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.

Dust Cake Boy
Babes in Toyland Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Every little simple seam scratches across my skinn
Soft gravel scratches across my scab
Hey lovely makes this water red
Oh my soul* there's a hole
Oh my soul
Send psychic messages you can't even here
From my dumb mouth to your deaf ear
Sugar sweet cinnamon never even been mixed

We both drag our jesus hair around
Oh my soul
There's a hole
Oh my soul
Dust cake boy
Wow he wavers me something
God he wavers me something
Wow he fucks real mean
She screams out your name cause she swears to be mine
Cause the crystaly cut him into tragedy
You're staring at something you're never gonna see
Take your small eyes away from me
Oh my soul
There's a hole

Oh my soul
Dust cake boy

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Babes in Toyland's song "Dust Cake Boy" paint a vivid picture of a troubled individual who is physically scarred and emotionally damaged. The opening lines, "Every little simple seam scratches across my skin/ Soft gravel scratches across my scab," suggest that the singer is suffering from physical wounds that are constantly reopened. The metaphorical language used in the lyrics creates an eerie atmosphere and hints at a deeper emotional pain that is being expressed.

The second set of lines, "Hey lovely makes this water red/ Oh my soul there's a hole," suggest that the singer is bleeding and that his wounds go much deeper than just the surface of his skin. The use of the word "lovely" implies that the singer is in a relationship, but the imagery of blood and injury suggests that this relationship is not healthy. The repeated line "Oh my soul, there's a hole" reinforces the idea that the singer is psychologically damaged.

The final lines of the song, "Dust cake boy/ Wow he wavers me something/ God he wavers me something/ Wow he fucks real mean," further illustrate the singer's troubled nature. The image of a "dust cake boy" implies that the singer is dirty and unkempt, and the sexual undertones of the lyrics suggest that the singer is using sex as a means of coping with his emotional pain. The line "God he wavers me something" implies that the singer may be searching for meaning in his life, but is unsure of where to find it.

Line by Line Meaning

Every little simple seam scratches across my skin
The smallest things can hurt me.

Soft gravel scratches across my scab
Things that should be gentle hurt me.

Hey lovely makes this water red
Love can hurt so much it feels like I'm bleeding.

Oh my soul there's a hole
I feel empty inside.

Send psychic messages you can't even here
My love is so strong I wish you could feel it too.

From my dumb mouth to your deaf ear
I can't find the right words to make you understand.

Sugar sweet cinnamon never even been mixed
I am innocent and untouched.

We both drag our jesus hair around
We both carry emotional burdens.

Dust cake boy
I am vulnerable and fragile like a cake made of dust.

Wow he wavers me something
I am amazed by the love he shows me.

God he wavers me something
His love is divine and overwhelming.