Their first album, Native Speaker (2011), has received mostly praise from critics, remarkable for its innovative melodies and Standell-Preston's "dynamic" vocals.
Keyboardist Katie Lee left the group during the recording of their 2013 album, Flourish // Perish. Raphaelle Standell-Preston is also the vocal half of Blue Hawaii.
The 30th of April 2015 they released 'Deep In The Iris', their third album.
Miniskirt
Braids Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Than a woman my age
Years ago
Liberated is what you wanna call it
How about unfairly choked
Cause I know some just see my body
And every girl I know at some point stopped eating
I am not a man hater
But in my position
I'm the slut
I'm the bitch
I'm the whore
The one you hate
And there's a name for this kind of man
A soft one at that
Womanizer
Casanova
Lothario
For us it's just a stamp to the head
For them another notch in the bed
It's like I'm wearing red
And if I am
You feel you've the right to touch me
Cause I asked for it
In my little mini skirt
Think you can have it
My little mini skirt
It's mine all mine
I know what it's like
To have everything
Taken away from me and my family
For there was once a man
Proposing to love all of us
Instead he is full of hate
Towards himself
Towards his bait
And everything he touches is for him
My mother's soul he devours with a grin
And when she finds out
The child he has taken
Confronts him
Stakes him
Breaks him
All our boxes on the lawn
Woman shelter for 9 months
Cross the street to the church
Pray confusedly about what hurts
Enough to start
A new beginning for us both
I thank you Canada
Thank you Canada
We are all going
Going
Never knowing
What we had
Until it's gone
It's my little mini skirt
Think you can have it
My little mini skirt
It's mine all mine
The lyrics of Braids's song Miniskirt address the issues of sexism and the objectification of women present in society. The song conveys a sense of unfairness and frustration, as the singer reflects on how women are often reduced to their physical appearance and are judged or mistreated based on it. She acknowledges that she enjoys men like anyone else, but society has labeled her and other women as "sluts" or "whores" simply for existing and for wearing what they want, in this case, a "little mini skirt." The tone of the song is one of defiance, as the singer forcefully claims agency over her own body and clothing, declaring that her mini skirt is "mine all mine" and that no one has the right to touch her without her consent, whether or not she is wearing something revealing.
The second verse of the song turns to a more personal story, possibly a reference to the lead singer's own experiences or those of someone close to her. It describes a situation in which a man promised to love and take care of a family but instead turned out to be abusive and selfish. The lines "And when she finds out/The child he has taken/Confronts him/Stakes him/Breaks him" suggest a violent confrontation and a need for justice. The aftermath of this event is described in the lines "All our boxes on the lawn/Woman shelter for 9 months/Cross the street to the church/Pray confusedly about what hurts," which evoke images of displacement and trauma, as the family seeks shelter and tries to heal from the harm they suffered. The singer also expresses gratitude to Canada for providing a new beginning and a chance to rebuild.
Overall, Miniskirt is a powerful and thought-provoking song that challenges the status quo and speaks out against injustice. It shows that music can be a tool for social commentary and awareness, and that artists have a responsibility to use their platform to address important issues and give voice to marginalized groups.
Line by Line Meaning
It's not like I'm feeling much different
Than a woman my age
Years ago
I feel like women in the past may have experienced what I'm going through now even though it's supposed to be a liberated time.
Liberated is what you wanna call it
How about unfairly choked
Being sexually free is what people say we should feel, but in reality, society is still limiting us in unfair ways.
Cause I know some just see my body
And every girl I know at some point stopped eating
People only seem to care about my looks, which has led to many women I know struggling with eating disorders.
I am not a man hater
I enjoy them like cake
But in my position
I'm the slut
I'm the bitch
I'm the whore
The one you hate
I don't hate men, but society sees me as a promiscuous woman who is unworthy of respect or love.
And there's a name for this kind of man
A soft one at that
Womanizer
Casanova
Lothario
For us it's just a stamp to the head
For them another notch in the bed
Men who sleep around are praised while we are shamed. It's a double standard that only benefits men.
It's like I'm wearing red
And if I am
You feel you've the right to touch me
Cause I asked for it
In my little mini skirt
Think you can have it
My little mini skirt
It's mine all mine
Wearing a mini skirt doesn't mean I'm asking for unwanted attention or harassment. My body is my own and I will not let anyone take it from me.
I know what it's like
To have everything
Taken away from me and my family
For there was once a man
Proposing to love all of us
Instead he is full of hate
Towards himself
Towards his bait
And everything he touches is for him
My mother's soul he devours with a grin
And when she finds out
The child he has taken
Confronts him
Stakes him
Breaks him
All our boxes on the lawn
Woman shelter for 9 months
Cross the street to the church
Pray confusedly about what hurts
Enough to start
A new beginning for us both
I thank you Canada
Thank you Canada
I've been through a lot of abuse and trauma, but with the help of resources like women's shelters in Canada, I am able to start over and create a new life for myself and my family.
We are all going
Going
Never knowing
What we had
Until it's gone
We take for granted the freedoms and rights we have until they're taken away from us. It's important to fight for and protect them now before it's too late.
It's my little mini skirt
Think you can have it
My little mini skirt
It's mine all mine
My clothes don't define me, but they are mine and no one else's to take or control. I have autonomy over my own body and it's important to respect that.
Contributed by Madelyn G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Chin Ting Chang
It's not like I'm feeling much different
Than a woman my age years ago
Liberated is what you wanna call it
How about unfairly choked?
Cause I know some just see my body
And every girl I know at some point stopped eating
I'm not a man hater
I enjoy them like cake
But in my position
I'm the slut
I'm the bitch
I'm the whore
The one you hate
And there's a name for this kind of man
A soft one at that
Womanizer
Casanova
Lothario
For us it's just a stamp to the head
For them another notch in the bed
It's like I'm wearing red, and if I am
You feel you've the right to touch me
Cause I asked for it
In my little mini skirt
Think you can have it
My little mini skirt
It's mine all mine
I know what it's like
To have everything
Taken away from me and my family
For there was once a man
Proposing to love all of us
Instead he is full of hate
Towards himself, towards his bait
And everything he touches is for him
My mother's soul he devours with a grin
And when she finds out
The child he has taken
Confronts him
Stakes him
Breaks him
All our boxes on the lawn
Woman shelter for 9 months
Cross the street to the church
Pray confusedly about what hurts
Enough to start
A new beginning for us both
I thank you Canada
Thank you Canada
We are all going, going
Never knowing
What we had
Until it's gone
It's my little mini skirt
Think you can have it
My little mini skirt
It's mine all mine
Trü deau
The flower-factory is an absolute fantastic metaphor. Absolutely fantastic! Of course, it hurts, but ...
Bendage
I'm so glad there's a video to accompany the song. <3 the director's note also provides a lot of insight:
"I’d been a huge fan of Braids long before I was lucky enough to be a collaborator, an element that made this video special from the outset. They came to me with a handful of very precise visual ideas that they had in mind, which in turn became my jumping off point to shape the rest of the video. I remember the first time I heard the song, I was simply kind of awestruck by the gravitational power that it seemed to imbued with and it’s bold, incendiary beauty. It’s a rare sort of source material to get the opportunity to work with. I wanted to create something that could compliment the track as opposed to trying to compete with it’s power. When thinking about the song and it’s content, I began very interested in the idea of commodification and control of femininity in a patriarchal societal construct, and liberation from that restraint. A central consideration that emerged from that was a historical relationship to nature, in terms of the patriarchal and imperial societal impulse to control, conform and dominate. That dynamic and the songs authorial resistance to that entitlement is what ultimately formed the thematic core of the video."
- Kevan Funk, Director
Bendage
Bendage whoops, you can actually view this message in the description of the video @_@
djbethell
Bendage Not everybody bothers with the description so thanks for posting.
Salt King
second part sounds like he just wants to throw as many buzzwords in as possible, doesnt seem to make a lot of sense to me.
Gil Renard
Such a great song and the lyrics are on point!
Wanny123
Discovered Braids recently. So underrated ! Can’t get enough of her songs! Hopefully she continues to make more music. Again, SO underrated.
IndieMusicLvr
Loving this song! Been on repeat for a couple days. Her voice is amazing. 😍
Rosie
The power of this song gives me chills. The video is amazing, too!
Stephen Andrew
Saw them perform this live last week in Los Angeles. They are all-around EPIC. Grateful to see their artistry and messages actualizing and taking new flight.