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.

Fork Down Throat
Babes in Toyland Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Take your fucking fork
And shove it down your own throat
And stop pretending to to try to be
That infamous stupid raincoat
Well I dare to confess
Cause there's an army with me
Nine oceans away
Don't even bother me

Well I can't believe it
Things are building from memories they guard
And still you're getting in my way
Get out of my way
Nine oceans away
Don't even bother me
I can't believe it
Gaze awe vision from my incision
Starved skinny little man
Don't even bother me
I can't believe it
Gaze awe vision from my incision
Starved skinny little jack
Face up
Catholic black
You're a writer

You better write quick
Cause your papers on fire

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Babes in Toyland's song Fork Down Throat seem to denounce the act of pretending to be someone that you are not. The chorus describes someone as being infamous and stupid, and encourages them to take their fork and shove it down their own throat. The lines "well I dare to confess, cause there's an army with me" suggest that the singer is part of a larger group of people who are no longer willing to tolerate the actions of this person. The repetition of the phrase "nine oceans away, don't even bother me" emphasizes the distance and emotional disconnect between the singer and this other person.

The following verses express frustration with this person getting in the way and preventing the singer from moving forward with their own memories and experiences. The lines "gaze awe vision from my incision, starved skinny little man" and "gaze awe vision from my incision, starved skinny little jack" could be interpreted as a criticism of this person's physical appearance or perhaps their lack of substance or depth. The final lines "face up, catholic black, you're a writer, you better write quick, cause your papers on fire" suggest that this person is a writer who is in danger of losing their credibility or falling behind in their work.

Overall, the lyrics of Fork Down Throat seem to convey a sense of frustration and the desire to break free from the constraints of pretending to be someone you are not.

Line by Line Meaning

Take your fucking fork
Use your fork to hurt yourself, not others.

And shove it down your own throat
Do not use your actions to harm others, instead harm yourself.

And stop pretending to to try to be
Be yourself, do not pretend to be someone you are not.

That infamous stupid raincoat
Do not be an infamous, stupid poser.

Well I dare to confess
I have the courage to admit.

Cause there's an army with me
I am supported by many.

Nine oceans away
Far away from you.

Don't even bother me
Do not try to influence me.

Well I can't believe it
I am surprised in disbelief.

Things are building from memories they guard
Past experiences shape who we are now.

And still you're getting in my way
You are interfering with my progress.