Just to See My Holly Home
Bonnie "Prince" Billy Lyrics
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Evil jack he walks alone
Swings a club and stinks something awful
We'll give him a painful jawful
Sarah walks a slinky strut
Very gorgeous and anxious slut
Has a love scar on her wrist
Just to see my holly home
Just to see my holly home
We will live just us alone
Safely in our holly home
In come babies one, two, three
Like to bounce them on our knee
Want to stay and grow up with us
Baby stew will surely fill us
Just to see my holly home
Just to see my holly home
We will live just us alone
Safely in our holly home
Pound them down and pound them out
All the ladies scream and shout
Hide their bodies in the reeds
Shallow bed of soil and leaves
Out will grow ideas and laughter
Up will rise our earthly daughter
Water floods and all upon it
Up upon our bloody planet
Now we've ended all who'd harm us
No one left here to alarm us
And we live just us alone
Safely in our holly home
Just to see my holly home
Just to see my holly home
We will live just us alone
Safely in our holly home
Just to see my holly home
Just to see my holly home
We will live just us alone
Safely in our holly home
The lyrics to Bonnie "Prince" Billy's "Just to See My Holly Home" are evocative, yet cryptic. The song seems to describe a cult-like group of people who have taken refuge in a place they call their "holly home" - a safe haven where they can live alone, apart from the rest of the world. The opening lines reference an "evil jack" who walks alone and swings a club, indicating a sense of danger or violence that the group may be hiding from. They vow to give him a "painful jawful," suggesting that they may be willing to use violence to protect themselves. The next verse introduces a woman named Sarah, described as a "gorgeous and anxious slut" with a love scar on her wrist. The group vows to give her a "painful fist" as well.
As the song progresses, we learn that the group has taken in "babies one, two, three" and intends to raise them as their own. There is a reference to "baby stew," which could be interpreted literally as a horrifying practice, or perhaps as a metaphorical reference to the sacrifices the group has made in order to achieve their sense of safety and security. The group seems to revel in their solitude, with references to pounding down and pounding out, hiding bodies in the reeds, and a final declaration that they have "ended all who'd harm us" and now live "just us alone" in their holly home.
Overall, the song is a chilling exploration of the lengths people will go to in order to feel safe and secure, and the disturbing fantasies they may create in order to achieve that sense of safety.
Line by Line Meaning
Just to see my holly home
I will do whatever it takes to return to my safe haven
Evil jack he walks alone
We fear those who are alone and may cause harm
Swings a club and stinks something awful
This man is not to be trifled with, and he smells terrible
We'll give him a painful jawful
We will defend ourselves by whatever means necessary
Sarah walks a slinky strut
Sarah has a way of walking that draws attention
Very gorgeous and anxious slut
Sarah is attractive but troubled
Has a love scar on her wrist
She has been hurt in the past
We'll give her our painful fist
We will hurt her in return for her perceived wrongs
We will live just us alone
We seek safety and solitude with those we consider our own
Safely in our holly home
The holly home is where we feel secure and protected
In come babies one, two, three
We have children that we care for
Like to bounce them on our knee
We enjoy spending time with our children
Want to stay and grow up with us
We want to keep our children close and raise them ourselves
Baby stew will surely fill us
We will provide for ourselves with whatever means necessary
Pound them down and pound them out
We will exert our dominance over those who oppose us
All the ladies scream and shout
We will terrorize and silence those who do not submit to us
Hide their bodies in the reeds
We will dispose of those who oppose us in a hidden and secretive manner
Shallow bed of soil and leaves
We will bury them without ceremony or remorse
Out will grow ideas and laughter
Despite our violent tendencies, we will still experience joy and creativity
Up will rise our earthly daughter
Our children will grow up with us and experience the same life we have created
Water floods and all upon it
We are not immune to the forces of nature
Up upon our bloody planet
We exist on this planet, but our methods are violent and bloody
Now we've ended all who'd harm us
We have taken revenge against those who we perceived to be a threat
No one left here to alarm us
We feel safe and unchallenged by any other humans
Just to see my holly home
This line indicates the importance of home to the singer and the lengths they will go to return there
We will live just us alone
We are content to live among ourselves, without any other humans to disturb us
Safely in our holly home
The holly home represents safety and security for the singer
Contributed by Cameron E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.