Fronted by Projekt Records' Sam Rosenthal, the band's line-up has changed significantly over time. The current lineup has Rosenthal on programming, guitar and keyboards, Jon DeRosa ( Aarktica) on vocals, and Henrik Meierkord on strings. The most notable former members of the band are Brian Viglione (The Dresden Dolls) on percussion, guitar & bass, and vocalists Athan Maroulis (ex-Spahn Ranch), Nicki Jaine, and long time vocalists, Oscar Herrera & Elysabeth Grant.
The style of Black Tape for a Blue Girl is generally described as "gothic", though their long catalog of music does not often gel with all of the contemporary standards of gothic music over time. The lyrics are by Rosenthal himself and explores powerful emotions of love, vulnerability, isolation, loss, jealousy, and passion.
The Lie Which Refuses to Die
Black Tape for a Blue Girl Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
they're melting me down in the sun
they're burning up in the heat
trying to convince everyone they're the same ones
filling their life with thoughts of me
choking out in the dust
they're choking on their words
there's no way i could invent people like this
drawing the picture for you
i'm the one who made them this way
i'm the one who caused all of this to happen to them
i'm the one who's rightly to blame for everything
they ever wanted that has not come true
i'm the one that they curse when they fall asleep
the gremlin watching them when they try to sleep
knowing i exist is their punishment
i'm the lie which refuses to die
my stench pollutes their minds and forbids their peace
i'm the stain that won't come out
the toilet backed up
the ticket on their car
the overdue bills
the bottle in their hands
the big black ugly bird that bites the heads off of their flowers
their flowers
they're draining their insanity on me
their insanity on me
insanity on me
The song "The Lie Which Refuses to Die" by Black Tape for a Blue Girl is a haunting and introspective piece that describes the overwhelming guilt and self-blame that can come with being the source of someone's pain and unhappiness. The song opens with the lines, "They're tearing me up in the sun, they're melting me down in the sun," which suggests that the singer is being subjected to intense heat and pressure, as if he is being punished for something. He goes on to describe how the people he has hurt are trying to convince themselves and others that they are the same people they were before, but their lives are now filled with thoughts of him, as he is the one who made them this way.
The singer takes full responsibility for their pain and misery, even going so far as to say that he is the one who caused everything bad that has happened to them. He describes himself as a "gremlin" that haunts their dreams and is the source of their ongoing punishment. The final lines of the song make it clear that he sees himself as an inescapable force of darkness in their lives: "I'm the lie which refuses to die, their insanity on me." The overall effect of the song is a sense of despair and hopelessness, as the singer is unable to free himself or the people he has hurt from the cycle of pain and guilt that they are trapped in.
Line by Line Meaning
they're tearing me up in the sun
They are causing me immense emotional pain in broad daylight.
they're melting me down in the sun
They are breaking me down and causing me to lose myself in the heat of the moment.
they're burning up in the heat
Their emotions are overwhelming them and causing them to act rashly in the heat of the moment.
trying to convince everyone they're the same ones
They are attempting to persuade others that they are the same people who they once were, but this is not the case.
filling their life with thoughts of me
They cannot escape thoughts of me and my actions, and it is consuming their life.
choking out in the dust
They are struggling to breathe and are suffocating in the dirt they have created for themselves.
they're choking on their words
They are struggling to express themselves and are becoming overwhelmed with emotion.
there's no way i could invent people like this
I could not have possibly imagined people like them and their actions, as they are beyond my comprehension.
they're laughing out in the sun
They are carefree and joyous in the light of day, despite their inner turmoil.
drawing the picture for you
They are painting a false image of their lives for others to see.
i'm the one who made them this way
I am responsible for their current state and actions.
i'm the one who caused all of this to happen to them
I am at fault for all the negative events that have occurred in their lives.
i'm the one who's rightly to blame for everything
I am the one who deserves blame for all the harm and pain they have experienced.
they ever wanted that has not come true
Their unfulfilled desires and unmet dreams are a result of my actions.
i'm the one that they curse when they fall asleep
When they are vulnerable, they express their anger and frustration towards me.
the gremlin watching them when they try to sleep
I am the frightening figure that haunts their dreams and disrupts their peace.
knowing i exist is their punishment
Being aware of my existence is a torment and penance for them.
i'm the lie which refuses to die
My deception and betrayal continue to haunt them and cannot be conquered or defeated.
my stench pollutes their minds and forbids their peace
Memories and thoughts of me are unpleasant and contaminate their minds, preventing them from finding peace.
i'm the stain that won't come out
My actions and their consequences are indelible and cannot be erased or forgotten.
the toilet backed up
I am the cause of their literal and metaphorical mess.
the ticket on their car
I am the reason for their misfortune and the negative incidents that occur in their life.
the overdue bills
I am the source of their financial instability and distress.
the bottle in their hands
I am the enabler of their harmful coping mechanisms and addiction.
the big black ugly bird that bites the heads off of their flowers
I represent an ominous and destructive force that destroys their happiness and inner peace.
their flowers
Their happiness and joy are metaphorically represented by the flowers that are being destroyed.
they're draining their insanity on me
They are projecting their inner turmoil and madness onto me, the source of their pain and distress.
their insanity on me
Their crazed and disordered thoughts and emotions are directed towards me and my actions.
Contributed by Miles B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Sam Rosenthal
on All my lovers
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