After leaving The Lemon Kittens she embarked on a solo career, recording and producing the albums Pop-Eyes (1982), Jesus Egg That Wept (1984) and Inky Bloaters (1987) on her own label, Awesome Records.
In 1988 she signed with Sire Records, which released Dark Adapted Eye which contained material from her first three albums as well as b-sides from the singles Big Hollow Man, Where The Flies Are and Yummer Yummer Man.
In 1990 she released her lone major-label studio album, Blast The Human Flower. Her last two album releases were in 1995 and consisted of a career retrospective double-album entitled Comatose-Non-Reaction and the Timber Tongue EP. Dax's career in the music business then went on indefinite hiatus, and was often referred to as a retirement.
From 1996 on, she has worked in interior design, and has appeared several times on the BBC interior design show Homefront.
According to her official MySpace page (maintained by long-time friend and former bandmate, Karl Blake), she has had several spoken word performances of her old material in the UK and on the continent, and there is some talk of new material being written. Her first three albums have been re-released on CD via her own label, Biter of Thorpe (with distribution through World Serpent).
Big Hollow Man
Danielle Dax Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hey yeah, walking in the valley of decision
Hey yeah, reap all the wages of sin
A big hollow man
With a fistful of sham
Came a-walking across the sea
All leathery charms
And directed his gaze at me
(He said)
God will provide the way
You read about it every day
(I'm telling ya)
All you gotta do is pray
And furnish his house with silver
(chorus)
Liberty's daughter
Well primed for the slaughter
A space where her brains had been
All ribbons and curls
She's a good hearted girl
Broken by what she had seen
(She says)
Daddy don't you go away
Stay with me and we can play
(I'm begging ya)
Do it just like yesterday
And I can go home to Jesus
(chorus)
(chorus)
A regular Joe
Who had nowhere to go
A space where his home had been
A bombing religion
A blight on the region
To fuel a pious dream
(And they said)
God will provide the way
You read about it every day
(I'm telling ya)
All you gotta do is pray
And furnish his house with silver
(chorus)
The song "Big Hollow Man" by Danielle Dax seems to be a commentary on religious hypocrisy and the harm it can cause. The "big hollow man" may represent a religious leader or institution that appears impressive and powerful but is ultimately empty and fraudulent. He speaks of God providing a way and encourages prayer, but his true intention seems to be to gain wealth and silver at the expense of others. The chorus speaks of walking in the valley of decision and reaping the wages of sin, suggesting that actions have consequences and there is a need for reflection and responsibility.
In the second verse, we hear about a girl who has been broken by what she has seen, possibly a victim of abuse or trauma within a religious context. She begs her father not to leave her and to play with her like they did in the past, suggesting a desire for a return to innocence and security. But she also speaks of going home to Jesus, indicating a belief in an afterlife or a hope for redemption beyond this world.
The third verse introduces a "regular Joe" who has lost his home to bombing, likely a casualty of war or conflict fueled by religious ideology. His situation highlights the paradox of religion: while it can provide comfort and hope, it can also inspire violence and cruelty. Once again, the chorus emphasizes the need for decision and accountability in the face of these complexities.
Overall, the song paints a bleak picture of religion as a source of corruption, abuse, and violence, but it also suggests that there is a possibility for redemption and a path toward a more truthful, compassionate way of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey yeah, walking in the valley of decision
I'm making an important choice and I'm in the middle of it.
Hey yeah, reap all the wages of sin
I'm going to face the consequences of my actions, good or bad.
A big hollow man
A man who appears to have a lot but feels empty inside.
With a fistful of sham
He's holding on to empty promises and lies.
Came a-walking across the sea
He came from afar with nothing to offer.
All leathery charms
Despite his flaws, he has a certain appeal.
As he pinwheeled his arms
He's trying to distract from his lack of substance.
And directed his gaze at me
He's trying to convince me of something.
(He said) God will provide the way
He's insisting that God will take care of everything.
You read about it every day
He's trying to use religious authority to back up his claim.
(I'm telling ya) All you gotta do is pray
He's trying to simplify the solution to all problems.
And furnish his house with silver
He's trying to appeal to greed and religious duty to get money.
(chorus)
These are the repeated main points of the song.
Liberty's daughter
This is a woman who values her freedom.
Well primed for the slaughter
She has been set up for failure and destruction.
A space where her brains had been
She has been subjected to mental abuse and manipulation.
All ribbons and curls
She looks sweet and innocent on the outside.
She's a good hearted girl
Despite everything, she has a kind heart and good intentions.
Broken by what she had seen
She's been harmed by her experiences.
(She says) Daddy don't you go away
She's afraid to be alone and abandoned.
Stay with me and we can play
She's trying to hold on to happier times together.
(I'm begging ya) Do it just like yesterday
She wants to go back to a time when things were good.
And I can go home to Jesus
She's putting her faith and hope in something better.
(chorus)
These are the repeated main points of the song.
A regular Joe
This is an ordinary person.
Who had nowhere to go
He's lost and wandering.
A space where his home had been
He's been displaced and made homeless.
A bombing religion
This is a destructive, extremist form of religion.
A blight on the region
It's causing problems and harm where it exists.
To fuel a pious dream
It's being used to justify misguided actions and goals.
(And they said) God will provide the way
They're all insisting that God will make things work out.
You read about it every day
They're relying on their interpretation of religious texts to back them up.
(I'm telling ya) All you gotta do is pray
They believe that prayer can solve everything.
And furnish his house with silver
They're using religion as a way to get more money.
(chorus)
These are the repeated main points of the song.
Contributed by Jordan H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Michael Richard Roberts
Hey yeah, walking in the valley of decision
Hey yeah, reap all the wages of sin
A big hollow man
With a fistful of sham
Came a-walking across the sea
All leathery charms
As he pinwheeled his arms
And directed his gaze at me
(He said)
God will provide the way
You read about it every day
(I'm telling ya)
All you gotta do is pray
And furnish his house with silver
(Chorus)
Liberty's daughter
Well primed for the slaughter
A space where her brains had been
All ribbons and curls
She's a good hearted girl
Broken by what she had seen
(She says)
Daddy don't you go away
Stay with me and we can play
(I'm begging ya)
Do it just like yesterday
And I can go home to Jesus
(Chorus)
(Chorus)
A regular Joe
Who had nowhere to go
A space where his home had been
A bombing religion
A blight on the region
To fuel a pious dream
(And they said)
God will provide the way
You read about it every day
(I'm telling ya)
All you gotta do is pray
And furnish his house with silver
(Chorus)
Bruno Provangenoia
A big hollow man
With a fistful of sham
Came a-walking across the sea
All leathery charms
As he pinwheeled his arms
And directed his gaze at me(
He said) God will provide the way
You read about it every day
(I'm telling ya
)All you gotta do is pray
And furnish his house with silver
T. S. Bath
bought this album when it first came out. ย She isn't a huge star because she's too weird for boring people. she's a goddess
Alycia Marrison
+T. S. Bath (Sys) Too true!!
Simon James Young
Ha ha ha ๐
Olivier Swingedau
@Alycia Marrison yes she's really, really weird, it's excellent
David Brayshaw
T. S. Bath too damn right! Iโve got the album too! And the singles off the album too! God she was a dance floor filler in the oleโ club I frequented!
CL
An absolute goddess.
You are so right. ๐
Mark Riva
She IS a Huge Star in the minds of those who can truly appreciate her as the Goddess Genius she is.
Eric Otto
And we can make her retroactively famous through YouTube
cb90222
It a "her"?? Sounds and looks like a man to me..
Cannabico
@cb90222 come on, the voice is mixed with a back up male singer, it's obvious.