However, after getting financial backing if he used the L.A. Guns name again, Tracii's friend Taime Downe took the name and formed Faster Pussycat in 1985 with lead guitarist Brent Muscat. Muscat has been the only member to perform on all Faster Pussycat releases besides Taime. The band released their self-titled debut in 1987, gaining some commercial success. The album reached the #97 slot on the Billboard 200 chart, and it has received praise from music critics such as Steve Huey of Allmusic, who praised it as "party-hearty" and "fun".
The group's follow-up, named 'Wake Me When It's Over', came out in 1989, during the last years of glam metal's commercial viability. Still tapping into a big audience for their type of sleazy hard rock, they had a hit with the power ballad "House of Pain". 'Wake Me When It's Over' was even certified as gold by the RIAA.
Yet, with the rise of grunge in the early 90s, Faster Pussycat's style of music fell out of favor, despite having little in common with several of the chart-topping glam bands at the time, such as Warrant and Slaughter. They released their third album, named 'Whipped!', to little success in 1992. Sensing the change in musical tastes, they disbanded and went on to various other projects, with frontman Taime Downe going onto form an industrial rock band called Newlydeads.
In 2001, Taime released "Between the Valley of the Ultra Pussy" with some former members of Faster Pussycat under the moniker, which contained newer versions of older songs. The band has since reformed and has recorded a new album, "The Power and the Gloryhole," which was released in 2006. The band's style of music has shifted from the Aerosmith influenced rock to a more industrial one, much like Taime's Newlydeads.
Smash Alley
Faster Pussycat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Catchin' new diseases once a week
Infecting everyone we meet
Our life is just one big trick or treat
Molested and arrested in Smash Alley
Captain Friendly locked me in his cage
He said boys, you'd better behave
She's only fourteen, in the seventh grade
If her daddy only knew he'd be screamin' in his grave
Molested and arrested in Smash Alley
Lipstick junkies and runaways in Smash Alley
Say goodbye to your mama if you're gonna hang out in Smash Alley
You see, Missy just made it out on parole
She's huddled in the gutter and she's shiverin' with cold
She's so high strung I'm on the tip of her tongue
Kneeling in the alley all covered with scum
Molested and arrested in Smash Alley
Lipstick junkies and runaways in Smash Alley
Say goodbye to your mama if you're gonna hang out in Smash Alley
High heels and switch blades in Smash Alley
Say adios to your mama if you're gonna hang out in Smash Alley
The song "Smash Alley" by Faster Pussycat is a commentary on the darker side of urban life. The lyrics describe a group of young people who hang out on the street and engage in reckless behavior, often catching and spreading new diseases. The theme of recklessness and disregard for one's own safety is reinforced throughout the song, with lines like "Our life is just one big trick or treat" and "Say goodbye to your mama if you're gonna hang out in Smash Alley."
The lyrics also touch on the subject of sexual predation and exploitation. The line "Molested and arrested in Smash Alley" suggests that the characters in the song have experienced abuse at the hands of adults in positions of authority. This theme is further developed in the line "Captain Friendly locked me in his cage," which implies a sense of powerlessness and entrapment.
Overall, "Smash Alley" is a haunting and powerful critique of the dangers and darkness that can lurk beneath the surface of city life.
Line by Line Meaning
Hangin' out with junior on the street
Spending time with a friend named Junior on the streets
Catchin' new diseases once a week
Getting infected with new diseases every week
Infecting everyone we meet
Passing on the diseases to everyone we come across
Our life is just one big trick or treat
Our life is full of surprises, some good and some bad
Molested and arrested in Smash Alley
Getting sexually assaulted and taken into custody in an area called Smash Alley
Captain Friendly locked me in his cage
A police officer called Captain Friendly put me in a cell
He said boys, you'd better behave
He warned us to behave ourselves
She's only fourteen, in the seventh grade
Referring to a young girl who is still in school
If her daddy only knew he'd be screamin' in his grave
If her father found out about her situation, he would be very upset even after he passed away
Lipstick junkies and runaways in Smash Alley
Referring to people who are addicted to lipstick and others who ran away to Smash Alley
Say goodbye to your mama if you're gonna hang out in Smash Alley
If you are going to hang out in Smash Alley, be prepared to say goodbye to your family
You see, Missy just made it out on parole
Someone named Missy was recently released from prison
She's huddled in the gutter and she's shiverin' with cold
Missy is huddled in a sewage channel and is freezing
She's so high strung I'm on the tip of her tongue
Missy is very nervous and I am barely able to interact with her
Kneeling in the alley all covered with scum
Kneeling down in the alleyway, covered in filth
High heels and switch blades in Smash Alley
There are people in Smash Alley wearing high heels and carrying switch blades
Say adios to your mama if you're gonna hang out in Smash Alley
If you are going to spend time in Smash Alley, be prepared to say goodbye to your mother
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind