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.

Sassy
Hole Lyrics

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We're rolling, you guys
Why?
Why?
Why?
Why?
Why?
Why?

Why am I here?
Why am I there?
I don't care
Care!

Oh, why I'm old
Sit back down
Sit back down
Sit back down

'Cause I said so!
You're so stupid
I would have done anything for you
Honey, your reputation is shit in this town

You're so stupid
I would have done anything for you
Honey, your reputation is shit in this town
Oh, why?

She's sassy
She's walking down

Overall Meaning

the hall
But no, no, no, she doesn't look back
And she doesn't look back

In these lyrics to Hole's song Sassy, we see a conflicted and disinterested speaker questioning their place and purpose. The repetition of the word "why" at the beginning sets a tone of frustration and confusion. The singer is questioning why they are where they are and why they do what they do. They don't care, indicating a sense of apathy and detachment.

The second half of the lyrics address someone or possibly multiple people directly. The mention of an old age could imply resentment towards someone or being in a certain situation for too long. The demand to sit back down shows a sense of power play or dominance. The singer insults the person or people, calling them stupid and expressing disappointment in their reputation. The repetition of "you're so stupid" shows a lack of respect and a possible history of hurt or betrayal.

The last line of the lyrics introduces a new character, "she." She is described as sassy and walking down the hall. Despite being referenced in the third person, it's unclear whether "she" is a hypothetical figure or a real person. The fact that "she" doesn't look back could possibly mean that the singer feels ignored or disregarded.

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Courtney M Love, Eric T. Erlandson

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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