The band received some mainstream exposure when The Breeders covered their song "Drivin' On 9" on their album Last Splash, and The Presidents of the United States of America covered the eponymous track, "More Bad Times." Ed's Redeeming Qualities also contributed several songs to the soundtrack for the movie Ed's Next Move, a film in which they briefly appeared. Their songs were often funny and strange story-songs or character sketches. Some highlights include Perrotta's "Lawyers and Truckers" and "Lawn Dart," and Dom Leone's "Spoken Word." Though the band has officially broken up, some members of the group still occasionally get together for reunion concerts every few years or so.
After the band's breakup, Carrie Bradley went on to form the band 100 Watt Smile, which released two albums in the late 1990s. Dani Leone went on to form the band Sister Exister, which released its first CD in 2008. Dani Leone also went on to write the "Cheap Eats" column for the San Francisco Bay Guardian under the nom de guerre "L.E. Leone." Jonah Winter and Neno Perrotta went on to writing careers.
Virginia
Ed's Redeeming Qualities Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I steamed up the windows and it started to rain
And I dreamed about sex and I dreamed about lepers
And I woke up doing 85 in the passing lane
I didn't have a map so I went to Virginia
Because I know how to get there and because that's my girlfriend's name
So I was in Virginia and Virginia was in Boston
I need a new place to go
A new place where people wear their clothes inside-out
Where everyone was born on UFOs
First I'll learn their language, then I'll ask them out
I was talking to a girl at a truck stop in Texas
We were counting up our problems; I had the most
I held her hand, then I told her I was lonely
She got up and left; I ate her toast
The lyrics to Ed's Redeeming Qualities' "Virginia" are a rumination on loneliness and the search for connection. The song is written in a stream-of-consciousness style, weaving together disparate elements such as sleeping in a car, dreaming of sex and lepers, driving on the highway, and searching for a new place to belong.
The first stanza sets the tone of the song, with the singer sleeping in his car because he is too cold in the house. As he drives, he dreams about sex and lepers, perhaps symbolic of his desire for human connection as well as his fear of rejection and exclusion. The final line of the stanza, "I woke up doing 85 in the passing lane," suggests a sense of urgency and restlessness, as if the singer is searching for something he cannot find.
The second stanza is centered around the titular Virginia, who may or may not be the singer's girlfriend. He drives to Virginia because he knows how to get there, but it is unclear whether he is seeking her specifically or simply a sense of familiarity and comfort. However, when he arrives, he finds that Virginia is indifferent like Boston, and he is still alone.
The final stanza is a plea for a new place where the singer can feel like he belongs. He imagines a place where people wear their clothes inside-out and were all born on UFOs, suggesting a desire for a community that is different and accepting of outsiders. However, the final line reveals the singer's continued isolation, as he jokes about learning their language and asking them out, indicating a lack of confidence and fear of rejection.
Overall, "Virginia" is a poignant exploration of loneliness and the human need for connection. The song's stream-of-consciousness style mirrors the erratic nature of the singer's thoughts and emotions, making it a powerful and relatable piece of music.
Line by Line Meaning
It was cold in the house so I slept in my car
I couldn't stand the cold inside my house, so I chose my car to sleep in.
And I steamed up the windows and it started to rain
When I breathed on the windows, they fogged up, and suddenly it started raining.
And I dreamed about sex and I dreamed about lepers
I had dreams about both sex and leprosy.
And I woke up doing 85 in the passing lane
I woke up driving at a speed of 85 miles per hour, in the lane for overtaking slower vehicles.
I didn't have a map so I went to Virginia
Since I had no map, I chose to drive to Virginia instead.
Because I know how to get there and because that's my girlfriend's name
I decided to go to Virginia because I knew the directions, and also because it is the name of my girlfriend.
So I was in Virginia and Virginia was in Boston
I reached Virginia, and Virginia happens to be the name of a place in Boston too.
Boston was indifferent, Virginia was the same
I found that people in Boston were indifferent, and similarly, the people in Virginia too were the same.
I need a new place to go
I am looking for a new city to move to.
A new place where people wear their clothes inside-out
I am searching for a place where people wear their clothes with the inside out.
Where everyone was born on UFOs
I wish to find a new place where every resident was born on a UFO.
First I'll learn their language, then I'll ask them out
I plan to learn their language first, then perhaps ask someone out.
I was talking to a girl at a truck stop in Texas
At a truck stop in Texas, I was having a conversation with a girl.
We were counting up our problems; I had the most
As we shared our problems, it turned out that I had the most.
I held her hand, then I told her I was lonely
I held her hand, and then expressed my loneliness to her.
She got up and left; I ate her toast
She simply got up and left, and I remained there to eat the toast.
Contributed by Maya O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.