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.

Right Now
Babes in Toyland Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Pray the one my soul to keep
Servants' service
To scared to sleep because of the creep
Scarred surface
In the right now
When I'm next to your head I see white
Heaven's presence

Mother dying all of the time
My sickness
In the right now
We'll take you

We'll take all of you
In the right now

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Babes in Toyland's song "Right Now" tackle themes of fear, mortality, and dependence. The opening lines, "Pray the one my soul to keep / Servants' service / To scared to sleep because of the creep / Scarred surface," paint a picture of someone who is struggling to find peace and security in their life. They are unable to sleep due to someone or something that scares them, and they are left with a sense of unease and vulnerability.

The next lines, "In the right now / When I'm next to your head I see white / Heaven's presence," suggest that the singer may be turning to God or spirituality for comfort and reassurance. They are seeking a higher power or divine intervention to help them through their struggles.

The final lines, "Mother dying all of the time / My sickness / In the right now / We'll take you / We'll take all of you / In the right now," suggest that the singer is dealing with a chronic illness, and is possibly caring for a terminally ill family member. Despite their own struggles, they are committed to taking care of others and providing comfort in the present moment.

Overall, "Right Now" is a powerful reflection on the challenges of life and the need for hope and support in difficult times.

Line by Line Meaning

Pray the one my soul to keep
Asking for spiritual protection for oneself

Servants' service
Being devoted to serving someone or something

To scared to sleep because of the creep
Feeling too frightened to rest due to a disturbing presence

Scarred surface
The visible damage left by a traumatic experience

In the right now
At this very moment

When I'm next to your head I see white
Experiencing a profound and divine presence while in close proximity to someone

Mother dying all of the time
Enduring repeated emotional pain and loss

My sickness
Personal physical or mental illness

We'll take you
Offering assistance or refuge to someone in need

We'll take all of you
Promising to care for and support an individual in their entirety