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.
Handsome Gretel
Babes in Toyland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I vacuumed out my head
I know you're feeling bad you
Fucking bitch you cunthole bitch
I thought she meant it yeah
She really jacked my head
She went and done it
Handsome Gretel
My name is Gretel yeah
I've got a crotch that talks
And talks to all their cocks
It's been twelve city blocks you fucking bitch
Gretel said, oh you feel so bad
I know you feel so bad
I thought she meant it
Handsome Gretel
I vacuumed out my head
Jumping from bed to bed
My name is Gretel
A soul of metal
My name is Gretel yeah
I've got a sloppy slot
Handsome Gretel
Say violets hang around with toilets
And look smack at us
And symbolize everything that
Is disgust and mistrust
Licorice eyes
Pin me down
Thighs
Asphixia
My thighs are vices yeah
He is a stupid man
I love him all I can
You fucking bitch
Addle girl
She pulls out all her curls
She is a stupid crotch
That's been twelve city blocks
The song "Handsome" by Babes in Toyland is a lyrically complex and emotionally charged track that centers around the character of Gretel, who is portrayed as both powerful and vulnerable at the same time. The opening lines of the song, "Gretel said I know what's in your head, I vacuumed out my head, I know you're feeling bad you, Fucking bitch you cunthole bitch" are aggressive and confrontational, with Gretel seeming to read the thoughts of the person she's addressing and responding in kind with verbal attacks. However, as the song continues, it becomes clear that Gretel is also struggling with her own emotions and pain, with lines like "I thought she meant it yeah, She really jacked my head, She went and done it" indicating a sense of betrayal or hurt.
As the song progresses, Gretel becomes more introspective and self-aware, acknowledging her own sexuality and power with lines like "I've got a crotch that talks, And talks to all their cocks, It's been twelve city blocks you fucking bitch". At the same time, she struggles with feelings of loneliness and despair, with lines like "Say violets hang around with toilets, And look smack at us, And symbolize everything that, Is disgust and mistrust" indicating a sense of alienation or isolation. Ultimately, however, Gretel remains defiant and self-assured, asserting her own identity and strength with lines like "My name is Gretel, A soul of metal, My name is Gretel yeah, I've got a sloppy slot, Handsome Gretel".
Line by Line Meaning
Gretel said I know what's in your head
Gretel claims to know what the other person is thinking
I vacuumed out my head
The singer cleared their mind of all thoughts and worries
I know you're feeling bad you
The singer believes the other person is experiencing negative emotions
Fucking bitch you cunthole bitch
The artist insults the other person using vulgar language
I thought she meant it yeah
The artist believed Gretel's earlier statement was genuine
She really jacked my head
Gretel's statement had a significant impact on the singer
She went and done it
Gretel took action and said something that affected the singer
Handsome Gretel
Gretel is being referred to as handsome
My name is Gretel yeah
The artist identifies themselves as Gretel
I've got a crotch that talks
The artist is sexually confident and expressive
And talks to all their cocks
The singer has been involved with many sexual partners
It's been twelve city blocks you fucking bitch
The artist is expressing anger towards another woman
Gretel said, oh you feel so bad
Gretel acknowledges the other person's negative emotions
I know you feel so bad
Gretel believes the other person is suffering emotionally
I thought she meant it
The singer believed Gretel's words were sincere
Handsome Gretel
Gretel is being referred to as handsome
Jumping from bed to bed
The artist has a lot of sexual partners
A soul of metal
The singer is strong and unyielding
I've got a sloppy slot
The singer is sexually active and unashamed
Say violets hang around with toilets
The artist begins a nonsensical phrase
And look smack at us
The artist is possibly commenting on the absurdity of the previous line
And symbolize everything that
The artist continues the nonsensical phrase
Is disgust and mistrust
The singer finishes the phrase with negative emotions
Licorice eyes
The artist describes someone's eyes as the color and texture of licorice
Pin me down
The singer is possibly referencing a sexual act
Thighs
The singer is referencing body parts
Asphixia
The singer references a dangerous, suffocating condition
My thighs are vices yeah
The artist is comparing their thighs to something tightly gripping and addictive
He is a stupid man
The artist is insulting someone they know
I love him all I can
The singer admits to loving someone despite their perceived foolishness
You fucking bitch
The singer addresses the other person with another insult
Addle girl
The artist adds another insult directed towards the other person
She pulls out all her curls
The artist implies that the other person is highly emotional and prone to dramatic behavior
She is a stupid crotch
The artist insults the other person's genitals
That's been twelve city blocks
The singer implies that the other person has been involved with many sexual partners
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: KAT BJELLAND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind