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.
Drag
Hole Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're so sexy when you drive so glad
You're alive empty
If I were you I'd drive on
If I were you
All alone in the city, Love is blind
All alone in the city (in the sunrise) love's a fight
Drive me, oh drag me down to you
Drag me, oh drag me down to you
Ahh.. ah..
You're so sexy when you drive so glad
You're alive in the rest of me
What you'd do I'd drive on
What you take
If I were you I'd drag
What are you?
All alone in the city, Love is blind
I don't care baby tell me what to do
I'll never ever dump you
Drag me, oh drag me into you
Drag me, oh drag me down to you
Drag me, oh drag me down to you
I pity all of you tonight
I pity everyone
I pity everyone alive
I pity all of you alive
I pity everyone
I pity everyone alive
Drive all the way to Malibu
Drive all the way to Malibu
Drop everything that wasn't you
Drive all the way to Malibu
Drop every dime that wasn't you
I pity everyone tonight
I pity everyone
I pity all of you tonight
The first verse begins with a description of the person driving, with the singer expressing their admiration for their skills behind the wheel - "so sexy when you drive" and "so glad you're alive." However, the singer quickly transitions to expressing emptiness, even with the driver present, and hints at a desire to be in control, evidenced by the direction "If I were you, I'd drive on." This sentiment sets the stage for the rest of the song, which is both about love and control.
The second verse is perhaps the most explicit in its depiction of a power struggle in a relationship. The lyrics mention being "all alone in the city" and how love can be both "blind" and a "fight." The singer seems to be seeking guidance from their partner, indicated by the plea "I don't care baby tell me what to do." However, the song takes a darker turn when the singer expresses a desire to be "dragged" - not necessarily in a sexual way, but in a way that undoubtedly signals surrendering control. The repeated chorus of "drag me down to you" further emphasizes this desire to submit.
The final verse seems to switch gears somewhat, with the singer suddenly feeling pity for "everyone" - it's unclear whether this means all people in general or specific individuals. The repetition of "I pity everyone alive" suggests a broader sense of dissatisfaction or disillusionment. The final lines of the song mention driving all the way to Malibu and "dropping everything that wasn't you," which could be interpreted as a means of escaping or shedding the things that keep the singer from fully submitting to their partner - and the idea of being "dragged down" to them.
Line by Line Meaning
Ah..
Indicating a sound of relief or relaxation
You're so sexy when you drive so glad
Your driving is so enticing to me, I'm delighted to be in your presence
You're alive empty
You may be alive, but you feel empty or incomplete
If I were you I'd drive on
If I were in your shoes, I would keep driving and not look back
If I were you
Expressing the desire to be in the other person's position
All alone in the city, Love is blind
Feeling isolated in the city and thinking love is unpredictable and irrational
All alone in the city (in the sunrise) love's a fight
Being alone in the city during sunrise feels like a struggle for love
I don't care baby tell me what to do
Asking the partner to take charge and make decisions without hesitation
Drive me, oh drag me down to you
Asking to be physically pulled towards the partner
Drag me, oh drag me down to you
Repeating the request to be pulled physically towards the partner
You're alive in the rest of me
Feeling complete and full of life because of the other person's presence
What you'd do I'd drive on
Expressing willingness to follow the partner's lead and continue their journey together
What you take
Questioning what the partner wants or needs
If I were you I'd drag
If I were in your position, I would physically pull the other towards myself
What are you?
Wondering about the partner's true nature or identity
I'll never ever dump you
Making a promise to never abandon or end the relationship
Drag me, oh drag me into you
Repeating the desire to be physically pulled into the other person
Drive all the way to Malibu
Suggesting to take a long, romantic drive to Malibu
Drop everything that wasn't you
Encouraging to leave everything else behind and focus only on the relationship
Drop every dime that wasn't you
Using money as a metaphor for everything else in life and encouraging to let go of it all for the relationship
I pity all of you tonight
Feeling sorry for those who are not experiencing the same passion and love as the artist
I pity everyone
Expressing sympathy towards everyone
I pity everyone alive
Feeling empathy towards everyone who is currently alive
I pity all of you alive
Expressing empathy towards those who are alive
I pity all of you tonight
Repeating the sympathy towards those not experiencing the same passion and love as the singer
Contributed by Emma N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Paula González
LYRICS
Ahh-ahh aahhh... (ahh...)
Ahh-ahh aahhh... (ahh...)
Ahh-ahh aahhh... (ahh...)
Ahh-ahh aahhh... (ahh...)
Ahh
You're so sexy
When you drive so glad
You're alive empty
If I were you I'd drive on
If I were you
All alone in the city, love is blind
All alone in the city, love's a fight
I don't care baby tell me what to do
Drag me, oh drag me down to you
Drag me, oh drag me down to you
Ahh-ahh aahhh... (ahh...)
Ahh-ahh aahhh... (ahh...)
You're so sexy
When you drive so glad
You're alive in the rest of me
What you'd do I'd drive on
What you take
If I were you I'd drag me
What are you?
All alone in the city, love is blind
I don't care baby tell me what to do
I'll never ever dump you
Drag me, oh drag me into you
Drag me, oh drag me down to you
Drag me, oh drag me down to you
I pity all of you tonight
I pity everyone
I pity everyone alive
I pity all of you alive
I pity everyone
I pity everyone alive
Drive all the way to Malibu
Drive all the way to Malibu
Drop everything that wasn't you
Drive all the way to Malibu
Drop everything that wasn't you
Drive all the way to Malibu
Drop everything that wasn't you
Drive all the way to Malibu
I pity everyone tonight
I pity everyone
I pity all of you tonight
Michael Spencer
I wonder why Drag didn’t make the cut for the album. This is a great song.
ETCSS
Pretty sure it was recorded after the album was completed. Samantha Maloney plays drums on it.
アマラ
@Jamie Mcgill So? Completely different album.
Jamie Mcgill
Same cord progression as I think I would die
Laila Lah
omg the music, that poetry...People have always been just jealous of this woman...
Littletreasure✨
@Chris Steinruck why are you here listening to her music then?
mic nik
Yeah for real
Micaela
Natalie 1982 Same
Natalie 1982
I adore her and nothing will ever change that. Her and Kurt's music completely changed my life . She is incredibly strong and unique , just a fucking survivor and a force of nature.. I love her.
Madd Grinn
love it, i cant stop listening to this song. she is one of the best girl musicians of all time, it sucks that she is so put down by the media and other people.