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.
Mother
Babes in Toyland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This is my life
Sister
Come and take my life
You are obscene and you know it
I run from me and it shows
That's what you like me for, huh, sister
Do you like it
Sister
Mother
This is my life
Sister
Come and take my life
You are obscene and you know it
I run from you and it shows
That's what you like me for, huh, sister
Crawling now on the floor
Do you like it
Sister
You are me
You are me
The lyrics to Babes in Toyland's song "Mother" conveys a complicated relationship between family members. The singer's sister is portrayed as a dominant figure, one who seeks control over the singer's life. The lyrics suggest that the sister is promiscuous and revels in the singer's discomfort. The singer feels trapped in this relationship and seeks to break free. The repetition of the lines 'This is my life' and 'Come and take my life' suggest that the singer is fighting for their control and space even though they feel threatened by the sister.
The lines 'That's what you like me for, huh sister Crawling now on the floor' portray the sister's pleasure in the singer's humiliation. The word 'obscene' underscores the singer's sense of shame and discomfort at her actions. The chorus is particularly interesting as it has a call and response structure, with the singer urging her sister to come and take her life. This repetition of the phrase underscores the singer's desperation and powerlessness in the relationship.
Overall, the lyrics deal with themes of power, desperation, and unhealthy family dynamics. It is an anguished cry from the singer's perspective, seeking to break free from the overbearing and toxic relationship with her sister.
Line by Line Meaning
Mother
Addressing the subject of the song
This is my life
The singer has control over her own life
Sister
Referring to someone close to the singer
Come and take my life
The singer wants her sister to take control of her life
You are obscene and you know it
The sister is aware of her own inappropriate behavior
I run from me and it shows
The singer is trying to distance herself from her own problems
That's what you like me for, huh, sister
The sister enjoys her power over the singer
Crawling now on the floor
The singer feels helpless and submissive
Do you like it
The sister enjoys seeing the singer in a vulnerable state
You are me
The sister and the singer are very similar
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: KAT BJELLAND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind