Although much of DiFranco's material is autobiographical, it is often also strongly political. Many of her songs are concerned with contemporary social issues such as racism, sexism, sexual abuse, homophobia, reproductive rights, poverty, and war. DiFranco's guitar playing is often characterized by a signature staccato style, rapid finger picking and many alternate tunings. She delivers many of her lines in a speaking style notable for its rhythmic variation. Her lyrics, which often include alliteration, metaphor, word play and a more-or-less gentle irony, have also received praise for their sophistication. She has released 19 solo albums (not including collaborative albums or live albums), all of which were released on her own independent record label, Righteous Babe Records (which she formed in 1989 at the age of 19).
DiFranco has been a critical success for much of her career, though not a commercial one by major label standards, with a career album average of 72 on Metacritic. Living in Clip, DiFranco's 1998 double live album, is the only one to achieve gold record status to date. DiFranco has been praised by the Buffalo News as the "Buffalo's leading lady of rock music".
I Know This Bar
Ani DiFranco Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With a jukebox full of medicine
And Christmas lights blinking
Around a clouded mirror
It's not that far
From old voelkers bowling alley
Just go up there and turn right
You'll probably find grace
Her shift starts at happy hour
She's got this sweet face
Easy as tea leaves to read
You gotta know what to look for
You gotta know what's there to find
But then I guess you don't really know her
So nevermind
I used to hang out a lot around there
In that part of town
Where all the white kids
Still have feathered hair
I know this song
With this one really killer line
I don't remember it exactly
But it slays me everytime
It's on the jukebox there
I know it's number 5403
Go put that song on for me won't you
And make gracie think of me
Ani DiFranco's song "I Know This Bar" tells a story of a familiar bar and its regular visitors that the singer knows well. She describes the bar as having a jukebox full of medicine and Christmas lights blinking around a clouded mirror. The chorus tells the location of the bar, just four blocks away from old Voelker’s Bowling Alley. Here, she expects to find grace and describes her as having a sweet face that is easy to read like tea leaves. However, the singer acknowledges that grace, who starts her shift at happy hour, is not someone everyone knows well, but only those who know what they are looking for.
In the second verse, the singer reminisces about the time she used to hang out a lot around that part of the town, where all the white kids still had feathered hair. She mentions that there is a song on the jukebox with that one really killer line that slays her every time, but she doesn't remember the exact line. She wants someone to put that song on for her and make Gracie think of her.
The song, "I Know This Bar," explores themes of nostalgia, familiarity, and the power of music to evoke emotions and memories. The bar and its regulars symbolize a familiar place and atmosphere that the singer associates with her past. The song hints at a sense of longing for a time and place that has passed, which is fortified by the references to a song with a killer line that the singer can't remember.
Line by Line Meaning
I know this bar
I am familiar with this drinking establishment
With a jukebox full of medicine
The jukebox has a good selection of emotionally healing music
And Christmas lights blinking
Festive lights add to the atmosphere
Around a clouded mirror
A hazy mirror creates a mysterious backdrop
It's not that far
The bar is relatively close by
From old voelkers bowling alley
It's near an older bowling alley called Voelkers
Just go up there and turn right
Directions to find the bar
It's about four blocks from here
The bar is a short distance away, approximately four blocks
You'll probably find grace
A person named Grace likely works there
Her shift starts at happy hour
She begins working during the bar's happy hour time
She's got this sweet face
Grace has a lovely facial appearance
Easy as tea leaves to read
She is easy to understand, similar to how tea leaves are read for divination
You gotta know what to look for
Finding Grace requires observation and familiarity with the surroundings
You gotta know what's there to find
Finding Grace requires prior knowledge about the bar and its employees
But then I guess you don't really know her
The singer may not have a strong friendship with Grace
So nevermind
This makes the previously mentioned point irrelevant
I used to hang out a lot around there
The artist used to spend a lot of time at this location
In that part of town
Refers to the neighborhood or area where the bar is located
Where all the white kids
Implies that the area is predominantly white
Still have feathered hair
The style of hair popular in the past is still being used by some people in this neighborhood
I know this song
The artist is familiar with a particular song
With this one really killer line
The song has lyrics that are particularly impactful
I don't remember it exactly
The singer cannot recall the exact lyrics
But it slays me everytime
The song has an emotional impact on the artist despite not remembering the specific words
It's on the jukebox there
The song is available to play on the bar's jukebox
I know it's number 5403
The song is listed under number 5403 on the jukebox
Go put that song on for me won't you
Asking another person in the bar to play the song for the singer
And make gracie think of me
The artist would like Grace to remember him while the song is being played
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: ANI DIFRANCO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind