Babes in Toyland was an American punk band formed in Minneapolis, Minnesot… Read Full Bio ↴Babes in Toyland was an American punk band formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1987, when Lori Barbero met Kat Bjelland at a friend's barbeque. Originally four-piece, the band developed into the honed-down trio of Lori (long-time Minneapolis scenester) on drums, Kat (a transplant from Oregon via San Francisco, who moved to Minneapolis specifically to form a band) on vocals and guitar, and Michelle Leon on bass. Courtney Love, a close friend and former bandmate of Bjelland's in the short-lived group The Pagan Babies, had a brief stint in the band as a bass player in 1987, before being kicked out and later forming Hole two years afterward.

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.

Blood
Babes in Toyland Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I never thought that you'd explode through my eyes
I never ever was amused, deliver down on your knees
I never wanted to be alone
Good God, I'd love to, well, I had to

I never thought that you'd implode trough my mind
I always wanted to be abused
I lied psychic spy, I never wanted to be alone

Good God, I'd love to, well, I had to

You are real sometimes, you are unreal
Ceilings peel sometimes

I never thought that you'd explode through my eyes
I never ever was amused

I lied psychic spy, I never wanted to be alone
I'd love to, well, I had to

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Babes in Toyland's song Blood are open to interpretation, but it seems to be about a toxic relationship. The singer never thought that their partner would "explode" or become violent towards them, but they did. The tone is resigned and the singer seems to have accepted the abuse, even saying they "always wanted to be abused." The line "I lied psychic spy" is intriguing and could mean that the singer is pretending to be someone they're not in order to keep the relationship going, possibly as a survival mechanism.

The repetition of the line "I never wanted to be alone" hints at the singer's fear of being alone, even if it means enduring abuse. The lyrics are also somewhat cryptic, as shown by the line "you are real sometimes, you are unreal." It could mean that the partner is unpredictable and comes in and out of the singer's life. The last lines of the song "I'd love to, well, I had to" suggest that the singer is trapped in the relationship and feels like they have no choice but to stay.

Line by Line Meaning

I never thought that you'd explode through my eyes
I didn't expect that the intensity of my emotions towards you will cause my eyes to reveal my inner feelings and desires.

I never ever was amused, deliver down on your knees
I never found joy in anything before, but now that you have captured me, I am submissive to your desires and will do anything for you.

I never wanted to be alone
I never desired to be on my own and independent. I always longed for someone to share my life with.

Good God, I'd love to, well, I had to
I am overwhelmed with my desire for you and am willing to do anything to satisfy it.

You are real sometimes, you are unreal
At times, you appear to be real and tangible, but at other times, you seem to be nothing more than a figment of my imagination.

Ceilings peel sometimes
Sometimes, my surroundings seem to distort and warp as my intense emotions towards you take over.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: KAT BJELLAND

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS