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.

S. F. W
Babes in Toyland Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

My angeling steeping green gel anodyne
I never meant to but I'd love to
You be me and I'll be you
I never said I had to lie to
I need it I bleed - S.F.W.
How how how yeah
I've come to agonize the look
I see and specialeyes

I've never met you but I'd love to
You be me and I'll be you
I never said I had to right you

I need it I bleed yeah
S.F.W.

Overall Meaning

The song "S.F.W." by Babes in Toyland explores complex themes of identity, self-expression, and longing. The opening line, "My angeling steeping green gel anodyne," could be interpreted in multiple ways. Some listeners may hear these words as a reference to drug use, as "anodyne" is a term used to describe pain-relievers. However, the phrase "angelling steeping green gel" could also be seen as a metaphor for beauty and transformation, as if the singer is immersing themselves in a potent elixir that will change them. This idea of transformation is further explored in the chorus, where the singer expresses a desire to switch places with someone else: "You be me and I'll be you."

Line by Line Meaning

My angeling steeping green gel anodyne
My peaceful, calming green gel is an anodyne (a pain-reliever) for me.

I never meant to but I'd love to
I didn't plan on it, but I would love to.

You be me and I'll be you
Let's switch roles: you be me and I'll be you.

I never said I had to lie to
I never claimed that I had to be dishonest with you.

I need it I bleed - S.F.W.
I require this so much that I'm willing to suffer for it. S.F.W. (an acronym for 'So Fucking What') emphasizes this attitude.

How how how yeah
This is an expression of enthusiasm or excitement.

I've come to agonize the look
I've started to be tormented by the way things appear to me.

I see and specialeyes
I see things differently than most people, as if looking through 'special eyes'.

I've never met you but I'd love to
Although we haven't met yet, I would still love to.

You be me and I'll be you
Again, let's switch roles: you be me and I'll be you.

I never said I had to right you
I never claimed that I had to correct you or fix anything about you.

I need it I bleed yeah S.F.W.
I require this so much that I'm willing to suffer for it. S.F.W. (an acronym for 'So Fucking What') emphasizes this attitude.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: KAT BJELLAND, LORI ANNE BARBERO, MAUREEN HERMAN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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