Dull… Read Full Bio ↴Greg Dulli (born May 11, 1965) is a singer and instrumentalist.
Dulli was born and brought up in a working-class suburb of Hamilton, Ohio. He is of Greek (father) and Irish (mother) descent. He first came to public attention in Cincinnati in the late 1980s with The Afghan Whigs, when Dulli joined D.C. transplant bassist John Curley and Louisville, Kentucky, guitarist Rick McCollum. Dulli's half-hour-long on-stage cigarette breaks, complete with running commentary on sexual politics and attempts at matchmaking at first enraged, but later fascinated the clientele.
Dulli's budding career in the rock and roll production business was halted as The Afghan Whigs began playing more and better gigs, drawing bigger and bigger crowds. The band was soon brought to the attention of Sub Pop Records in Seattle. Sub Pop's signing of The Afghan Whigs created quite a stir; they were the first non-Northwestern U.S. band to record for the label. The Whigs split in 2001.
In 1994, Dulli was a lead vocalist in the Backbeat Band, an alternative-rock supergroup that recorded the soundtrack to The Beatles biopic, Backbeat. Other members of the Backbeat Band were Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth), Don Fleming (Gumball), Mike Mills (R.E.M.), Dave Grohl (Nirvana, later Foo Fighters), and Dave Pirner (Soul Asylum).
In 1997, Dulli (with Ted Demme and director Mark Pellington) bought the movie rights to a book by Ann Imbrie called Spoken in Darkness but the film was never made. He is now the lead singer and main songwriter of the band The Twilight Singers who released their fourth album titled Powder Burns in May 2006.
Dulli is working with Mark Lanegan (Screaming Trees, Queens of the Stone Age, Mark Lanegan Band) in the project, The Gutter Twins. Lanegan also appears on The Twilight Singers new EP, A Stitch In Time. He released his first CD under his own name in 2005, Amber Headlights, and followed it with a live recording in 2008, Live At Triple Door.
Pussywillow
Greg Dulli Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So sweet, completely
It scares me how much I enjoy my way
A way not easy
But lights out feels so good, don't spare my fate
Say viva evil
Its unsightly glow
How I love it so
Completely I suppose
Its sweetness
Is my weakness
Aidez-moi
I was the last to know
Share my pillow
Pussywillow
Come
Tonight I need you
Your desperation
Is insatiable
Kommen sie, liebchen
There's a light that grows
Like your lover's nose
"Where were you last night?"
Why ask? You already know
Your weakness
Is my sweetness
Aidez-moi
I am the last to know
Its unsightly glow
Lights my way below
How I love it so
Completely I suppose
Its sweetness
Is my weakness
Aidez-moi
I am the last to know
The lyrics in Greg Dulli's song Pussywillow reflect themes of danger, indulgence, and desperation. The opening lines express fear of how far one can fall before breaking, and the thrill of enjoying one's own dangerous behavior. The lyrics "But lights out feels so good, don't spare my fate / Say viva evil" indicate a desire to fully surrender to the darkness, as "lights out" suggests a complete loss of control. The repetition of "say viva evil" suggests that the singer may be seeking validation for their dangerous behavior, or perhaps actively encouraging it.
The lyrics "Pussywillow / Come / Tonight I need you / Your desperation / Is insatiable" further suggest a longing for danger and indulgence, as the singer calls upon an unnamed figure to satisfy their insatiable appetite for desperation. The line "share my pillow" suggests an intimacy between the singer and this figure, perhaps indicating a sexual relationship. The lines "There's a light that grows / Like your lover's nose / 'Where were you last night?' / Why ask? You already know" further suggest a relationship fraught with danger and suspicion. The repeated line "aidez-moi" (French for "help me") adds an additional layer of desperation and vulnerability to the lyrics.
Overall, Pussywillow presents a complex and intriguing portrait of a protagonist consumed by their own darkness and willing to risk everything for the thrill of danger and indulgence.
Line by Line Meaning
How far will I fall before I break?
I am afraid of how much I can endure before I collapse mentally or emotionally.
So sweet, completely
My obsession with something or someone is all-consuming and intoxicatingly addictive.
It scares me how much I enjoy my way
I am aware that my path is not easy or morally right, yet I am unable to resist the appeal of my decadent lifestyle.
A way not easy
I have chosen a route that is challenging, risky, or questionable, with no guarantees of success or happiness.
But lights out feels so good, don't spare my fate
I am willing to pay any price or suffer any consequence for the fleeting pleasure of doing what I want, when I want.
Say viva evil
I embrace the darker, sinful side of life and reject any moral or spiritual values that may interfere with my desires.
Its unsightly glow
The unpleasant, unsettling aura of my vice or addiction is always present and hard to ignore.
Lights my way below
My compulsive behavior or mindset leads me down a path of self-destruction or spiritual emptiness.
How I love it so
Despite the harm it does to me and others, I cannot help but feel a deep, twisted affection for my vice or addiction.
Completely I suppose
To a degree that defies rationality or common sense, I am fully committed to indulging in my vice or addiction.
Its sweetness
The allure or temptation of my vice or addiction is like a seductive aroma or taste that I cannot resist.
Is my weakness
My self-control, discipline, or moral compass is undermined by my obsession or dependence on my vice or addiction.
Aidez-moi
I am calling for help or mercy, acknowledging that I am trapped or lost in my vice or addiction.
I was the last to know
I realize too late that the path I chose or the people I trusted were not what they seemed, and I am left alone or betrayed.
Share my pillow
I desire intimacy or companionship, but my obsession or addiction prevents me from forming healthy, meaningful relationships.
Pussywillow
A reference to an innocent and fragile symbol of nature, which contrasts with the corrupt and destructive nature of my vice or addiction.
Come
I am pleading, begging, or commanding my addiction or temptation to satisfy my cravings and ease my pain.
Tonight I need you
I am desperate for my vice or addiction, especially in times of stress, loneliness, or boredom.
Your desperation
My addiction or vice feeds on my fears, insecurities, and lack of purpose or fulfillment, creating a cycle of dependency and self-destruction.
Is insatiable
No matter how much I indulge or satisfy my cravings, they always come back stronger and more demanding than before.
Kommen sie, liebchen
A German phrase meaning 'come, darling,' which conveys a sense of obsessive, twisted infatuation and longing.
There's a light that grows
I am aware of a force or pattern that draws me deeper into my addiction or vice, even as it destroys my life and relationships.
Like your lover's nose
A macabre simile that compares the insidious, addictive quality of my vice or addiction to a feature that I cannot help but notice or be infatuated with.
'Where were you last night?'
A rhetorical question that highlights the deceit, betrayal, and distance that my addiction or vice creates between me and those who care about me.
Why ask? You already know
I am aware of the impact my addiction or vice has on my life and relationships, but I am unable or unwilling to change course or face the truth.
Contributed by Isaac J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.