The band had a revolving line-up of bassists and drummers, their most prolific being drummer Patty Schemel, and bassists Kristen Pfaff (d. 1994) and Melissa Auf der Maur. In 2002 the group disbanded to pursue other projects. Eight years later in 2010, Hole was reformed by Love with new members, despite Erlandson's claim that the reformation breached a mutual contract he had with Love. The reformed band released the album Nobody's Daughter, which had originally been conceived as Love's second solo album. In 2013, Love retired the Hole name, releasing new material and touring as a solo artist.
Hole has been noted for being one of the most commercially successful female-fronted rock bands of all time, selling over three million records in the United States alone and having a far-reaching influence on contemporary female artists. Music and feminist scholars have also recognized the band as the most high-profile musical group of the 1990s to discuss gender issues in their songs, due to Love's aggressive and violent lyrical content, which often addressed themes of body image, abuse, and sexual exploitation.
Hole went on to become the most commercially successful female-fronted grunge band in history, selling over 3 million records in the United States between 1991 and 2010. In spite of Love's often polarizing reputation in the media, Hole received consistent critical praise for their output, and was often noted for the predominant feminist commentary found in Love's lyrics, which scholars have credited as "articulating a third-wave feminist consciousness". Love's subversive onstage persona and public image coincided with the band's songs, which expressed "pain, sorrow, and anger, but [an] underlying message of survival, particularly survival in the face of overwhelming circumstances." Music journalist Maria Raha expressed a similar sentiment in regard to the band's significance to third-wave feminism, stating, "Whether you love Courtney [Love] or hate her, Hole was the highest-profile female-fronted band of the '90s to openly and directly sing about feminism."
While Rolling Stone compared the effect of Love's marriage to Kurt Cobain on the band to that of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, they noted that "Love's confrontational stage presence, as well as her gut-wrenching vocals and powerful punk-pop songcraft, made her an alternative-rock star in her own right." Author Nick Wise made a similar comparison in discussion of the band's public image, stating, "Not since Yoko Ono's marriage to John Lennon has a woman's personal life and exploits within the rock arena been so analyzed and dissected." The band has been cited as a major influence on several contemporary artists, including indie singer songwriter Scout Niblett, Brody Dalle of the Distillers and Spinnerette, Sky Ferreira, Lana Del Rey, Tove Lo, Tegan and Sara, and the British rock band Nine Black Alps. The band ranked at #77 of VH1's 100 Greatest Hard Rock Artists.
Be A Man
Hole Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The one ashamed to be a man
just rape the world
because you can
that's what it takes to be a man
Well knock her up
just slap her hand
I think I can
I'm big enough
The lyrics of Hole's song "Be a man" are powerful and loaded with meaning. The opening line, "The only boy I understand," immediately sets the tone for the rest of the song. The singer is expressing a sense of detachment from the male gender, likely due to the way she has been treated by them. She describes the one boy she can understand as "ashamed to be a man," suggesting that toxic masculinity and harmful behavior are ingrained in the male identity.
The chorus is particularly striking, with the singer denouncing the actions of men who "rape the world because they can." She goes on to describe the act of impregnating a woman and then punishing her for it by "just slap[ping] her hand." The final line, "I'm big enough," takes on a menacing tone, implying that the singer herself might be capable of committing such acts of violence.
Overall, the song can be seen as a condemnation of the patriarchy and the destructive behavior it enables. By rejecting traditional notions of masculinity and calling out abusive behavior, Hole's "Be a man" is a powerful statement of resistance.
Line by Line Meaning
The only boy I understand
I can only empathize with boys, as I struggle to comprehend the mindset of men.
The one ashamed to be a man
I find it difficult to relate to men who take pride in their masculinity, as I view it as a source of shame.
just rape the world
The world is a place to be dominated and taken by force, with no regard for the consequences of our actions.
because you can
The ability to exert power and control over others is the ultimate expression of masculinity and strength.
that's what it takes to be a man
True manhood is defined by one's ability to overpower and dominate others according to their own will.
Well knock her up
Having sexual relations with a woman without her consent is acceptable, as long as it serves our own interests.
just slap her hand
Punishing a woman physically or emotionally for not complying with our desires is an acceptable way to assert our dominance.
I think I can
I am confident in my ability to carry out acts of violence and aggression against others without remorse or conscience.
I'm big enough
Physical size and strength are the most important attributes of manhood, and are necessary for exerting control and dominance over others.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ERIC ERLANDSON, WILLIAM PATRICK CORGAN, COURTNEY M. LOVE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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