in their life.
And I keep track of my enemies
The singer is not just wary of strangers, but also people they consider to be enemies.
Who is who, who is who, it changes daily
The singer's view of their relationships with others is subject to frequent change.
And you loved her truly yet you loved her cruelly
The addressee had genuine feelings for someone but also treated them harshly.
You loved her truly but you loved her cruelly
The addressee's feelings for the person were complex and conflicted.
You love her
The addressee currently has strong feelings for someone.
I see you icy blue
The addressee appears to the singer as if they are devoid of warmth or compassion.
Cold and indifferent
The addressee seems emotionally distant and disengaged from those around them.
No emotion, no commitment
The addressee appears to lack emotional depth and is unwilling to commit to anything or anyone.
I see she and she sees a red red sea
Another person is experiencing emotional distress so intense that it seems like a violent ocean of blood.
Bleeding for life, now she's bleeding to death
The person is not just emotionally hurt but is suffering in a way that feels genuinely life-threatening.
Feeling the power and the pain
The person who is struggling is not just in emotional distress but seems to be struggling with the feeling of being overwhelmed.
So much loss she tries harder to gain
The person who is struggling feels like they are losing everything and is doubling down in their efforts to regain some feeling of control.
Are you gonna let him, let him love you to death?
The singer asks if the addressee will allow themselves to be hurt so much that it could be lethal.
Are you gonna let him?
The singer repeats the question to emphasize the importance of the choice being made by the addressee.
'Cuz if he can't break your heart well maybe he'll bust a couple of ribs
The singer warns the addressee that if they can't be hurt emotionally, the one who wishes to hurt them might become physically violent instead.
And he loved you truly yet he loved you cruelly
Another person in the singer's life had honest feelings for the addressee, but they acted on these feelings in a hurtful or destructive way.
He loved you truly but he loved you cruelly
Even though this person loved the addressee, it was in a way that caused harm or left emotional scars.
Contributed by Hudson T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Gi Gard
I toss and turn, your presence disturbs me
Seethe and burn, you ignite me
You move away but not too far
You move away but not too far
I need to know just where you are
'Cuz I keep track of my friends
And I keep track of my enemies
Who is who, who is who, it changes daily
And you loved her truly yet you loved her cruelly
You loved her truly but you loved her cruelly
You love her
I see you icy blue
Cold and indifferent
No emotion, no commitment
I see she and she sees a red red sea
Bleeding for life, now she's bleeding to death
Feeling the power and the pain
So much loss she tries harder to gain
And you loved her truly yet you loved her cruelly
You loved her truly but you loved her cruelly
You love her
Are you gonna let him, let him love you to death?
Are you gonna let him, let him love you to death?
Are you gonna let him?
'Cuz if he can't break your heart well maybe he'll bust a couple of ribs
I toss and turn, your presence disturbs me
Seethe and burn, you ignite me
You move away but not too far
You move away but not too far
I need to know just where you are
'Cuz I keep track of my friends
And I keep track of my enemies
Who is who, who is who, it changes daily
I see you icy blue
Cold and indifferent
No emotion, no commitment
Are you gonna let him?
Let him love you to death?
Are you gonna let him?
Let him love you to death?
Are you gonna let him, let him love you to death?
Are you gonna let him?
And he loved you truly yet he loved you cruelly
He loved you truly but he loved you cruelly
Holly Sorensen
Such an underrated band. 💗
Tangerine Daydream Official
Truth... I found this band and instantly could feel the talent in the emotions and words. Classic Punk is so great
Gi Gard
I toss and turn, your presence disturbs me
Seethe and burn, you ignite me
You move away but not too far
You move away but not too far
I need to know just where you are
'Cuz I keep track of my friends
And I keep track of my enemies
Who is who, who is who, it changes daily
And you loved her truly yet you loved her cruelly
You loved her truly but you loved her cruelly
You love her
I see you icy blue
Cold and indifferent
No emotion, no commitment
I see she and she sees a red red sea
Bleeding for life, now she's bleeding to death
Feeling the power and the pain
So much loss she tries harder to gain
And you loved her truly yet you loved her cruelly
You loved her truly but you loved her cruelly
You love her
Are you gonna let him, let him love you to death?
Are you gonna let him, let him love you to death?
Are you gonna let him?
'Cuz if he can't break your heart well maybe he'll bust a couple of ribs
I toss and turn, your presence disturbs me
Seethe and burn, you ignite me
You move away but not too far
You move away but not too far
I need to know just where you are
'Cuz I keep track of my friends
And I keep track of my enemies
Who is who, who is who, it changes daily
I see you icy blue
Cold and indifferent
No emotion, no commitment
Are you gonna let him?
Let him love you to death?
Are you gonna let him?
Let him love you to death?
Are you gonna let him, let him love you to death?
Are you gonna let him?
And he loved you truly yet he loved you cruelly
He loved you truly but he loved you cruelly
Brooklyn Norman
This band was so fucking underrated.. I love this shit.
rippandora08
This brings me bk to my High school fays. Man, the 90's were the best!! :)
Rachel Miller
Cuz if he can't break your heart, maybe he'll bust a couple of ribs.
Bill Skinner
Are you gonna let him love you, love you to DEATH?!!
Melissa Dallas
My jam💗
KMichele M
I love these chicks and this song man
Kathryn Lewis
I have always loved this song. Love you girls. You probably don't remember but at a party you picked out my abuser and kicked him out and I will never forget that.