In late 1997 she created a band with the remaining members of Buckley's band called Black Beetle and finished an eponymous album which was never released. This was the first project where she was writing as well as fronting a band. Jeff buckley was her boyfriend at the time he drowned in '97.
According to Songfacts, Wasser took her curious stage name from the fact that she once attended a fancy dress party as an officer of the NYPD.
Furious
Joan as Police Woman Lyrics
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Let loose your dogs of war
Abandon your done capital
Burn all your flags
And hold onto, hold onto nothing
And the stones in your stomach
Become a part of the sea
In the sand starts to lighten
And finally whispers, whispers I am gone
Don't wait for the last page
Don't wait for your final breath
Don't wait for the pendulum to drop
It swings so low today
Don't wait, don't wait for nothing
And you'll wrap up the tears
Of forty thousand gone
Who wish they'd acted out
When they had time and they had voice
To tempt the furies, the furies are not gone
Are you not furious?
Are you not furious?
Are you not furious?
Are you not furious?
Furious
Wait for, wait for what
Wait for, wait for what
Are you not furious?
Are you not furious enough?
Are you not furious?
Are you not furious?
The lyrics of "Furious" by Joan as Police Woman are a call to action, urging listeners to abandon the systems and structures that hold them back and instead embrace their anger and fury to effect change. The first stanza is a challenge to let go of the things that hold us down - our possessions, our allegiances, our attachments - and instead embrace the freedom of having nothing to lose. The image of stones turning to sea and footprints fading away suggests a timeless vastness that puts our own struggles into perspective.
The second stanza is a warning against waiting for the right moment to act, which may never come. The lines "Don't wait for the pendulum to drop / It swings so low today" suggest that the world is in a state of crisis and waiting for change to happen on its own is a dangerous proposition. The mention of the "forty thousand gone" who wished they had acted out implies that there are consequences for inaction and that history is full of missed opportunities.
The repeated refrain of "Are you not furious?" is a direct challenge to the listener, asking whether they have the passion and anger to fight for what they believe in. The repetition of the question emphasizes the urgency of the message and encourages the listener to take action.
Line by Line Meaning
Why don't you save your soul
Choose to live a life that is true to your values and beliefs
Let loose your dogs of war
Release all the pent-up anger inside you
Abandon your done capital
Give away all that you have accumulated which might have been holding you back
Burn all your flags
Get rid of all the things that represent your beliefs and opinions, liberate yourself from them
And hold onto, hold onto nothing
Learn to let go and not hold onto any attachment
And the stones in your stomach
The weight of guilt or fear that lingers inside you
Become a part of the sea
Let go of that guilt and fear and allow it to fade away
And the mark that your footprint leaves
The lasting impact you have on the world
In the sand starts to lighten
That impact starts to fade away over time
And finally whispers, whispers I am gone
Your impact becomes so faint that it finally disappears completely
Don't wait for the last page
Don't wait for the end to take action
Don't wait for your final breath
Live every moment fully, do not postpone things for later
Don't wait for the pendulum to drop
Do not wait for bad things to happen before making a change
It swings so low today
The world might be in a tough spot, but do not wait for it to magically get better
Don't wait, don't wait for nothing
Do not wait to make a change
And you'll wrap up the tears
You will take on the burden of those who could not act when they had the chance
Of forty thousand gone
The ones who came before you and never rose to the occasion
Who wish they'd acted out
They regret not having taken a stand, not having acted on their beliefs
When they had time and they had voice
They had the same opportunities that you have now, but chose not to take them
To tempt the furies, the furies are not gone
To challenge the forces that are holding you back. Those forces are still present and need to be fought against
Are you not furious?
Are you not filled with passion and determination to make a change?
Are you not furious?
Are you not filled with passion and determination to make a change?
Are you not furious?
Are you not filled with passion and determination to make a change?
Are you not furious?
Are you not filled with passion and determination to make a change?
Wait for, wait for what
Do not wait for anything
Wait for, wait for what
Do not wait for anything
Are you not furious?
Are you not filled with passion and determination to make a change?
Are you not furious enough?
Do you not have enough passion and determination?
Are you not furious?
Are you not filled with passion and determination to make a change?
Are you not furious?
Are you not filled with passion and determination to make a change?
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: JOAN WASSER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind