Babes In Toyland's debut single on Treehouse Records ("Dust Cake Boy" b/w "Spit To See The Shine") landed them a deal with Minneapolis' famed Twin/Tone Records.
Their debut album Spanking Machine -- released in 1990 -- caught the attention of Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore, who began singing their praises in the music press and invited the band to support them on their European tour. Meanwhile, Spanking Machine was released in the UK by Southern Studios, and was quickly gaining favour with the music press and John Peel who recorded a session with them and named the album as his favorite of 1990.
In the summer of 1991, To Mother was recorded at Southern Studios with John Loder in the producer's seat. The EP entered the independent charts in the top 10 and stayed there for an amazing 13 weeks (ten of which the EP held at the No. 1 position). Early in 1992, Michelle Leon amicably left the band and was replaced by Maureen Herman, an old friend and long-time fan of the band. Their second and most successful album, Fontanelle was released in August 1992 and was followed by the outtakes EP Painkillers in June 1993.
After a number of other tours, Babes in Toyland released Nemesisters, their third and final studio album, in 1995. After this, the band were on-off with Leon's departure leading to the dissolution of their record label contract. In 2001, the band reformed for one final time and performed their final show on November 25 in Minneapolis. After this, the band officially disbanded, however, Kat Bjelland performed a number of shows in Europe under the band's name, only to face legal action from former members if the tour went further ahead.
After much speculation, in 2014, Babes in Toyland had announced they reunited and announced tour dates.
In 2015, Maureen Herman was replaced by Clara Salyer.
Big Top
Babes in Toyland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He shoots out turning fine
Feelings aside
Everyone is in line
Waiting in time
Everyone is in line
You are sublime
Waiting in time
He will lie
He's sublime
I know it's true
You had me through and through
I am with you
Everything is blue
La la la
That's how the story goes
I sing and stroll
Round and round a soul, go
Waiting in time
He will lie
He's sublime, time, scribes
He is one more ride
He is one more time
I am evil lie
Taking a ride on my galloping mind
And if you're in the saddle please hold on real tight
The trip is a long one, you won't need a guide
Cause the road always changes as minutes go by
Taking a ride on my galloping mind
Taking a ride on my galloping mind
Taking a ride on my galloping mind
Yeah taking a ride, taking a ride
Oh, it is not really right
Lying more, lying
And it's all my time
I am amused
Everything is askew
I live with you
Just like I wanted to
I want to learn
Everything you will learn
I am a lie
I, (yeah)
I'm his one more time
I'm his evil lie
I'm his lie lie lie
And I lie lie lie
Bad toy
He can read your mind
Why'd I say
What you've done to me?
And I'm fucking mad
And I told you that
And I hate your guts
And I hate your guts
And I lie
The song "Big Top" by Babes in Toyland is a haunting and surreal journey through the mind of the singer. It begins with the singer acknowledging the state of their mind and the various emotions they are feeling. They mention "He," who seems to be some sort of authority figure, watching over them. The singer and the people around them are waiting in line, seemingly in anticipation for something, but it is not clear what.
The next verses mention the singer's connection to someone, perhaps the same "He" from before, who had some sort of influence on them. The emotions they feel are described as "blue," and they mention singing and strolling around someone's soul. The chorus repeats the phrase "Waiting in time, he will lie, he's sublime," suggesting that this "He" figure is not entirely trustworthy, and has some sort of power over the people around him.
The last part of the song seems to be a culmination of the singer's emotions and confusion. They mention being amused but also feeling that everything is "askew." They want to learn from someone, but they are also aware that they themselves are a "lie." The final line is "Bad toy, he can read your mind," which brings to mind the idea of being controlled or manipulated by someone else.
Overall, the lyrics of "Big Top" are open to interpretation and seem to depict a jumbled mental landscape. The repeated mentions of waiting and being in line suggest a sense of anticipation or even dread, while the surreal imagery adds to the unsettling mood of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
I feel my mind
I am conscious of my own thoughts and emotions
He shoots out turning fine
He is doing well and flourishing
Feelings aside
Ignoring emotions for now
Everyone is in line
Everyone is following the leader and doing what they're supposed to
Waiting in time
Waiting patiently
You are sublime
You are amazing
Your mother died with mine
Our mothers passed away at the same time
He will lie
He is dishonest
I know it's true
I am positive this is correct
You had me through and through
You had me completely
I am with you
I am by your side
Everything is blue
Everything is sad or depressing
La la la
Singing a nonsense tune
That's how the story goes
That's how it always happens
I sing and stroll
I am carefree and relaxed
Round and round a soul, go
Going in circles around myself
He is one more ride
He is another chance to try again
He is one more time
He is another opportunity
I am evil lie
I am a deceitful person
Taking a ride on my galloping mind
Embracing my mental and emotional journey
And if you're in the saddle please hold on real tight
Hold on tightly if you're going through something similar
The trip is a long one, you won't need a guide
The journey may be long but you don't need directions
Cause the road always changes as minutes go by
The path may change frequently
Oh, it is not really right
It's not appropriate
And it's all my time
It's been a while
I am amused
I find this entertaining or entertaining
Everything is askew
Everything is out of order
Just like I wanted to
Just as I planned or hoped
I want to learn
I want to gain knowledge
Everything you will learn
All the knowledge you have to offer
I am a lie
I am dishonest
I'm his one more time
I am his second chance
I'm his evil lie
I am his deceitful act
I'm his lie lie lie
I am repeatedly dishonest
And I lie lie lie
And I also frequently lie
Bad toy
Someone who is untrustworthy or dangerous
He can read your mind
He knows what you're thinking
Why'd I say
Why did I speak those words?
What you've done to me?
How have you hurt me?
And I'm fucking mad
And I'm very angry
And I told you that
I made that clear to you already
And I hate your guts
I loathe everything about you
And I lie
And I am dishonest
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
M
I feel my mind,
He shoots out turning fine
Feelings aside,
Everyone is in line
Waiting in time,
Everyone is in line
You are sublime,
Your mother died with mine
Waiting in time
He will lie,
He's sublime, I know it's true,
You had me through and through
I am with you,
Everything is blue
La la la,
That's how the story goes
I sing and stroll,
Round and round a soul, go
Waiting in time
He will lie,
He's sublime, time, scribes
He is one more ride,
He is one more time,
I am evil lie
Taking a ride on my galloping mind
And if you're in the saddle, please hold on real tight
The trip is a long one, you won't need a guide
Cause the road always changes as minutes go by
Taking a ride on my galloping mind
Taking a ride on my galloping mind
Taking a ride on my galloping mind
Yeah taking a ride, taking a ride
(Oh, it is not really right, lying more, lying, and it's all my time)
I am amused,
Everything is askew
I live with you,
Just like I wanted to
I want to learn,
Everything you will learn
I am a lie,
I yeah
I'm his one more time,
I'm his evil lie,
I'm his lie lie lie,
And I lie lie lie
Bad toy
He can read your mind
Why'd I say
What you've done to me?
And I'm fucking mad,
And I told you that
And I hate your guts,
And I hate your guts!
And I lie
Kevin McGrane
so friggin good i could listen to kat scream the phone book at me all day and still need more
Enron Grunge
How could I, a hard core Sonic Youth and Husker Du fan about 18 or 20 years ago, have missed this band?
mymiavmyav
Best girlband there is. Saw them live and needed them so much, just as before i saw them, Cool song
chrysotheme
this song always conjures up in my mind images of baba yaga's claw-footed chicken-legged hut whirling around madly & fiercely like a tornado in her garden of human bones in the middle of a dark forest, of gretel prancing about in a dirndl, caravans of marionettes, cookie crumbs sprinkled on the forest floor.
uvita tattoo
totalmente amante de este grupo!!!
Deanna FloydEngesser
I freakin love it!!!!!
Roger Popcorn
Makes my throat hurt just listening to this and I LOVE IT!!! 🤘🏼👊🖕
Genevieve Kuzak
AWESOME SONG.
Andrea Gobbo
LOVE THE BABES!
misstrixurus
I love this song..me thinks that bands like System of a Down found inspiration by this band if not what is a coincidence..am I wrong?