Chelsea Girl
Drones Club Lyrics
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it's enough to make you sick
Bridget's all wrapped up in foil
you wonder if
she can uncoil
Here they come now
see them run now
Here they come now
Here's Room One fifteen
filled with SM queens
Magic marker row
you wonder just
how high they go
Here they come now
see them run now
Here they come now
Chelsea Girls
Here's Pope dear Ondine
Rona's treated him so mean
She wants another scene
she wants to be
a human being
Here they come now
see them run now
Here they come now
Chelsea Girls
Pepper she's having fun
she thinks she's some men's son
Her perfect loves don't last
her future died
in someone's past
Here they come now
see them run now
Here they come now
Chelsea Girls
Dear Ingrid's found her lick
she's turned another trick
Her treats and times revolves
she's got problems
to be solved
Here they come now
see them run now
Here they come now
Chelsea Girls
Poor Mary, she's uptight
she can't turn out her light
She rolled Susan in a ball
and now she can't
see her at all
Here they come now
see them run now
Here they come now
Chelsea Girls
Drop out, she's in a fix
amphetamine has made her sick
White powder in the air
she's got no bones
and can't be scared
Here they come now
see them run now
Here they come now
Chelsea Girls
Here comes Johnny Bore
he collapsed on the floor
They shut him up with milk
and when he died
sold him for silk
Here they come now
see them run now
Here they come now
Chelsea Girls
Here they come now
see them run now
Here they come now
Chelsea Girls
Drones Club's "Chelsea Girl" is a commentary on the decadence and excess of the New York City art scene in the late 1960s. The lyrics describe the various characters that make up the scene, including Bridget wrapped up in foil and Pepper, who thinks she's some men's son. The common thread among all the characters is their desperation to be seen and heard, to have their own scene and to be acknowledged as individuals. The song's title, "Chelsea Girl," is a reference to Andy Warhol's muse and Factory superstar, Edie Sedgwick, who was a prominent figure in the New York art scene during this time.
The song uses vivid imagery to paint a picture of the characters and their surroundings. References to specific rooms in the Chelsea Hotel, such as Room 546 and Room 115, lend the song a sense of grit and authenticity. The lyrics also touch on darker aspects of the scene, such as drug addiction and the commodification of art and artists.
Overall, "Chelsea Girl" can be seen as a critique of the art world's tendency to both celebrate and exploit its own members. It captures a moment in time when creativity and excess collided, and the resulting fallout left many burnt out and broken.
Line by Line Meaning
Here's Room five four six
Let me introduce you to a room number 546
it's enough to make you sick
This room is in such a terrible state, it can cause you to feel nauseous
Bridget's all wrapped up in foil
Bridget is covering herself in foil, and it's unclear if she can actually unwrap it
you wonder if
One may question whether or not
she can uncoil
Bridget is so wrapped up in foil that it's uncertain if she can actually remove it
Here they come now
Look at them, they are arriving
see them run now
They are moving quickly
Chelsea Girls
Referencing a group of individuals who embody a particular lifestyle
Here's Room One fifteen
Allow me to show you another room, numbered 115
filled with SM queens
This room contains people who are into BDSM, and can be considered royalty in their subculture
Magic marker row
There is a row of magic markers present in the room
you wonder just
It's unclear exactly
how high they go
The extent to which these individuals can take their activities
Here's Pope dear Ondine
This person is referred to as Pope dear Ondine
Rona's treated him so mean
Someone named Rona has treated Pope dear Ondine quite poorly
She wants another scene
Rona desires a change of scenery
she wants to be
Rona aspires to become
a human being
Someone who is fully alive and present in the world
Pepper she's having fun
A person known as Pepper is enjoying themselves
she thinks she's some men's son
Pepper believes she embodies qualities often associated with men
Her perfect loves don't last
The things that Pepper loves never seem to endure
her future died
She has lost the potential for a bright future
in someone's past
The cause of Pepper's lost future is due to something in her past
Dear Ingrid's found her lick
A person known as Ingrid has found a new method of obtaining what she desires
she's turned another trick
Ingrid has found another way to manipulate her situation to her advantage
Her treats and times revolves
The things that bring Ingrid joy and satisfaction are constantly changing
she's got problems
Despite her new methods of obtaining what she desires, Ingrid is still facing difficulties
to be solved
Problems that Ingrid is seeking to resolve
Poor Mary, she's uptight
A person named Mary is feeling incredibly anxious and tense
she can't turn out her light
Mary is unable to turn off the light in her room
She rolled Susan in a ball
Mary has put someone named Susan in a ball shape, physically or metaphorically
and now she can't
As a result of rolling Susan up, Mary is now unable to
see her at all
Visual contact with Susan is now impossible for Mary
Drop out, she's in a fix
A person is experiencing a difficult situation after becoming a dropout
amphetamine has made her sick
The use of amphetamines has caused this person to feel unwell
White powder in the air
There is a white powder present in the atmosphere
she's got no bones
This person is so physically weak that they cannot support themselves
and can't be scared
Despite their physical condition, this person cannot be frightened
Here comes Johnny Bore
Someone named Johnny Bore is approaching
he collapsed on the floor
Johnny has fallen to the ground
They shut him up with milk
An attempt was made to silence Johnny with milk
and when he died
Despite the milk, Johnny has died
sold him for silk
After Johnny's death, he was sold for silk
Writer(s): Georgia Rose Harriet Barnes, Charles Edward George Dobney, Rory George Blair Cottam, Louis Morlet
Contributed by Lincoln F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.