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 and 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 cunt hole 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 12 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 12 city blocks
The lyrics of "Handsome and Gretel" by Babes in Toyland are a mix of anger and angst, of distorted and ambiguous language, and of sexual innuendo. The song opens with Gretel claiming to know what's in the head of someone else, probably the "handsome" person who's the subject of the song. She alleges to have "vacuumed out" her head, which can be interpreted either as a statement of clarity and self-awareness or as a metaphor for emptiness and numbness. Then she starts to insult the other person using derogatory terms, calling them a "fucking bitch," a "cunt hole bitch," and so on. The tone of the song is confrontational and aggressive, and the lyrics oscillate between contempt, lust, and confusion.
The chorus repeats the phrase "Handsome Gretel," which is probably a reference to the Grimm Brothers' fairy tale of Hansel and Gretel, but with a twist: here, Gretel is described as "handsome," which subverts the traditional gender roles and expectations. Moreover, Gretel claims to have a "crotch that talks" and "talks to all their cocks," which can be understood as a declaration of sexual autonomy and empowerment. She sings that "violets hang around with toilets" and symbolize "disgust and mistrust," which is an obscure and cryptic allusion to something that is repulsive and unpleasant. The song ends with Gretel singing that she is a "stupid crotch" that has "been 12 city blocks," which suggests that she's been around and seen it all.
Line by Line Meaning
Gretel said I know what's in your head
Gretel claims to understand what the other person is thinking
I vacuumed out my head
Gretel has cleared her mind and is not thinking about anything
I know you're feeling bad you
Gretel acknowledges that the other person is feeling bad
Fucking bitch you cunt hole bitch
Insult directed towards the other person
I thought she meant it yeah
The other person's insult had an impact on Gretel
She really jacked my head
The insult affected Gretel's emotions and caused confusion
She went and done it
The other person successfully insulted Gretel
Handsome Gretel
Gretel refers to herself as handsome, which may be ironic or a sign of her confidence
My name is Gretel yeah
Gretel introduces herself
I've got a crotch that talks
Gretel is sexually active
And talks to all their cocks
Gretel is promiscuous
It's been 12 city blocks you fucking bitch
Gretel is bragging about how far she has traveled for sexual encounters
Gretel said "Oh you feel so bad
Gretel repeats her acknowledgement of the other person's negative emotions
I know you feel so bad"
Gretel emphasizes her empathy for the other person
My name is Gretel
Gretel repeats her name, possibly to reaffirm her identity
A soul of metal
Gretel describes herself as tough
I've got a sloppy slot
Gretel refers to her genitals in a crude manner
Say violets hang around with toilets
A nonsensical statement, possibly meant to be provocative or provocative
And look smack at us
Implicitly refers to the other person
And symbolize everything that
Gretel assigns meaning to violets based on their association with 'us'
Is disgust and mistrust
Gretel believes that whatever violets represent is negative
Licorice eyes
A sensory description of someone or something
Pin me down
An aggressive or sexual statement
Thighs
A sensual part of the body
Asphixia
A reference to choking, possibly in a sexual context
My thighs are vices yeah
Gretel emphasizes her sexual nature again
He is a stupid man
Gretel makes a negative observation about someone else
I love him all I can
Despite her previous derision, Gretel still feels love for this person
You fucking bitch
Another insult directed at the other person
Addle girl
A derogatory term for the other person
She pulls out all her curls
A visualization of the other person getting frustrated
She is a stupid crotch
An insult aimed at the other person's sexuality
That's been 12 city blocks
A reference to the other person's promiscuity
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: KAT BJELLAND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind