Crooked Fingers is an American alt-folk band based in North Carolina and le… Read Full Bio ↴Crooked Fingers is an American alt-folk band based in North Carolina and led by former Archers of Loaf lead singer Eric Bachmann. The rotation of band members has included such musicians as Lara Meyerratken, R.L. Martin, Jo Jameson, Barton Carroll and Dov Friedman.

In 1998, following the breakup of Archers of Loaf, Bachmann started work on a solo project that he named Crooked Fingers. The first outcome of this project, a self-titled release of various songs he had written, was released by WARM in 2000. It was followed shortly after by a second album on WARM, Bring on the Snakes. Reservoir Songs EP, a collection of covers of songs by artists such as Neil Diamond and Queen, was released on the Merge label in 2002. Red Devil Dawn followed in 2003, and Dignity and Shame in 2005.

For more information, see:
http://www.crookedfingers.com/

Wrecking Ball
Crooked Fingers Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Reaching for your gun, you had none, so you stabbed a wounded arm
And you drank the blood of a bleeding friend
And quit your lying face of trust and love you once offered traces of
Knowing well you were never meaning them
And you laughed and you danced and it let you feel fine for a while
Hanging out with the kids who you knew soon would fall out of style

And took your mark at dawn down a line of destruction you had drawn

Through a town you were never welcome in
And dug your fingers good in the cracks in the mortar, steel, and wood
As you drank your cup of sweet revenge
And you plotted and planned and you counted the days til they came
Hiding up in your tower, tuning out every fool who complained
It's so long looking down what you're on
If your speech is so lame and just goes on and on

If it makes you feel good, you can make them feel bad
It's an easy call
So when nothing remains you can stand there and claim
You've destroyed them all
You've destroyed them all

Now all your love's a grave and every year disappears
I heard someone mark the season you went wasting in
So take your walk at dawn through the line of destruction you had drawn
Through to rear your head to sink again
It's a long way to walk when you're wrong
If you're sneaking through town with your wrecking ball on

If it makes you feel good, you can make them feel bad
It's an easy call
So when nothing remains you can stand proud and claim
You've destroyed them all
It's so easy

Take a swing and watch them fall
You're a wrecking ball

Overall Meaning

The song "Wrecking Ball" by Crooked Fingers tells the story of a person who seeks revenge against those who have wronged them. The singer has been hurt and betrayed by someone they once trusted and loved, causing them to turn to violence and destruction. The lyrics paint a picture of someone who has lost all sense of morality and empathy, willing to harm even their friends to achieve their goal of vengeance.

The first verse describes the violent and gruesome act of stabbing a wounded arm and drinking the blood of a bleeding friend. The lines "And quit your lying face of trust and love you once offered traces of/Knowing well you were never meaning them" suggest that the singer was dishonest in their previous relationships and never truly cared for their loved ones. They also seem to take pleasure in the temporary relief from their pain that comes with "laughing and dancing" and "hanging out with the kids who you knew soon would fall out of style."

The second verse describes the singer's deliberate and calculated planning of their revenge. They "took their mark at dawn" and "drew a line of destruction" through a town where they were never welcomed. They "dug their fingers good in the cracks in the mortar, steel, and wood" and drank their "cup of sweet revenge." The lyrics suggest that the singer takes pleasure in watching their enemies fall and stand proud in claiming that they have "destroyed them all." The song concludes with the line "You're a wrecking ball," emphasizing the destructive nature of the singer's actions.

Line by Line Meaning

Reaching for your gun, you had none, so you stabbed a wounded arm
You resorted to injure yourself since you did not possess a gun for self-defence.

And you drank the blood of a bleeding friend
You betrayed your friend and took advantage of their vulnerability.

And quit your lying face of trust and love you once offered traces of Knowing well you were never meaning them
You deceitfully pretended to have feelings of trust and love for them even though you knew it was all a pretence.

And you laughed and you danced and it let you feel fine for a while Hanging out with the kids who you knew soon would fall out of style
You partied with people when you knew that they will be forgotten.

And took your mark at dawn down a line of destruction you had drawn Through a town you were never welcome in
You went on a rampage through a town where you knew you were not welcomed.

And dug your fingers good in the cracks in the mortar, steel, and wood As you drank your cup of sweet revenge
You took pleasure in destroying the materials and getting your revenge.

And you plotted and planned and you counted the days til they came Hiding up in your tower, tuning out every fool who complained
You patiently planned until the day when you could destroy them, notwithstanding the complaints of others.

It's so long looking down what you're on If your speech is so lame and just goes on and on
Your confidence dwindles as you realise you're standing on a frail foundation, and your speeches are uninteresting.

If it makes you feel good, you can make them feel bad It's an easy call So when nothing remains you can stand there and claim You've destroyed them all You've destroyed them all
You get pleasure from bringing others down, and when everything is in ruins, you can declare that you ruined them.

Now all your love's a grave and every year disappears I heard someone mark the season you went wasting in So take your walk at dawn through the line of destruction you had drawn Through to rear your head to sink again
Your past love is now gone, and every year fades away. Your destructive reputation precedes you, and you're doomed to repeat the cycle.

It's a long way to walk when you're wrong If you're sneaking through town with your wrecking ball on
It's a lonely journey when you realise you were wrong. You have to sneak around because society dislikes you.

It's so easy Take a swing and watch them fall You're a wrecking ball
It's effortless to cause damage to others, and you're comparable to a wrecking ball.

Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Eric Emil Bachmann

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS