Prone to downtime due to Keenan's other musical commitments, the band has featured a variety of musicians throughout alternating periods of activity and inactivity, and has changed line-ups on each album, leaving Keenan and Howerdel the only constant members. The original incarnation of the band included Paz Lenchantin on bass, Troy Van Leeuwen on guitar, and Josh Freese on drums. Primus drummer Tim Alexander had briefly stood in as a drummer prior to Freese in the band's initial live shows; however, this was prior to releasing any material. Band collaborator and producer Danny Lohner and Marilyn Manson bassist Jeordie White were also members for a short period in the early 2000s. The band's current lineup features the Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha, bassist Matt McJunkins, and drummer Jeff Friedl, the latter two also being contributors to the related Puscifer and Ashes Divide projects. Despite the varied cast and numerous lineup changes, the stylistic content of A Perfect Circle's songs has remained consistent with Howerdel as music composer, and Keenan writing lyrics and vocal melodies. The band's studio albums have been generally well received critically and commercially, with their first three studio albums selling 4 million copies collectively as of 2005.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Perfect_Circle
Studio albums
Mer de Noms (2000)
Thirteenth Step (2003)
Emotive (2004)
Eat the Elephant (2018)
Hollow
A Perfect Circle Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Run him like a blade to and through the heart
No conscience, one motive
To cater to the hollow
Screaming feed me here
Fill me up again
And temporarily pacify this hungering
So grow, libido, throw
Dominoes of indiscretions down
Falling all around, in cycles, in circles
Constantly consuming
Conquer and devour
'Cause it's time to bring the fire down
Bridle all this indiscretion
Long enough to edify
And permanently fill this hollow
Screaming feed me here
Fill me up again
Temporarily pacifying
Feed me here
Fill me up again
Temporarily pacifying
The lyrics of A Perfect Circle's song Hollow delve deep into the psyche of a human being and the emptiness that resides within. The song is about an individual who is consumed by their own desires and is willing to do anything to fill the void inside them. The song starts off with the line "Run desire, run, sexual being," which suggests that the person in question is driven by their sexual urges and is running towards anything that can satisfy them. The next line "Run him like a blade to and through the heart" indicates that the person is willing to use anyone or anything to get what they want.
The lyrics then talk about how the person has no conscience and only one motive - to cater to the hollow. This suggests that the person is completely self-centered and is only focused on fulfilling their own desires. The line "So grow, libido, throw, Dominoes of indiscretions down" indicates that the person is reckless and is willing to engage in any kind of behavior to satisfy their desires.
The song then talks about the constant cycle of consumption and the need to conquer and devour. The final lines of the song "Feed me here, Fill me up again, Temporarily pacifying" show that although the person's desires may be temporarily fulfilled, the emptiness inside them remains. The song is a powerful commentary on the human condition and the constant search for fulfillment.
Line by Line Meaning
Run desire, run, sexual being
The urge for sex is so strong that it is likened to a thing that needs to run, and giving in to it makes a person feel like they are nothing more than a sexual object.
Run him like a blade to and through the heart
The desire for sex is so intense that it's like a sharp blade piercing the heart, leaving no room for compassion or love.
No conscience, one motive
The person giving in to their sexual desire has no moral compass, no sense of right or wrong, and only one driving force - sex.
To cater to the hollow
The reason for giving in to sex is to fill a deep-seated emptiness, a void inside that they cannot articulate.
Screaming feed me here
The emptiness inside is so loud that it feels like screaming, and the only way to silence it is to indulge in sex.
Fill me up again
The hunger for sex is insatiable, and no matter how much they indulge, it only leaves them wanting more.
And temporarily pacify this hungering
Sex is a temporary relief, a way to distract from the emptiness, but it never truly satisfies or heals.
So grow, libido, throw
Sexual desire is encouraged to grow, with no restraint or boundaries, and used to throw caution to the wind.
Dominoes of indiscretions down
One sexual encounter leads to another, and another, until it becomes a string of immoral acts that one feels powerless to stop.
Falling all around, in cycles, in circles
The pattern of sexual desire and indulgence is a vicious cycle that keeps repeating, with no end in sight.
Constantly consuming
The emptiness inside is a never-ending hunger that needs to be fed constantly, and sex becomes the sole focus.
Conquer and devour
To satisfy the hunger, one must conquer and devour others, using them as objects solely for the purpose of sexual pleasure.
'Cause it's time to bring the fire down
The person feels like they need to take sex to the next level, to bring the rawest and most primal form of passion to the forefront.
Bridle all this indiscretion
The person knows that their sexual behavior is out of control, and they want to rein it in and control it.
Long enough to edify
By controlling their sexual behavior, the person hopes to gain a sense of enlightenment and transcendence.
And permanently fill this hollow
By finding a way to fill the emptiness inside through means other than sex, the person hopes to finally find true fulfillment and inner peace.
Screaming feed me here
The person's obsession with sex is still present, but they are trying to find an alternative way to fill the emptiness.
Fill me up again
The person is still searching for fulfillment, but instead of turning to sex, they are searching for alternative ways to fill the void.
Temporarily pacifying
The alternative ways to fill the emptiness may only bring temporary relief, but the person is still hopeful for permanent fulfillment.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Billy Howerdel, Maynard James Keenan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind