The Four Bitchin' Babes is a group of female singer-songwriters with rotati… Read Full Bio ↴The Four Bitchin' Babes is a group of female singer-songwriters with rotating membership performing mainly humorous, satirical, or light-hearted songs in the folk genre. Founded in 1990 by Christine Lavin, this is a four-woman in-the-round group of songwriters. The roster has changed over the years, including artists such as founder Christine Lavin, Camille West, Patty Larkin, and the line-up became Sally Fingerette, Debi Smith, and newer members Deirdre Flint and Nancy Moran. Usually, there is one especially funny member, and the other three are more serious in tone, though not without a sense of humor.

The debut album was a live recording of their performance at The Birchmere entitled "Buy Me, Bring Me, Take Me, Don't Mess My Hair", released on Rounder Records in 1990.

They released their second album, Buy Me… Volume II in 1993.

In 1994, Debi Smith replaced Julie Gold, and they released their third album "Fax It, Charge It, Don't Ask Me What's For Dinner" in 1995 on Shanachie Records.

In 1997, Lavin chose Camille West to replace her in the band, and the new lineup released the live album "Gabby Road: Out Of The Mouths Of Babes", also recorded at the Birchmere. In 2001, the band released the album "The Babes: Beyond Bitchin'", produced by Jeff Bova, in addition to a live concert DVD. McDonough left the band in 2001 to perform a one-woman show, and she was replaced by Suzzy Roche, formerly of The Roches.

In 2002, they released the album "Some Assembly Required". In 2004, both West and Roche left the group and were replaced by Nancy Moran and Deirdre Flint. In 2006, they toured for their CD "Hormonal Imbalance: A Mood Swinging Musical Revue".

In 2006, they toured for their CD "Hormonal Imbalance: A Mood Swinging Musical Revue".

Hold On To My Love
Four Bitchin' Babes Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Seventeen, Id left behind mypleated plaids and navy knee socks, stumbled onto campus in my platform shoes.
Feeling young and unafraid I moved from a passing grade topassing bottles in brown wrappers, passing out in strangers rooms. It was a crazy time; the world was unraveling.
And I would cling to any line, to anyone, to anything.
If I could just find my wayto feel familiar tapestry, to hold a thread of sanityand someone said to me: Hold on to my love, my love, my love
Hold on to my love Now I can see it your eyes; they look at mine defiantly.
Seventeen-- no surprise
God, you look so much like me! The style Ive seen before, the hair, the clothesits all been worn.
Honey, its the uniformof non-conformity And history has her patterns

This thread of hope is all I offerif the fabrics torn away.
Disillusioned, disconnected, sometimes its hard to see There is method to this madness, pattern to this tapestry When people talk of cutting things, cutting corners, cutting lines, ties and losses, apron strings, connections to another time, theres something here for you to hold, as long as youre a child of mine, this thread is strong as it is fine, I cried when I wrote this line Hold on to my love

Overall Meaning

The first verse of the song Hold on to My Love, by Four Bitchin' Babes, delves into the theme of youthful rebellion, self-exploration, and the longing for a sense of belonging. The singer of the song, a seventeen-year-old girl, has just entered college and has left behind the conventional lifestyle. She used to wear pleated plaids and navy knee socks, but now she has started wearing platform shoes, passing bottles in brown wrappers, and even passing out in strangers' rooms. The world is in turmoil, and the singer is lost, trying to find a way to hold onto her sanity. She clings to anything and anyone that crosses her way, trying to find some familiar tapestry to hold onto. The singer is greeted with a message of hope, "Hold on to my love, my love, my love."

The second section of the song focuses on the importance of holding onto hope during dark times. The singer is taking a walk down memory lane, remembering the times when she was stuck between her past and future, feeling lost and unsure of what the future holds. She tells the listener that when things get tough, you must hold on to the love that people offer you. Disillusionment and despondency can creep in and render one disconnected from their dreams and aspirations. Still, the listener is urged to hold onto hope as it is the thread that ties everything together. Ultimately, the song offers the listener an optimistic outlook by telling them to hold on to love, especially during those moments of despair.

Line by Line Meaning

Seventeen, Id left behind mypleated plaids and navy knee socks, stumbled onto campus in my platform shoes.
At the age of seventeen, I left behind my school uniforms and old-fashioned clothes and stepped into the world of freedom and new beginnings.

Feeling young and unafraid I moved from a passing grade topassing bottles in brown wrappers, passing out in strangers rooms. It was a crazy time; the world was unraveling.
In my youth, I was fearless and careless, and I transitioned from attending classes to partying recklessly, which was a reflection of the chaos happening all around the world at the time.

And I would cling to any line, to anyone, to anything.
I was lost and confused and would hold on to anything that could offer me guidance and stability.

If I could just find my wayto feel familiar tapestry, to hold a thread of sanityand someone said to me: Hold on to my love, my love, my love Hold on to my love
If only I could find my place in the world and cling to some form of sanity, someone advised me to hold on to their love and use it as an anchor.

Now I can see it your eyes; they look at mine defiantly. Seventeen-- no surprise God, you look so much like me! The style Ive seen before, the hair, the clothesits all been worn. Honey, its the uniformof non-conformity And history has her patterns
Looking at someone who is as spirited and rebellious as I was at seventeen, I see that they resemble me a lot. The clothes and hairstyles that were in fashion at that time were all about non-conformity, which has been a recurring pattern in history.

I remember seventeen-Between the past and the future, youre caught somewhere in the seam. And if your dreams no longer fit you, If the ones you once held dearstart to fade and disappearremember- hope is here. Hold on to my love
I recall my days at seventeen when it felt like I was caught between the past and the future. If your dreams no longer align with your reality, remember that hope exists, and someone is there to offer you their love and support.

I dont profess to know the future, Couldnt guess beyond today. This thread of hope is all I offerif the fabrics torn away.
No one can predict the future, so I don't make any promises. However, I can offer you this thread of hope that can hold you up even when everything else falls apart.

Disillusioned, disconnected, sometimes its hard to see There is method to this madness, pattern to this tapestry When people talk of cutting things, cutting corners, cutting lines, ties and losses, apron strings, connections to another time, theres something here for you to hold, as long as youre a child of mine, this thread is strong as it is fine, I cried when I wrote this line
When you feel disillusioned and disconnected from the world, it's easy to lose sight of how everything is interconnected. Despite talk of breaking ties and cutting losses, there is still something to hold onto, especially if you feel like a child of mine. This thread may be delicate, but it's also incredibly strong, and it moved me enough to cry while writing this song.

Writer(s): camille west

Contributed by Blake J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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