As of 2009, the band consists of Kristen Henderson on bass guitar/bg vocals, Cathy Henderson on lead guitar/bg vocals, Dena Tauriello on drums and Nini Camps on rhythm guitar and lead vocals.
The band is primarily known as a touring band, at one time performing 260 shows a year. They earned a dedicated fanbase early on that follows them from concert to concert along the East Coast and increasingly across the country. Fans refer to the band simply as "AR" or "Antigone".
Their first four albums were recorded mostly with independent labels and financed through fan donations. In 2003 they signed up with Lava Records after label president Jason Flom spotted them playing at one of their gigs. In 2005, they became the first artists to be promoted in Starbucks' Hear Music Series, created to discover and spotlight new music. The high visibility, exclusive sale, in-store promotion and airplay at Starbucks across the country helped the band's acoustic EP From the Ground Up sell over 450,000 copies by the end of 2005. The album's single, "Don't Look Back," was very popular among country audiences, and its video received heavy airplay on CMT.
Antigone Rising have shared the stage with Joan Jett, The Rolling Stones, moe., Rob Thomas, Aerosmith, The Allman Brothers and The Bangles[1]. They performed at Lilith Fair 1998 and SXSW 2005 and have co-written with Chris Trapper of The Push Stars and Rob Thomas.
Pretty Girl
Antigone Rising Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She spread herself way too thin
Thought she could cut in and win the race
The pretty girl
Did not fit in
I'm so tired of waiting for you
(Pretty girl)
And as she stands there screaming
Pretending that she's leaving
She's used to getting things her way
That girl didn't know what to say
She acted like it was no big deal
Always spinning her tired cliches
Pretty girl
She was not for real
I'm so tired of waiting for you
(Pretty girl)
Pull the trigger
And as she stands there screaming
Pretending that she's leaving
She's used to getting things her way
Her whole life story's fiction
A walking contradiction
The same shit on a different day
Perfect life, perfect world, perfect smile, pretty girl
Surface life, surface world, surface smile, pretty girl
All your life's, an open door, this door's not open, anymore
And if at first you don't succeed
Pull the trigger
And as she lies there bleeding
Resenting not succeeding
The pretty girl just fades away
She wants us all believing
That she's not even grieving
And that she got the final say
Pretty girl, pretty girl, pretty girl,
Pull the Trigger
The song "Pretty Girl" by Antigone Rising is a profound commentary on the façade of a perfect life that can be both isolating and fleeting. The lyricist describes a girl who is always seeking to win, spread herself thin in the process, and yet doesn't fit in. The song quickly moves to the chorus where the lyricist talks about being tired of waiting and urges the pretty girl to pull the trigger. The song moves seamlessly from the figurative language of lacking success to describing the girl's downfall as she screams and walks away, unable to accept not getting what she wants. The song's message is a serious act of protest against the kinds of ideals beauty standards often set for women, and how the immediate gratification of those ideals eventually lead to disappointment, hurt, and loneliness. The song’s argument to “pull the trigger” is not one of coercion, but an invitation to choose one’s own path and come to terms with failure.
The second verse and third section of the song further emphasizes the façade of a perfect life by describing the girl’s cliché spin on her life stories, her self-deceptive nature, and the humdrum of her everyday life. The verse highlights the girl's inconsistencies as she is both a walking contradiction and a fictional character. The chorus is repeated, highlighting the pressure to succeed young girls feel and the expectation of obtaining instant gratification without much of a learning curve. The song ends with a final reminder that beneath the surface level of perfection, people are struggling with their vulnerabilities and the failures that come with life.
Line by Line Meaning
That girl didn't have time to waste
The girl was always busy with her life
She spread herself way too thin
She was doing too much and not giving herself time to rest
Thought she could cut in and win the race
She believed she could succeed without putting in the necessary effort
The pretty girl
Referring to a girl who is conventionally attractive
Did not fit in
She did not belong or feel comfortable in her surroundings
I'm so tired of waiting for you
The singer is frustrated with someone for not meeting their expectations
(Pretty girl)
Referring to the same girl from earlier
Pull the trigger
Take action to achieve your goals
And as she stands there screaming
The girl is expressing her frustration
Pretending that she's leaving
She's acting as if she's going to go, but she isn't really leaving
She's used to getting things her way
She's accustomed to getting what she wants
That girl didn't know what to say
She was at a loss for words
She acted like it was no big deal
She pretended that something wasn't important
Always spinning her tired cliches
She relied on overused phrases
She was not for real
The girl was not genuine or authentic
Her whole life story's fiction
Her life story is not entirely true
A walking contradiction
She's inconsistent or hypocritical
The same shit on a different day
She experiences the same problems or challenges repeatedly
Perfect life, perfect world, perfect smile, pretty girl
The girl appears to have everything together on the surface
Surface life, surface world, surface smile, pretty girl
Her life only appears good on the surface
All your life's, an open door, this door's not open, anymore
The girl used to have many opportunities, but now something has changed
And if at first you don't succeed
If you fail initially
Pull the trigger
Take action to try again
And as she lies there bleeding
The girl is hurt and suffering
Resenting not succeeding
She's angry or bitter about her failure
The pretty girl just fades away
The girl loses her beauty or charm over time
She wants us all believing
She's trying to manipulate others into thinking a certain way
That she's not even grieving
She's pretending that she's not sad or upset
And that she got the final say
She wants others to believe that she had control over the situation
Pretty girl, pretty girl, pretty girl,
Referring to the same girl throughout the song
Pull the Trigger
Take action to achieve success
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CATHY HENDERSON, CATHY A. HENDERSON, KRISTEN HENDERSON, KRISTEN L. HENDERSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind