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.
Their Cell
Girl in a Coma Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
blabber on I blabber on
I stare empty at a wall
and make it try to sing along
carry on I carry on
you're shackled all your pain is stiff
tattooed lovers they don't like to reminisce
keep pictures of the people you once loved
oh no you lost the combination
oh no you have the wrong address
scribble names unscramble names
oh you're shackled all your pain is stiff
I know, I know, I know you're planning your vengeance
tattooed lovers they don't like to reminisce
who knows, who knows, who knows what name they're screaming now
so I'm saving all my secrets for a deaf man
blabber on I blabber on and on and on and on
oh no, you lost the combination
oh no, you have the wrong address
scribble names, unscramble names
see this world is not just a ball
of vagueness you can just bounce off
see this world is not just a ball
of vagueness you can just bounce off
dear Jane, well I wrote this line to say
hope you still can recall my name
dear Jane, I wish everything is okay
oh Jane, forgive all they may say
dear Jane, I wrote this line to say
I hope you still can recall my name
The song "Their Cell" by Girl in a Coma is a melancholic ballad that reflects on secrecy, pain, and vengeance. The opening line "So I'm saving all my secrets for a deaf man" suggests that the singer has a lot of things to say, but no one to listen, or that they are withholding their secrets from someone purposely. The following lines, "blabber on I blabber on, I stare empty at a wall, and make it try to sing along, carry on I carry on" are filled with repetition and denote a sense of purposelessness or a mundane routine. The lyrics then shift to describe someone who is "shackled," whose pain is stiff, yet they keep their memories of love in a safe. The safe metaphorically represents their inability to express their pain or love out in the open. However, the singer then highlights the lost combination and how the person has the wrong address, indicating their estrangement from their own pain and love.
The line "I know, I know, I know you're planning your vengeance, tattooed lovers they don't like to reminisce, who knows, who knows, who knows what name they're screaming now" is a powerful reminder of how spiteful someone can become if they stay silent and do not express themselves. The singer is aware that someone is plotting revenge, but they do not know who, and the tattooed lovers do not want to remember their past lovers, meaning that perhaps they have moved on or that the memories are too painful. The song ends with a note to someone called Jane, saying that they hope Jane recalls their name and that they hope everything is okay. The lyrics exude a sense of longing, sadness, and a desire to connect with someone or something.
Line by Line Meaning
So I'm saving all my secrets for a deaf man
I am keeping my secrets to myself because no one can hear me, anyway.
blabber on I blabber on
I talk and talk about nothing in particular.
I stare empty at a wall
I am completely devoid of emotions or thoughts and just blankly stare at the wall.
and make it try to sing along carry on I carry on
I try to find meaning in the meaningless and continue on with my life.
you're shackled all your pain is stiff
You are trapped by your own pain and cannot move on.
tattooed lovers they don't like to reminisce
People who are too committed to each other often do not like to look back on the past.
keep pictures of the people you once loved in a safe oh in a safe
You keep pictures of the people you once loved in a safe place to protect them, physically and emotionally.
oh no you lost the combination oh no you have the wrong address
You have had a setback and cannot access the things that you have put away for safekeeping.
scribble names unscramble names
You try to sort out your thoughts and emotions by writing and rewriting the names of people you care about.
I know, I know, I know you're planning your vengeance
I am aware that you are seeking revenge for a perceived wrongdoing.
who knows, who knows, who knows what name they're screaming now
Nobody knows what other people are calling out or asking for in desperate times.
see this world is not just a ball of vagueness you can just bounce off
This world is not a game where you can just randomly float around and expect to have no consequences.
dear Jane, well I wrote this line to say hope you still can recall my name
I am checking to see if you still remember me and are still emotionally connected to me.
dear Jane, I wish everything is okay oh Jane, forgive all they may say
I hope that everything is well with you and that you can forgive the words and actions of others that may have hurt you.
dear Jane, I wrote this line to say I hope you still can recall my name
I am reiterating how much I would like to stay connected with you and that I hope you still remember me.
Contributed by Jack L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@trickassley
Coming back is like the very first time ❤
@oliviaacosta6239
I say them in Los Angeles. They were amazing. They could and should have made it big
@lelandwittjr1883
It would have helped if they had posted something in the past ten years. Videos go from ten years ago to 9-10 months ago.
@loreleimoreno1671
I love song, I remember seeing them at the Pearl in San Antonio
@elenazuniga6319
Missing the good old days...
@neverneveragain6526
Wish the band was still here all of Austin and San Antonio love you
@Cocollyt
They’re doing farewell shows in San Antonio soon
@Presto512
Nina Diaz ❤
@catherinemarshall3003
This makes me sad in a nostalgic way. In the 7th grade I listened to this album as I walked to school. That was like 17 years ago.
@virgilcain
I wish I'd seen em live. I don't think l knew of them until 5-10yo. Got hooked.