Once upon a time in a land far away, 3 boys and 1 girl decided to try out s… Read Full Bio ↴Once upon a time in a land far away, 3 boys and 1 girl decided to try out some demos, written by the girl, on a live audience. Those four kids were Fur Patrol, named after God can only imagine what, and consisted of vocalist/guitarist Julia Deans, bassist Andrew Bain, drummer Simon Braxton and guitarist Steve Wells. Fur Patrol's debut performance in May 1996 at Bar Bodega (in Wellington New Zealand), opened their eyes to the possibility that they could exist as more than just a one-off vehicle for Julia's demos. At the request of their audience they continued writing and gigging together and in 1998, as indie label Wishbone's first signing, they released their debut ep Starlifter to rave reviews.

In mid-1999, after releasing two video singles in the form of Dominoes and Beautiful, Fur Patrol went into the studio to record what would eventually be known as the album Pet. The first single, Now, was released in May alongside an excellent music video from Chris Graham at 2-D films. Pet, initially to be released in August 2000, (a full year after it was recorded) was finally released on October the 13th 2000. One of many successful New Zealand albums released at this time, Pet was delayed time and time again so it wouldn't be lost among the hype of the other top selling albums. Fortunately, their success at pulling the crowds in, including the General Electric tour, featuring the now defunct Weta and biggest band in the world, Pacifier aka Shihad, impressed both fans and critics alike. So impressed were the buying public that they raised Pet sales to platinum status, and a peak of number 7 on the national album charts. Meanwhile the Furs jumped over to Australia for their virgin trip, scoring the support slot for the Dandy Warhols. Australia was now on their minds.

Track number 5 from Pet, a little ditty named Lydia, soon became the most played song on radio and the Xmas number 1 in the country. This number 1 was the only New Zealand song to reach the top in 2000, surprising considering the popularity of NZ music growing at the time. They picked up 4 Tuis/NZ music awards, including single of the year for Lydia, and songwriter of the year for Julia. Fur Patrol performed their wee hearts out over the summer of 2000/2001 and after the orientation gigs in Feb/March 2001 leaped the ditch and set up camp in Melbourne, Australia, much to the dismay of their fans in New Zealand.

On arrival the band joined Australian band Motor Ace on a tour, followed up by a support slot for legendary former Split Enz/Crowded House singer Neil Finn. They continued gigging around and visited New Zealand once more in 2001 to play the By Hokey it's Fur Patrol tour with Betchadupa and Goodshirt.

In 2002, after NZ Orientation gigs, the Furs joined other Australiasian acts at the Fierce Festival in England, alongside fellow number 1 kiwi Che-Fu.

In October 2003 the Furs released the HIGHLY anticipated second album, "Collider" after working on it in London with producer Mark Wallis and have since been focusing mainly on Australia, where they are making quite an impact.

In October 2004, Steve Wells made the decision to leave Fur Patrol. Fur Patrol began life as a new mini-beast and on 14 May 2007 their first spawn in 3.5 years was released in NZ - the delightful EP "Long Distance Runner".

Up next - their first LP as a 3-piece. And the little world waits...

Holy
Fur Patrol Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Why do you walk away from me?
What is it you don't want to see?
I hold you down and make you see these things you do to little me..
Work like thalidomide
I will bleed you dry and make all your little evils mine
You're so holy
You will not be here till the end
You're not the one I will call friend

I'd like to drive a nail through this part of you that lets you do these things to little me
I will bleed you dry and make all your little evils mine

You're so holy holy holy holy holy
You're so holy

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Fur Patrol's song Holy seem to be about an abusive relationship where the abuser is being called out by the victim. The first verse of the song includes angry questions directed towards the abuser, questioning why they are walking away and refusing to see the harm they are causing. The second verse paints a picture of the abuser as someone who is holier-than-thou, constantly finding ways to justify their actions and making the victim feel guilty for their own suffering. The repetition of "You're so holy" seems to be sarcastic, as the victim is clearly questioning the purity of the abuser's actions.

The line "Work like thalidomide" is particularly powerful, as thalidomide was a drug that was prescribed to pregnant women in the 1950s and 60s to treat morning sickness. However, it was later discovered that the drug caused severe birth defects in children, leading to a worldwide scandal. The line suggests that the abuser's actions are causing similar harm to the victim, and that they are just as detrimental to their well-being as the drug was to unborn babies.

Overall, the lyrics of Holy are a powerful indictment of abusive behavior and a call to action for victims to stand up for themselves and say "enough is enough". The repeated use of "little me" throughout the song is particularly poignant, as it reminds us that victims are often vulnerable and powerless to stop the abuse on their own.

Line by Line Meaning

Why do you walk away from me?
Questioning the reason for their departure

What is it you don't want to see?
Asking about what they're avoiding

I hold you down and make you see these things you do to little me..
Forcing them to acknowledge their mistreatment of the singer

Work like thalidomide
Using a powerful metaphor to describe their harmful actions

I will bleed you dry and make all your little evils mine
Taking ownership of their destructive behaviors

You're so holy
Sarcastically commenting on their perceived moral superiority

You will not be here till the end
Predicting the end of their relationship

You're not the one I will call friend
Making it clear that friendship is no longer an option

I'd like to drive a nail through this part of you that lets you do these things to little me
Expressing anger and resentment towards the perpetrator

You're so holy holy holy holy holy
Continuing the sarcastic tone from earlier in the song

You're so holy
Repeating the sarcastic comment for emphasis