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.

She Walks on Me
Hole Lyrics

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Geeks do not have pedigrees
Or perfect punk-rock resumes
Or anorexic magazines
It smells like girl, it smells like girl

She walks over me
She walks over me
Hold you close like we both died

My ever present suicide

My stupid fuck, my blushing bride
Oh tear my heart out, tear my heart out
She walks over me
She walks over me

I shut my mouth with you for a gag
I use the rest of you for a gag
I shut my mouth with you for a gag
I use the rest of you

Kitty, Kitty please come here
Don't, don't you touch me, don't you dare
We look the same, we talk the same
We are the same, we are the same

She walks over me
She walks over me

I shut my mouth with you for a gag
I use the rest of you for a gag
I shut my mouth with you for a gag
I use the rest of you

Now you see she walks the same
And now you see she talks the same

You never know what you will get
You never know what you'll forget
She walks over me
She walks over me

She walks

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Hole's song She Walks On Me, appear to address themes of dominance/submission, control, and identity. The singer seems to express a sense of inferiority, or being walked over, by a woman they desire. The woman in question is described as not conforming to traditional standards of beauty or punk ideology, but rather smelling "like girl." This contrast highlights the singer's attraction to her despite her differences. The lyrics also include violent imagery, with the singer describing themselves using the woman as a gag and speaking of suicide.

The repeated phrase "She walks over me" seems to reinforce the idea of the singer's submission to the woman, while also potentially implying a sexual component to their relationship. The line "My stupid fuck, my blushing bride" further suggests a sexual dynamic, with the singer addressing the woman in a demeaning but affectionate way. The final lines of the song, "You never know what you will get / You never know what you'll forget" could be interpreted as a warning about the dangerous allure of this kind of relationship.

Overall, the lyrics to She Walks On Me suggest a complex, unhealthy dynamic between the singer and the woman they desire. The song presents a bleak and often disturbing vision of love and desire.

Line by Line Meaning

Geeks do not have pedigrees
Being a geek does not require a certain background or lineage.

Or perfect punk-rock resumes
Geeks do not need to have the perfect credentials to be considered a fan of punk music.

Or anorexic magazines
Contrary to popular belief, geeks are not only interested in reading magazines featuring skinny models.

It smells like girl, it smells like girl
The smell around a girl is distinct and unique, giving the impression of femininity.

She walks over me
The girl in question is dominant over the artist, taking control in their interactions.

Hold you close like we both died
The singer feels a sense of intimacy with the girl, as if they have shared a near-death experience.

My ever present suicide
Having the girl around feels both like a constant risk and a thrill of danger and excitement.

My stupid fuck, my blushing bride
The artist feels a mix of affection and frustration towards the girl, seeing her as both an object of desire and irritation.

Oh tear my heart out, tear my heart out
The girl is capable of causing a great deal of emotional pain, though the artist seems drawn to her regardless.

I shut my mouth with you for a gag
The artist willingly silences himself around the girl, enjoying the dynamic of her control over him.

I use the rest of you for a gag
In addition to their silence, the singer also enjoys using the girl for their own gratification or amusement.

Kitty, Kitty please come here
The artist may have pet names or nicknames for the girl, even as she holds power over him.

Don't, don't you touch me, don't you dare
Despite their dynamic, the singer may still have some sense of independence or boundary-setting when it comes to physical touch.

We look the same, we talk the same
The singer may see certain similarities between himself and the girl, drawing them closer together or reinforcing her power over him.

We are the same, we are the same
The similarities between the singer and the girl may be emphasized or exaggerated in their relationship.

Now you see she walks the same
The girl's power over the artist is reinforced by the fact that her behavior seems to remain the same regardless of the situation or context.

And now you see she talks the same
Similarly, the girl's way of communicating may remain largely unchanged, giving the impression of a singular personality or identity.

You never know what you will get
Despite the similarities and patterns in their interactions, the singer may still feel a sense of unpredictability or uncertainty around the girl.

You never know what you'll forget
Their interactions may involve a certain level of detachment or forgetfulness, perhaps due to the emotional impact of their dynamic.

She walks over me
The repeated refrain emphasizes the artist's sense of being controlled or dominated by the girl.

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: ERIC T ERLANDSON, COURTNEY M. LOVE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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