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".
Slide
Ani DiFranco Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And she was trying to think clear
But she kept opening the fridge door
And looking at the mustard and the beer
And then finally she went out into the rain
Carrying her bicycle chain
And her feet worked the pedals
While her appetite steered
'cause fate is not just whose cooking smells good
But which way the wind blows
She laid down in her party dress and never got up
Needless to say she missed the party
She just got sad
Then she got stuck
She was wincing like something brittle
Trying hard to bend
She was numb with the terror
Of losing her best friend
But she never sees things changing
She only sees them ending
And some vicious whispering voice
Keeps saying you have no choice
'cause when I look at you I squint
You are that beautiful
And my pussy is a tractor
And this is a tractor pull
I'm haunted by my illicit, explicit dreams
And I can't really wake up
So I just drift in between
Thinking the glass is half empty
And thinking it's not quite full
The pouring rain is no place for a bicycle ride
Try to hit the breaks
And you slide
And you slide
And you slide
Ani DiFranco is an American singer-songwriter known for her soulful and introspective lyrics. One of her most popular songs, Slide, tells the story of a woman struggling with mental health issues and the challenges she faces as she navigates through life. The lyrics are poignant and thought-provoking, conveying a sense of vulnerability and despair that many can relate to.
The opening lines of the song describe the singer's hunger and her attempts to find something to eat. She seems to be in a state of confusion, struggling to make clear decisions as she looks over the contents of her fridge. However, she eventually gives up and decides to go out into the rain, carrying her bike chain with her. This scene symbolizes her need for some sort of direction or purpose in life, as she pedals her way forward without a clear destination in mind.
As she continues on her journey, she follows her nose and ends up missing a party she was supposed to attend. This leads to a deep sense of sadness and loneliness, which is compounded by her fear of losing her best friend. The singer is stuck in a cycle of despair, unable to see any hope for change in her life. She feels trapped, unable to make decisions and move forward.
The song's chorus is a powerful metaphor for the singer's struggles. The pouring rain represents the challenges and obstacles she faces, while the bicycle ride symbolizes her attempts to navigate through life. As she tries to break or slow down, she finds herself sliding further and further, unable to gain any traction.
Overall, Slide is a powerful yet haunting song that explores themes of mental health and the struggle to find meaning in life. Its introspective lyrics and soulful melody have resonated with fans around the world and helped establish Ani DiFranco as one of the most respected singer-songwriters of her generation.
Line by Line Meaning
She was hungry so hungry
She was famished and in need of food
And she was trying to think clear
She was attempting to think rationally
But she kept opening the fridge door
She repeatedly opened the fridge, hoping to find something to eat
And looking at the mustard and the beer
She couldn't find anything appealing in the fridge except for condiments and beer
And then finally she went out into the rain
She decided to leave her house and go outside in the pouring rain
Carrying her bicycle chain
She brought her bike chain with her for safety reasons
And her feet worked the pedals
She began to ride her bike through the rain
While her appetite steered
Her hunger influenced her direction of travel
And after that she just followed her nose
She allowed her sense of smell to guide her
'cause fate is not just whose cooking smells good
One's destiny is not solely determined by food
But which way the wind blows
It is also determined by external factors out of our control
She laid down in her party dress and never got up
She became despondent and unmotivated
Needless to say she missed the party
She did not attend the party she planned to go to
She just got sad
She became melancholic
Then she got stuck
She became stuck in her negative emotions
She was wincing like something brittle
She displayed pain and discomfort in a fragile manner
Trying hard to bend
She was attempting to adapt to her new circumstances
She was numb with the terror
She felt emotionally numb and overwhelmed with fear
Of losing her best friend
She feared losing the person closest to her
But she never sees things changing
She struggled to accept change
She only sees them ending
She was pessimistic and focused on endings rather than new beginnings
And some vicious whispering voice
A negative voice in her head
Keeps saying you have no choice
The voice reinforced her feeling of helplessness
'cause when I look at you I squint
The artist perceives the subject as stunningly beautiful
You are that beautiful
The subject is incredibly beautiful
And my pussy is a tractor
An explicit sexual reference
And this is a tractor pull
A comparison to a sexual event
I'm haunted by my illicit, explicit dreams
The artist is haunted by their inappropriate dreams
And I can't really wake up
The artist cannot shake the lingering thoughts from their dreams
So I just drift in between
The singer is stuck between their dreams and reality
Thinking the glass is half empty
The singer sees things in a negative light
And thinking it's not quite full
The artist is never content, seeing things as incomplete
The pouring rain is no place for a bicycle ride
It's difficult and dangerous to ride a bike in heavy rain
Try to hit the breaks
Attempt to stop the bicycle
And you slide
The bike loses traction and slides
And you slide
The bike continues to slide
And you slide
The bike keeps sliding, unable to stop
Lyrics © A SIDE MUSIC LLC D/B/A MODERN WORKS MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: ANI DIFRANCO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind