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.
Original Sin
Hole Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Save me
Now you look over me
He's got me locked in a box
He's got me locked in a box
My Messaih come and save me
Now you left my life be free
I drip the peaches on the floor
You are my original sin
I'd take it all for just one kiss
I'd fall into the abyss
My man come and save me
Now you let my life be free
My man come and save me
Mary Mary Mary way to be
Just hate you
He controls everything I see
He said now you bothered my disease
The waters dead and he's fucking high
And I'm in just as much pain as you
My mam come and save me
?
I just got back from hell
God Boy is still in hell
My Messaih Rose up from the mud
Watched him just sweat the blood
My man come and save me
Mary Mary Mary way to be
Just want to stop
You're getting better
Just want to stop
You're better yeah
My Messaih come and save me
???
Oh god I love to hate
Always in a and out embrace
Oh God I love to hate
Always in and out embrace
Looked up at the sky
Watched the sky turn blue
Everything I think about
Is all for you? All I could say is shit it hurts
?
Fuck me I'm stiched
Fuck me I'm rich
Fuck me oh you can't because I married a bitch
The lyrics of Hole's song "Original Sin" explore the idea of being trapped and controlled by a toxic relationship, and the desire for escape and freedom. The singer describes being locked in a box and controlled by a "He" figure, who is also described as "my original sin." There is a sense of desperation in the chorus, as she begs her "Messiah" and "my man" to come and save her and allow her to be free. The repetition of the phrase "Mary Mary Mary way to be" creates a sense of pleading and prayer.
The second verse continues to explore the idea of control and pain, with the singer expressing her hatred for the He figure who controls what she sees and is the source of her pain. The mention of "the waters dead and he's fucking high" creates a sense of hopelessness and despair. The third verse brings in religious imagery, with references to heaven and hell and the idea of redemption through the "Messiah" who rose up from the mud and sweat blood.
Overall, the lyrics of "Original Sin" are visceral and emotive, expressing the pain and desperation of a toxic relationship and the desire for freedom from control.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey You
The singer is addressing someone
Save me
The singer is asking the person they're addressing for help
Now you look over me
The person the singer is addressing is overseeing or monitoring them
He's got me locked in a box
The artist feels trapped and controlled by someone else
He's got me locked in a box
The artist feels trapped and controlled by someone else
My Messaih come and save me
The singer is looking for their savior to rescue them
Now you left my life be free
The person the singer is addressing has removed themselves from the singer's life, allowing them to be free
I drip the peaches on the floor
The artist is careless and wasteful with the good things in their life
Roses red not anymore
The artist is saying that previously lovely things are no longer beautiful
You are my original sin
The artist is blaming the person they're addressing for their troubles and hardships
I'd take it all for just one kiss
The singer is willing to give up everything they have for a single kiss
I'd fall into the abyss
The artist is willing to fall into danger or disaster for their desires
My man come and save me
The singer is still looking for their savior to rescue them
Now you let my life be free
The person the singer is addressing has again left them, allowing them freedom
My man come and save me
The singer is still looking for their savior to rescue them
Mary Mary Mary way to be
It's unclear what this line means
Just hate you
The artist has strong negative feelings toward the person they're addressing
He controls everything I see
The singer feels like they are under the complete control and influence of someone else
He said now you bothered my disease
It's unclear what this line means
The waters dead and he's fucking high
The situation is bleak and hopeless
And I'm in just as much pain as you
The artist is in significant emotional pain and thinks that the person they're addressing is also feeling pain
My mam come and save me
The artist is still looking for their savior to rescue them
?
It's unclear what this line means
I just got back from hell
The artist has recently gone through a difficult or painful experience
God Boy is still in hell
It's unclear what this line means
My Messaih Rose up from the mud
The singer's savior has come to rescue them
Watched him just sweat the blood
It's unclear what this line means
My man come and save me
The artist's savior is still coming to rescue them
Mary Mary Mary way to be
It's unclear what this line means
Just want to stop
The singer wants everything to end
You're getting better
The singer acknowledges that the person they're addressing is improving, but still resents them
Just want to stop
The artist wants everything to end
You're better yeah
The person the artist is addressing has improved, but the artist still resents them
My Messaih come and save me
The artist's savior is still coming to rescue them
???
It's unclear what this line means
Oh god I love to hate
The artist has a significant amount of hatred toward someone, but may have emotions that they don't quite understand
Always in a and out embrace
The singer is in a complicated or tumultuous relationship with someone else
Oh God I love to hate
The singer has a significant amount of hatred toward someone, but may have emotions that they don't quite understand
Always in and out embrace
The singer is in a complicated or tumultuous relationship with someone else
Looked up at the sky
The artist is observing their surroundings
Watched the sky turn blue
The time of day is changing
Everything I think about
The singer is consumed by their thoughts
Is all for you? All I could say is shit it hurts
The singer is in a lot of pain, but their thoughts are still dominated by the person they're addressing
?
It's unclear what this line means
Fuck me I'm stiched
The artist is hurt or damaged
Fuck me I'm rich
The artist may be wealthy or successful, but is still dealing with pain
Fuck me oh you can't because I married a bitch
The singer is married and resents their spouse
Contributed by Colin N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
NWOfight3rs
if you have it really loud and close your eyes and lose yourself in it... it is amazing and sounds like a studio recording the bad audio almost gives this partricular song a better effect
Joeking470
I just 3 this song! But then again, I love pretty well all her songs! Been a fan since I was 13...20 years now, man am I ever getting old, lol!
Nikki Mc
Don't think I've heard this one before
Yayline Violante
There's a less distorted version of this song on YouTube called "touch me I'm sick"
French Fries
Lyrics??
In the Junipers
Did you?