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.

Swamp Pussy
Babes in Toyland Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Why do you make me feel so bad?
Why do you bother to act so sad?
Well, you created it
You created it
I believed in it
Cease to exist
Cease to exist
Raise your raise your cup
And struggle
Struggle
You got to struggle
Make your toast to all your trouble
You got trouble
Cease to exist
Cease to exist
Cease to exist
Cease to exist
I swear....
Crossroad
Crossroads yourself to death
And carve the wellworn path a deep gravel red
Cease to exist for christmas less ness
Cease to exist
Cease to exist
Cease to exist on your christmas list

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of the song "Swamp Pussy" by Babes in Toyland are open to interpretation, but they likely speak to the feelings of frustration and emptiness that come from a toxic relationship. The singer asks why their partner is making them feel bad and acting sad when they were the ones who created the situation in the first place. Despite believing in the relationship, the singer realizes that it is toxic and needs to end. The repeated phrase "cease to exist" suggests a desire to break free from the negative cycle.

The chorus encourages struggling through the difficulties of life and raising a glass to them. However, the phrase "cease to exist" is repeated again, perhaps indicating that these struggles are taking a toll on the singer's mental health. In the final stanza, the lyrics mention death and the "wellworn path" of life. It seems to suggest that the only way to escape the pain of the relationship is to detach from it completely.

Overall, the song captures the conflicting emotions that come from leaving a toxic relationship. The chorus reflects a desire to find meaning in the struggles of life, but the repetition of "cease to exist" signals the deep pain and emptiness that comes with it.

Line by Line Meaning

Why do you make me feel so bad?
Questioning why someone is causing negative emotions

Why do you bother to act so sad?
Questioning someone's insincere behavior

Well, you created it
Blaming someone for creating a negative situation

You created it
Reiterating the blame on the person for the negative situation

I believed in it
Admitting to having faith in something that turned out negative

Cease to exist
Wishing for the end of something negative

Raise your raise your cup
Encouraging someone to toast in celebration

And struggle
Acknowledging the difficulties that come with success

Struggle
Reiterating the importance of overcoming obstacles

You got to struggle
Emphasizing the necessity of effort to achieve a goal

Make your toast to all your trouble
Encouraging someone to celebrate despite their hardships