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.
Olympia
Hole Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh
When I went to school
Ha-ha
When I went to school in Olympia
Everyones the same
What do you do with a revolution?
And everyones the same
We look the same, we talk the same
Well
Don't you please
Make me real
Fuck you
Make me sick
Fuck you
Make me real
Fuck you
When I went to school in Olympia
Everyones the same
And so are you in Olympia
Everyone is the same
We look the same, we talk the same, yeah
We even fuck the same
When I went to school in Olympia
Don't you, please
Make me real
Come on
Make me sick
Come on
Make me real
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Do it for the kids, yeah
Do it for the kids, yeah
Do it for the kids, yeah
Do it for the kids, yeah
Do it, do it, do it, do it for the kids
(No, we're not done yet)
When I went to school in Olympia
Bastards
Bastards
Bye bye
Good bye
Good bye
The lyrics of Hole's song "Olympia" reflect a sense of rebellion and dissatisfaction with conformity. The repetition of "When I went to school in Olympia, everyone's the same" implies a feeling of boredom and frustration caused by living in a community where there seems to be no room for individuality. The question "What do you do with a revolution?" suggests a call to action and a desire to break free from the status quo.
The chorus of "Don't you please, make me real, fuck you, make me sick, fuck you, make me real, fuck you" expresses a desire to be authentic and true to oneself, even if it means going against the norms of society. The profanity used adds to the rebellion and anger behind the lyrics.
The repetition of "do it for the kids" at the end of the song can be interpreted as a call to inspire the younger generation to break free from the monotony and conformity of their surroundings and to encourage them to take action and create change. The inclusion of "bastards" and "goodbye" suggests a sense of finality and a refusal to continue living in a world where individuality is not valued.
Overall, "Olympia" is a song that expresses a sense of frustration and a desire for change. It highlights the importance of individuality and authenticity in a world where conforming to societal norms can be suffocating.
Line by Line Meaning
When I went to school
Reflecting on the times of the past
Oh
An expression of strong emotions
Ha-ha
A sarcastic expression of joy
In Olympia
Referring to a specific place and time period
Everyones the same
Lack of diversity and individuality
What do you do with a revolution?
Questioning the effectiveness of an uprising in creating meaningful change
We look the same, we talk the same
Uniformity in appearance and communication
Well
A transitional word before providing further commentary
Don't you please
A demand to not do something
Make me real
Not wanting someone to misrepresent or manipulate their image and identity
Fuck you
An expression of anger and rejection
Make me sick
Not wanting to conform to societal norms and expectations
And so are you in Olympia
Commenting on the lack of individuality and uniqueness of others in the same location
We even fuck the same
Highlighting the degree of similarity and conformity among people
Do it for the kids, yeah
Encouraging action for the betterment of future generations
Bye bye, Good bye
A farewell message
Contributed by Vivian S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@jasonpeters9716
NAVY 05.
We were cooler. Meaning NAVY guys were cooler than Marines.
I saw Pixies in Chicago during A School.
Toar up Rush Division Summer 05.
We actually whooped Marines ass in Pickup Fball and Basketball in Pensacola Naval AS.
@AeMuse
I went to school in Olympia!
I dropped out
@PracticingStitchcraft
Hahaha I totally remember rocking this song in my walkman in the halls of my highschool. ON CASSETTE.
@TheDarkraver84
Whats a cassette 😂
@FranktheBlindArtist
Same
@meercat70
Love you little black cat!!!
@mcjon77
Oh man! High school memories are all coming back to me. The early '90s were a great time for music.
@adammckenzie8769
Fuk yes….. ✌️😎
@majinanna
too bad there was never an actual video for this song...loved the whole album.
@FredericaBimble
I lived in Olympia during the time Hole and Nirvana were popular. It was a weird time.
@nlbinmadison8965
Same.