Hole was an American alternative rock band formed by singer and guitarist C… Read Full Bio ↴Hole was an American alternative rock band formed by singer and guitarist Courtney Love and lead guitarist Eric Erlandson in Los Angeles, California in 1989. Influenced by Los Angeles' punk rock scene, and produced by Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth, the band's debut album, Pretty on the Inside, attracted critical interest from British and American alternative press. Their second album, Live Through This, released 1994 by DGC Records, which featured less aggressive melodies and more restrained lyrical content, was widely acclaimed and reached platinum status within a year of its release. Their third album, Celebrity Skin, which garnered them four Grammy nominations, marked a notable departure from their earlier punk influences, boasting a more commercially viable, "mature" sound.

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.

Pacific Coast Highway
Hole Lyrics

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I knew a boy, he came from the sea
He was the only boy who ever knew the truth about me

I'm overwhelmed and undersexed
Oh baby what did you expect?
I'm over rod and so disgraced
And too ashamed to show my face

And they're coming to take me away
What I want I will never have
I'm on the Pacific Coast Highway
With your gun in my hands

I knew a boy, he left me so ravaged
Do you even know the extent of the damage?
My dirty lips, oh secrets dies
In between the sheets and the promises that kept me from your eyes

I'm bloody and so darling bow
I don't know what to do with my hands now
I surrender, I give in
I'll kick down your door if you don't let me in
And I lost myself completely
I look to you my shooting star
I'm on the Pacific Coast Highway
My God how did you fall so far?

Your whole world is in my hands
Your whole wide world is in my hands
Your whole world is in my hands
Your whole wide world is in my hands

I'm out there dying for you, baby
And I got your blood on my hands

Your whole world is in my hands
Your whole wide world is in my hands
Your whole world is in my hands
Your whole wide world is in my hands

And you know I'm drowning
And you know I'm drowning
And you know I'm drowning

And you know I'm drowning
And you know I'm drowning

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Hole's song Pacific Coast Highway are a raw and emotional depiction of a woman's struggle with a relationship that has left her feeling overwhelmed, undersexed, and unable to face her own shame. The opening lines set the tone for the entire song, with the singer reflecting on a boy who came from the sea and was the only person who truly understood her. The contrast between the vastness of the sea and the intimate connection between two people is a powerful image that highlights the depth of the relationship.

The main theme running throughout the song is desperation. The singer is desperate for love, for intimacy, for connection with the boy who left her ravaged. She is willing to do whatever it takes, even if it means holding a gun in her hand as she drives down the Pacific Coast Highway. The language is visceral and gut-wrenching, with lines like "I'm bloody and so darling bow" and "I'm out there dying for you, baby." The willingness to die for love is a common trope in literature, but Courtney Love brings an authenticity and intensity to the lyrics that is compelling and heartbreaking.

Overall, the lyrics to Pacific Coast Highway are a powerful depiction of a woman's struggle to find love and connection in a world that has left her feeling broken and alone. The mix of desperation and vulnerability is palpable, and the imagery of the sea and the gun in the singer's hands is haunting and unforgettable.

Line by Line Meaning

I knew a boy, he came from the sea
There was a guy in my life who was different from others and had some secrets just like the sea.

He was the only boy who ever knew the truth about me
Only he knew the real me, all my secrets, things I hide from others.

I'm overwhelmed and undersexed
I feel burdened with emotions and yet deprived of physical affection.

Oh baby what did you expect?
What more did you expect from me than what I've given?

I'm over rod and so disgraced
I'm tired of putting up a front and feel ashamed of myself.

And too ashamed to show my face
I'm not confident enough to show myself to the world.

And they're coming to take me away
I feel like someone's going to catch me any minute and take me away from everything.

What I want I will never have
I can't get what I want and it makes me sad.

I'm on the Pacific Coast Highway
I'm travelling on the highway near the ocean.

With your gun in my hands
I have your weapon in my possession, symbolizing power.

I knew a boy, he left me so ravaged
I was severely affected by a boy who left me heartbroken and shattered.

Do you even know the extent of the damage?
Do you have any idea how much harm it has done to me?

My dirty lips, oh secrets dies
My lips will never utter these secrets again, as they will go with me to the grave.

In between the sheets and the promises that kept me from your eyes
The secrets were hidden between the intimacy and the promises we made, which prevented me from revealing them.

I'm bloody and so darling bow
I'm wounded and helpless, pleading for help.

I don't know what to do with my hands now
I'm clueless and lost as to what I should do next.

I surrender, I give in
I have given up and am willing to accept my fate.

I'll kick down your door if you don't let me in
If you don't let me in, I'll force myself to get what I want.

And I lost myself completely
I feel like I've lost my true self and don't know who I am anymore.

I look to you my shooting star
I consider you my guiding star, my hope in times of darkness.

My God how did you fall so far?
How did you end up falling so low from where we started?

Your whole world is in my hands
I have power and control over your world.

Your whole wide world is in my hands
I have power and control over your entire world.

I'm out there dying for you, baby
I'm sacrificing myself for you, giving everything I have.

And I got your blood on my hands
I'm responsible for the harm that's been done to you.

And you know I'm drowning
You're aware that I'm struggling and slowly sinking into the darkness.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: WILLIAM PATRICK CORGAN, COURTNEY M. LOVE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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