San Antonio’s Girl In A Coma have left a permanent tattoo on the hearts of … Read Full Bio ↴San Antonio’s Girl In A Coma have left a permanent tattoo on the hearts of thousands with their piercing songs and nuclear performances. They’ve blazed a singular trail since Nina Diaz joined the band at age 13 and have found champions and comrades along the way including Joan Jett who signed them, Morrissey, Sia, Tegan and Sara, The Pogues and Amanda Palmer who have hand selected them for tours. In addition, Robert Rodriguez asked them to compose one of the key songs for his film Machete last year. All the while, they have been building one of the most impassioned and diverse fan bases in music. Girl in a Coma are that rare feral band, unaffected by trends, that has managed to stay wild and thrill us at every turn. Exits & All the Rest, their 4th album out November 1, 2011 on Blackheart Records, is the most heart-stopping turn yet.

Girl in a Coma formed when best friends Jenn Alva and Phanie Diaz met in Jr-high school art class over a mutual love of the Smiths, Nirvana, and skipping school. All they needed was a singer. Enter Nina Diaz, Phanie’s little sister. Nina blew them away with her mesmerizing vocals, a powerful voice some critics have compared to Bjork, Patsy Cline, and the band’s hero, Morrissey himself. The trio practiced for three years, gigged at local punk rock clubs, played a High School talent show, one kid’s birthday party, and then hit the road, building up a solid and loyal fan base across the country.

In 2006, the Girls played for Joan Jett and long-time songwriting partner and producer, Kenny Laguna, at New York’s Knitting Factory as part of a cable TV show featuring unknown bands. Jett and Laguna were so impressed with the band that they signed GIAC to their label, Blackheart Records, on the spot.

The band’s 2007 debut album, Both Before I’m Gone, was a critical hit with raves from Alternative Press Magazine, the LA Weekly, Bust magazine, among many others, with the album reaching No. 23 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart and No. 21 on iTunes. “Clumsy Sky,” the band’s first single, won a 2007 Independent Music Award.

In 2009, the band released their follow up album, Trio B.C. The album is a unique amalgamation of eclectic influences: oldies, rockabilly, 90s alternative, and contemporary bands both indie and mainstream.

Just a year later, the band recorded a companion piece to Trio B.C. Produced by Grammy-award winning producer Greg Collins (U2 and Gwen Stefani), Adventures in Coverland. features reinterpretations of songs and artists who have impacted the band. The songs range from a punked out version of Selena’s “Si Una Vez” to a stripped down version of Joy Division’s “Transmission.”

In early 2011, new material was piling up and the band was ready to head back into the studio to work on their upcoming album, Exits & All the Rest.

From sharing stages with their heroes to experiencing Arizona’s controversial laws firsthand, the album was born in an especially intense period for the band. The Girls headed a few miles north to Austin and recorded with producer Mike McCarthy (Spoon, Trail of Dead). It was the band’s first time working on analog tape and all the basic tracks were laid down live. The recording process seemed to help the band capture some of the raw energy and power that they are known for in their live shows.

Pleasure and Pain
Girl in a Coma Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hear me on again you are not the one pretend it’s over. Over.
Everyone is on the run you are left there with the gun it’s over. Over.

Let it breathe.
You are the one don’t you see.
You tried so hard at fake and now you’re left to blame.

And all I know is what I’m told and it’s oh.

Everyone must have they’re fun and it’s oh.

Let it breathe.
You are the one don’t you see.
You tried so hard at fake and now you’re left to blame.
Oh you spin me around it’s tomorrow’s excuse when you’re begging for the pleasure and the pain.

Doctor doctor let me have my water.
Hear me on again oh.
I’m the one safe I am just the one safe.
Hear me on again oh.

Let it breathe.
You are the one don’t you see.

You tried so hard at fake and now you’re left to blame.
Oh you spin me around it’s tomorrow’s excuse when you’re begging for the pleasure and the pain.

Overall Meaning

In "Pleasure and Pain" by Girl in a Coma, the lyrics express feeling trapped and hurt in a relationship that has become toxic. The singer is pleading for their partner to hear them and realize that the relationship is over, but the partner is still clinging to the pleasure and pain of the relationship. The lyrics "Everyone is on the run, you are left there with the gun" suggest that the partner is in control and has the power to end the relationship but is choosing not to. The chorus "Let it breathe, you are the one don't you see" further emphasizes that the partner needs to take responsibility for their actions and let the relationship go. The lyrics "Oh you spin me around, it's tomorrow's excuse when you're begging for the pleasure and the pain" represents the toxic cycle of the partner's behavior and how they keep repeating the same mistakes, hoping for a different outcome.

Overall, the song's theme is centered around the end of a toxic relationship and the desire to move on. The lyrics highlight the pain and frustration of being in a situation where one person is holding onto a relationship that is no longer serving them, while the other person continues to hurt them.

Line by Line Meaning

Hear me on again you are not the one pretend it’s over. Over.
Listen to me carefully. We are not meant to be together, so let's just pretend that our relationship is over and move on.

Everyone is on the run you are left there with the gun it’s over. Over.
Everyone is trying to escape their problems, but you are left alone with the issue. There is no escape, our relationship is definitely over.

Let it breathe.
Allow some space and time for things to settle in.

You are the one don’t you see.
You are the only one responsible for your actions and the consequences they bring.

You tried so hard at fake and now you’re left to blame.
You put in so much effort to fake something, and now that it has crumbled, you are the one to bear the blame.

And all I know is what I’m told and it’s oh.
All I have to go on is hearsay, and it is not encouraging.

Everyone must have they’re fun and it’s oh.
Everyone deserves to have their share of fun, but it does not lessen the pain that comes with it.

Oh you spin me around it’s tomorrow’s excuse when you’re begging for the pleasure and the pain.
You confuse me so much that I can't tell what's real and what's not. You act as if tomorrow is an excuse for everything, including when you want me to give in to your demands for pleasure and pain in a relationship.

Doctor doctor let me have my water.
I need something soothing to quench my emotional thirst.

Hear me on again oh.
Please listen to me and understand my point of view.

I’m the one safe I am just the one safe.
I am the only one who is safe and secure right now.

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

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS