Curt Kirkwood (born January 10, 1959) is an American musician, who sings an… Read Full Bio ↴Curt Kirkwood (born January 10, 1959) is an American musician, who sings and plays guitar. He was the front man and founding member for the alternative rock group Meat Puppets. He formed the band along with his brother, Cris, and drummer Derrick Bostrom, in 1980. The trio disbanded in 1996, although Curt re-formed Meat Puppets with Kyle Ellison (guitar), Andrew Duplantis (bass) and Shandon Sahm (drums) to complete one studio album, Golden Lies in 2000. After Meat Puppets, Curt toured solo a bit before banding together with Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic and Sublime drummer Bud Gaugh to form Eyes Adrift. They released a self-titled album in 2002 and toured the United States before disbanding. Curt then formed another band, Volcano, released one album, and then broke out to go solo. His solo album Snow was released in October of 2005.

Curt lives in Austin, Texas.

In 2006, his band Meat Puppets reformed with Cris and new drummer Tim Alexander (of Primus) as the replacement of Derrick Bostrom. The band has already planned to write and record their eleventh studio album, due for release sometime in 2007.

Ted Marcus now sits on the drums for the Meat Puppets. "CURT KIRKWOOD: Well, you know, it's basically the same lineup -- because it's my brother and I ... then Ted, the drummer, he's a Meat Puppets fan."

Beautiful Weapon
Curt Kirkwood Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Sometimes, clear as fire
There is nothing out of sight
Sometimes, only shadows
Washed out pictures, cloudy nights

What a beautiful weapon you got in your eyes
You hold the flower that never unfolds
I love you, I love you; the rest is a lie

What a beautiful weapon you got in your eyes

Seasons fall through time
Changing landscapes in my mind
Reasons, like birds, chime
Plains and mountains undefined

What a beautiful weapon you got in your eyes
You hold the flower that never unfolds
I love you, I love you; the rest is a lie
What a beautiful weapon you got in your eyes

What a beautiful weapon you got in your eyes
You hold the flower that never unfolds
I love you, I love you; the rest is a lie
What a beautiful weapon you got in your eyes

I love you, I love you; the rest is a lie

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Curt Kirkwood's song Beautiful Weapon allude to the powerful and all-encompassing nature of love. The opening lines of the song evoke a sense of uncertainty - the alternating clarity and obscurity of one's vision creating an uneasy sense of dislocation. However, the subject of the song, the person whose "beautiful weapon" is being praised, provides an anchor for the singer's emotional state. The flower that "never unfolds" may suggest that the object of his love remains a constant, a final destination rather than an arrival.

The repeated lines "I love you, I love you; the rest is a lie," provide a kind of mantra, a way to fortify the singer's love in the face of whatever obstacles may come his way. His love is true and strong, and he takes refuge in the knowledge of that love even in the face of an unreliable and untrustworthy world. In this way, the "beautiful weapon" of his lover's eyes gives him a sense of peace and purpose, even as it serves as a reminder of the toll that love can exact.

Interestingly, Kirkwood's use of the phrase "beautiful weapon" is an example of paradox, suggesting that the power of love can be both destructive and regenerative. The song's themes of love and loss are universal, but the vivid imagery and evocative nature of the lyrics make it a memorable and thought-provoking song.

Line by Line Meaning

Sometimes, clear as fire
Sometimes things are crystal clear, like fire.

There is nothing out of sight
Everything is in plain view, there are no secrets or hiding spots.

Sometimes, only shadows
Other times, however, things are murky and unclear, like shadows.

Washed out pictures, cloudy nights
These unclear moments seem almost hazy and blurred, like distorted pictures or cloudy nights.

What a beautiful weapon you got in your eyes
The singer acknowledges that the person he loves has a gaze that could be seen as a weapon, a powerful tool that they possess.

You hold the flower that never unfolds
The person he loves is holding on to something that is meant to blossom but never does, possibly a metaphor for the singer's heart or a deep emotional connection.

I love you, I love you; the rest is a lie
The singer is making a declaration of love, stating that no matter what else may be going on in their life, their love for this person is true and honest.

Seasons fall through time
The passage of time brings changes, both subtle and drastic, like the changing of seasons.

Changing landscapes in my mind
These changes also happen within the artist's own being, shaping their thoughts and emotions like a landscape that evolves over time.

Reasons, like birds, chime
The reasons behind these changes can be compared to birds, who sing and make themselves known without any prompting.

Plains and mountains undefined
These changes can feel like vast, undefined landscapes, with unknown paths and hills to climb.

Contributed by Nicholas I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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