Vertigo
Hersh Kristin Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

And in the subsequent solitude
Flat on your backs again
We think shoot
You don't wanna walk me down this avenue in hell
Scared that I'll bicker with the devil herself

My attitude's fundamentally off
I left my heart on a frozen sidewalk
Kicked around and sliding on the dirty ice
Half a shell of former selves
Bury me twice

Isn't this a lousy drug
Isn't this a pretty fall
Isn't this vertigo
Isn't this wonderful

This place makes me feel I'm dead haunting it
Comes when you steal a Persephone pit
Swallowed with the oxygen that bruised up your bones
Swallowed with the pathetic cry take me home

Isn't this a lousy drug
Isn't this a pretty fall




Isn't this vertigo
Isn't this wonderful

Overall Meaning

In Kristin Hersh's song Vertigo, the lyrics portray a sense of isolation, confusion, and darkness. The lines "And in the subsequent solitude/Flat on your backs again/We think shoot" suggest a state of despair and helplessness while "You don't wanna walk me down this avenue in hell/Scared that I'll bicker with the devil herself" might imply a reluctance to accompany someone who seems to be troubled and unstable.


The phrase "My attitude's fundamentally off/I left my heart on a frozen sidewalk" suggests that the singer is struggling with a profound sense of loss, and the imagery of "Kicked around and sliding on the dirty ice/Half a shell of former selves/Bury me twice" reinforces the theme of being broken, raw, and exposed to the harshness of the world.


The refrain "Isn't this a lousy drug/Isn't this a pretty fall/Isn't this vertigo/Isn't this wonderful" seems to emphasize the contradictory nature of the situation. While the singer is struggling with demons and hardship, there is also a sense of beauty, awe, and surrealism that accompanies the experience.


Overall, the song is a poignant and moving reflection on the human condition, and it showcases Kristin Hersh's talent for creating vivid, intense, and memorable lyrics.


Line by Line Meaning

And in the subsequent solitude
Alone once again


Flat on your backs again
Lying down, not moving


We think shoot
We contemplate death


You don't wanna walk me down this avenue in hell
You don't want to join me in my misery


Scared that I'll bicker with the devil herself
Afraid I will argue with the devil


My attitude's fundamentally off
My outlook is entirely negative


I left my heart on a frozen sidewalk
I abandoned my emotions in a cold, desolate place


Kicked around and sliding on the dirty ice
Thrown around, struggling to find balance


Half a shell of former selves
A mere shadow of what I used to be


Bury me twice
I am already dead inside


Isn't this a lousy drug
This situation is terrible


Isn't this a pretty fall
Even when falling, it looks good


Isn't this vertigo
This dizziness, this disorientation


Isn't this wonderful
It's terrible, but maybe it's not all bad


This place makes me feel I'm dead haunting it
This location makes me feel like a ghost


Comes when you steal a Persephone pit
This emptiness materializes when you take something you shouldn't


Swallowed with the oxygen that bruised up your bones
Breathing feels suffocating, it hurts me physically


Swallowed with the pathetic cry take me home
I'm crying for help, to be taken away from here




Contributed by Evelyn R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions