Had anyone actually thought about it, Drugstore should have been branded Alt-indie-country - as Isabel’s smoky vocals and pitch-dark lyrical subject matter, coupled with the band’s minimalist, melancholic guitar and string arrangements, stick them firmly in the lovelorn, caustic company of Low, Dusty in Memphis and Leonard Cohen.
Throughout the band's eventful career (although Isabel prefers to describe it as an adventure rather than a professional enterprise), the band have landed 2x top 50 album charts and a top 20 single.
Drugstore's music nimbly hops over the ages, from 1920s Berlin cabaret through the French chanson tradition, via The Velvet Undergrounds woozy melodic charm and Tom Waits’bar-room badinage, across PJ Harveys earnest intellect and The Bad Seeds’rumbling, angry melancholia, with an intoxicating mix of heartfelt and carefree disarming vérité.
The band was formed in 1993 when Isabel Monteiro and american drummer Mike Chylinski got together via a flat-share in East London. Soon after their self-financed debut single ‘Alive’ was released, and having only performed a handful of gigs, the band signed a major deal with maverick label GoDiscs.
The single immediately draw an unprecedented amount of attention, earning the band their first of many 'single of the week' in Melody Maker, Music Week, Q and others.
Another 2 critically acclaimed albums followed: White Magic for Lovers’, in 1998, which features the top 20 sinle ‘El President’, a duet with Thom Yorke – and ‘Songs for the JetSet’, released in 2001.
In the summer of 2001, while the band were in the middle of promoting the 'Songs for the Jetset' album, to the surprise of band members and dismay of the Record Company, Isabel suddenly decided to 'walk away from it all' and the band went into hibernation.
8 years later, in 2011, Isabel Monteiro reappeared with the semi-acoustic intimate album ‘Anatomy’, released by RocketGirl and partly financed by the fans.
In 2013 the band teams-up with London based label Cherry Red Records, for the release of a 'Best of' compilation, released on September 2013, which includes tracks spanning the band’s 20 year career and 4 albums.
The band now plays special gigs, and Monteiro is currently writing material for a new album.
Little Girl
Drugstore Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your life has only begun
Little girl
Try to go out if you can you should try to have fun
So everything you wanna do gets a chance to be done
'Cos all you can want girl
Is under the sun
Little girl
Little girl
Against every step there is always a step you don't know
Now everything you feel inside is way under control
And all that you do girl
Becomes part of a show
Little girl
Life must come to an end
Little girl
Tried to be true but it all gets caught up in the end
And everything you ever wanted
Got stolen and bent
Nothing you do now
Will come back again
'Cos Everything you ever wanted
Stolen and bent
Little girl
Little girl
Razia, Nadjia...
D'you wanna ride my bike?
The song "Little Girl" by Drugstore is a melancholic yet hopeful ode to young women who are just starting out in life. The lyrics address a "little girl" who is at the beginning of her journey into adulthood, encouraging her to go out and have fun while reminding her to be mindful of the challenges that lie ahead. The first set of lyrics offers words of encouragement to the young girl, urging her to pursue her dreams and desires because they are all within her reach. However, the lyrics take a darker turn in the second set, warning the girl that there will be setbacks and disappointments along the way. The final set of lyrics speaks to the finality of life and the inevitability of death, leaving the listener with a sense of melancholy and unresolved sadness.
The song seems to be written from the perspective of an older, perhaps wiser person who is looking back on their own life and imparting some hard-earned lessons to young women who are just starting out. The song is filled with contradictions and paradoxes, encouraging and cautioning, hopeful and discouraging. It's a reflection of the complex emotions and experiences that accompany growing up, and a reminder that no one's journey is without its ups and downs.
Line by Line Meaning
Little girl
The singer is addressing a young girl.
Your life has only begun
The singer acknowledges that the girl is young and has a lot of life ahead of her to live.
Try to go out if you can you should try to have fun
The singer encourages the girl to enjoy life while she is young and able to, and to take advantage of opportunities to have fun.
So everything you wanna do gets a chance to be done
The artist wants the girl to have the freedom to pursue her dreams and desires, so she can accomplish all that she wants in life.
'Cos all you can want girl
Is under the sun
The artist is assuring the girl that everything she could desire is attainable and achievable in the world.
Your life's just starting to show
The singer notes that the girl is just beginning to experience and understand the world around her.
Against every step there is always a step you don't know
The singer acknowledges that the girl may encounter difficulties or challenges in life that she may not be prepared for.
Now everything you feel inside is way under control
The artist implies that the girl has the strength and resilience to manage her emotions and handle challenges in her life.
And all that you do girl
Becomes part of a show
The artist suggests that the girl's actions and experiences in life will become part of her personal history and will shape her identity and character.
Life must come to an end
The artist acknowledges the inevitability of death.
Tried to be true but it all gets caught up in the end
The singer suggests that despite the girl's best efforts, she may fall victim to the inevitable suffering and difficulties that life presents.
And everything you ever wanted
Got stolen and bent
The artist acknowledges that the girl may face situations where her dreams and desires are thwarted or compromised.
Nothing you do now
Will come back again
The singer suggests that there is finality to our actions in life, and they cannot be undone or taken back.
'Cos Everything you ever wanted
Stolen and bent
The singer reiterates the earlier message that the girl may face situations where her dreams and desires are thwarted or compromised.
Little girl
The singer again addresses the young girl.
Little girl
The artist repeats the address.
Razia, Nadjia...
These are unclear proper nouns or names without context.
D'you wanna ride my bike?
The singer offers the girl a simple or innocent invitation to join them in a childlike activity.
Contributed by Charlie O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.