Colombian Necktie
Big Black (Rock) Lyrics


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Gotta get loaded, I gotta go off
Don't call her to save me
Don't call her hack off
More like an ashcan
More like a time bomb
More like a stovepipe
Colombian necktie
I don't want to die, I just wanted to give her the works
Don't call her to safety ??
Don't call her to report
More like an ashcan
More like time bomb
More like a stovepipe
Colombian necktie
I don't want to die, I just wanted to give her the works
When I get loaded, gotta go home
Don't call her to safety
Don't call her hack off
More like an ashcan
More like time bomb
More like a stovepipe





Colombian necktie
I don't want to die, I just wanted to give her the works

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "Colombian Necktie" by Big Black are enigmatic and open to interpretation, but they suggest a speaker who is spiraling out of control and seeking temporary escape through drugs and risky behavior. The repeated refrain "More like an ashcan, more like a time bomb, more like a stovepipe, Colombian necktie" conjures images of violence and destruction, with the Colombian necktie being a particularly gruesome form of execution in which a victim's throat is slit and their tongue pulled through the wound. The line "I don't want to die, I just wanted to give her the works" suggests that the singer may be seeking revenge or trying to impress someone, but ultimately they are flirting with danger and addiction without a clear motive.


The use of the second person "her" throughout the song suggests that there is someone the singer is trying to impress or win over, but the exact nature of this relationship is unclear. It is possible that the "her" represents a romantic interest or a figure of authority, but they remain distant and uninvolved in the singer's reckless behavior. The final lines, "When I get loaded, gotta go home / Don't call her to safety / Don't call her hack off," suggest a sense of shame or guilt on the singer's part, as if they know they are engaging in self-destructive behavior and do not want to involve anyone else.


Overall, "Colombian Necktie" is a bleak and disturbing portrait of addiction and risky behavior, with vivid imagery that suggests the line between pleasure and pain, life and death, is perilously thin.


Line by Line Meaning

Gotta get loaded, I gotta go off
I need to get high/drunk and escape reality.


Don't call her to save me
Don't ask her for help or try to rescue me.


Don't call her hack off
Don't bother her or annoy her with my problems.


More like an ashcan
I'm worthless and disposable like a trash can.


More like a time bomb
I'm unstable and unpredictable like a ticking bomb.


More like a stovepipe
I'm a conduit for destructive behavior and negative energy.


Colombian necktie
A violent method of murder involving cutting the victim's throat and pulling their tongue through the wound.


I don't want to die, I just wanted to give her the works
I don't actually want to die, I just want to impress/hurt someone with my reckless behavior.


When I get loaded, gotta go home
Once I'm under the influence, I need to retreat back to my safe space.




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS

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