The daughter of Philip M. Hatfield (a radiologist) and The Boston Globe fashion critic Julie Hatfield, Hatfield was born in Maine and grew up in the Boston suburb of Duxbury. She acquired a love of rock music during the 1970s, having been introduced by a babysitter to the music of the seminal Los Angeles punk rock band X, which proved a life-changing experience. She was also attracted to the music of more mainstream artists like Olivia Newton-John and The Police, perhaps explaining the dialectic in her later music between sweet, melodic "pop" songs and more hard rock oriented material. Visualizing herself as a singer since her high school years, Hatfield sang in school choirs and briefly played in a cover band called The Squids, which played Queen and Rush songs.
Hatfield began her solo career following the Blake Babies' breakup in 1991, releasing her first solo album Hey Babe in 1992. The album was one of the highest selling independent albums of 1992. Hatfield recruited a rhythm section comprised of former Moving Targets and Bullet LaVolta drummer Todd Phillips, and Thudpucker bassist Dean Fisher, and thus becoming The Juliana Hatfield Three.
Hatfield achieved alterna-rock stardom with the release of 1993's Become What You Are (recorded under the group name The Juliana Hatfield Three). Several songs from the album received regular airplay on major North American rock stations, with Hatfield's song "My Sister" becoming the biggest hit of her career with the video becoming an MTV staple. Another one of her songs ("Spin the Bottle") was used in the soundtrack of the Hollywood film Reality Bites (1994). Hatfield also made the cover of Spin magazine. Hatfield's popularity coincided with the success, in the mid-1990s, of many other female musicians (such as Liz Phair, PJ Harvey, Belly, Letters to Cleo, Velocity Girl, The Breeders, Hole, Veruca Salt, Poe, Throwing Muses, Magnapop, Bettie Serveert). Although she has always maintained that her gender is of only incidental importance to her music, Hatfield was pleased to have been invited, in 1997, to tour with the first Lilith Fair, a prominent all-female rock festival founded by singer Sarah McLachlan. Hatfield was profiled in a number of girls' magazines at this time and was embraced by many pre-teen and teenage girls as a role model due to the positive way she addressed serious issues faced by young women in her songs and interviews. About this period she says: "I was never comfortable with the attention. I thought it had come too soon. I hadn’t earned it yet." She gained notoriety in 1992 for saying that she was still a virgin in her mid-twenties in Interview magazine. In a 1994 interview for the magazine Vox she said she was surprised by the effect 'outing' herself had: "I think there are a lot of people out there who don't care about sex, but who you never hear from, so I thought I should say it. The magazine I did the interview for is full of beef-cake hunky guys and scantily-clad models, so I thought it would be really funny to say that I didn't care about sex in a magazine that's full of sex and beauty - but no one really got the joke."
In 1995, following the success of Become What You Are she released her followup album, Only Everything, in which she "turned up the volume and the distortion and had a lot of fun". One reviewer describes it as "a fun, engaging pop album". The album spawned another alternative radio hit for Hatfield in Universal Heart-Beat. The video featured Hatfield as an overly demanding aerobics instructor. Prior to the tour for 'Only Everything', Hatfield released Phillips and brought on Jason Sutter (American Hi-Fi, Chris Cornell, Jack Drag), as well as Ed Slanker (Thudpucker, Tinsel) on 2nd guitar, and Lisa Mednick on keyboards. Two weeks into the tour, Hatfield canceled the tour citing exhaustion, and took a month long break. Sutter was replaced by once again drummer Phillips, and touring resumed with Jeff Buckley as the opening act.
In 1996 she traveled to Woodstock, New York where she recorded tracks for God's Foot, which was to be her fourth solo album (third if not counting Become What You Are, which was recorded with the Juliana Hatfield Three), intended for 1997 release. Containing some of Hatfield's finest work to date, the album was unfortunately put on indefinite hold by her record company due to a disagreement with Hatfield. Only substandard bootleg versions of these songs (which do not meet Hatfield's approval) have surfaced and she has rarely featured them in her subsequent live performances.
During this time Hatfield left Atlantic Records and ventured back into indie-world. She recorded a six song EP titled Please Do Not Disturb, along with Todd Phillips and Ed Slanker, and with new bass player Mikey Welsh (Weezer). The EP produced by Hatfield features a tender song "Trying Not To Think About It" which is a tribute to the deceased musician Jeff Buckley who was a friend of Hatfield's. The EP was released on Bar/None Records in 1997.
Following the traumatic experiences surrounding God's Foot and her departure from Atlantic Records, Hatfield recorded the album Bed in 1998 in six days, about which she says on her website: "It sounds as raw as I felt. It has no pretty sheen. The mistakes and unattractive parts were left in, not erased. Just like my career. Just like life."
In 2000, she released Beautiful Creature, an album which was among the most critically well-received of her career. This album left the rockier side of Hatfield's musical personality unexpressed, however, so at the same time she also recorded Juliana's Pony: Total System Failure with Zephan Courtney and Mikey Welsh, which she describes as "a loud release of tension", with "lots of long sloppy guitar solos. And no love songs...a not-at-all attractive reaction to the ugly side of humanity, specifically American culture" The two albums were initially released in a set as a pair. Juliana's Pony: Total System Failure was however received very badly by the critics, who much preferred the acoustic songwriting on Beautiful Creature. On Beautiful Creature Hatfield worked with Austin-based musician Davíd Garza who co-produced much of the album. Wally Gagel a producer for Sebadoh and Tanya Donelly helped Hatfield record her most electronica influenced songs "Cool Rock Boy" and "Don't Rush Me" which added texture to the otherwise acoustic album.
2002 saw the release of Hatfield's first "best-of" album. The album, titled Gold Stars 1992-2002: The Juliana Hatfield Collection, featured the singles from her solo albums. It also contained two of the songs from the previously unreleased God's Foot, a cover of Neil Young's Only Love Can Break Your Heart, as well as four new recordings.
In 2004 Hatfield released In Exile Deo, which was arguably an attempt at a more commercial sound, with input from producers and engineers who'd worked with Pink and Avril Lavigne. Hatfield did however produce the album herself with David Leanord receiving co-production credits on "Jamie's In Town" and the bright rocker "Sunshine'. The critics loved it, with a couple calling it her best work since the start of her solo career.
By contrast, the 2005 album Made in China was released on her own new record label, Ye Olde Records, and has a much rawer feel. John Doe of the band X described the disc as "A frighteningly dark & beautiful record filled w/ stark, angular, truly brutal songs & guitars. This is surely a 'Woman Under the Influence', though I'm not sure of what". Reviews were very mixed, with some liking the lo-fi sound, but others seeing it as slackness.
In December 2005 Hatfield toured the United States with the band X, whom she idolized during her teenage years.
In 2006, Hatfield released her first live album. Titled The White Broken Line: Live Recordings, the album featured performances from her tour with X. This was Hatfield's third release for her record label.
Hatfield's 9th studio album, How To Walk Away was released on August 19, 2008 on Ye Olde Records. The album's heartfelt subject on the break-up of a relationship resonated with critics, who gave the album largely positive reviews, with some hailing it as her best album since In Exile Deo.
On September 29, 2008 it was followed by her memoir, When I Grow Up.
Hatfield returned 2 years later as her 10th studio album Peace & Love was released on Ye Olde Records, February 16, 2010. The album's composition, arrangement, performance, production, engineering and mixing was solely credited to Hatfield.
There's Always Another Girl was released on August 30, 2011 again independently on her Ye Olde Records label.
In 2013, she joined with Matthew Caws (of Nada Surf) to form the duo Minor Alps.
In 2014, The Juliana Hatfield Three reunited two decades after it disbanded. Hatfield, drummer Todd Philips, and bassist Dean Fisher began practicing new material for an album, which would be their first together since Become What You Are in 1993.
In 2015, Hatfield and American musician Paul Westerberg formed the duo The I Don't Cares.
http://www.julianahatfield.com/
Mabel
Juliana Hatfield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can't remember your name.
Where am I?
What was I gonna say?
What's the time?
What day is it today?
I feel fine, I'll probably be okay.
Hey... hey... hey ...
Hi, banana. Hi, spaghetti, hi.
Mommy's back, he's gonna tuck you in tonight.
Mommy's sorry, she gave you such a fright.
Mommy's home, he's gonna be all right.
Check out that lady X3
She's talking to herself.
Check out that lady X3
She's gonna go to hell.
Realize she's in a different place.
Realize her lack of social grace.
She can take the smile off his face.
He wants to take her somewhere she'll be safe.
Hey... hey... hey... hey...
Set the table dancin' on the table.
Clear her place because she is unable, Mabel.
He looks at her and he wonders where she is.
She smiles a little and she tells him she is his.
Check out that lady X3
They're taking her away
Check out that lady X3
The devil made her pay.
The lyrics of Juliana Hatfield's song "Mabel" evoke a sense of confusion, disorientation, and emotional instability. The singer seems to be suffering from amnesia or memory loss, as they can't remember their name or what they were going to say. However, despite their mental state, they express confidence that they will be okay. This could be interpreted as a manifestation of resilience and hope in the face of adversity. The singer then shifts their attention to a lady who is talking to herself and seems to be socially awkward. They see the lady as someone who is out of place and perhaps in danger.
As the song progresses, the singer addresses someone called Mabel. They seem to have a caring and nurturing attitude towards Mabel, as if they were a parent trying to calm a child. They assure Mabel that she'll be all right, and they seem to be worried about her well-being. However, despite their reassuring words, there is a sense of helplessness and despair in the way they describe Mabel's situation. The lyrics "She's gonna go to hell" and "The devil made her pay" suggest that Mabel has been a victim of some kind of abuse or mistreatment, and that she is being punished for something she doesn't deserve.
Overall, "Mabel" is a song that explores the themes of mental illness, social isolation, and domestic violence. It shows how people who are marginalized and vulnerable can become victims of their own circumstances, and how others may not understand or empathize with their struggles. The song's bleak and melancholic tone is contrasted with moments of tenderness and compassion, creating a complex and nuanced portrayal of human suffering.
Line by Line Meaning
Who are you?
The singer is disoriented and does not recognize the person addressing them.
I can't remember your name.
The singer is experiencing memory loss.
Where am I?
The singer is unsure of their location.
What was I gonna say?
The artist is having trouble remembering a thought or idea they had.
What's the time?
The artist is asking for the current time.
What day is it today?
The singer is asking for the current day of the week.
I feel fine, I'll probably be okay.
The singer is trying to reassure themselves that they are alright despite their confusion.
Hey... hey... hey ...
A repeated vocalization that does not convey a specific message.
Hi, banana. Hi, spaghetti, hi.
The artist is greeting inanimate objects or imaginary friends.
Mommy's back, he's gonna tuck you in tonight.
The artist is addressing a child and indicating that they will be cared for.
Mommy's sorry, she gave you such a fright.
The singer is apologizing for causing distress.
Mommy's home, he's gonna be all right.
The artist is reassuring the child that they are safe and will be okay.
Check out that lady X3
The singer is drawing attention to a woman in the vicinity.
She's talking to herself.
The woman being observed is speaking aloud to no one in particular.
She's gonna go to hell.
The singer is making a negative judgment about the woman's behavior.
Realize she's in a different place.
The artist recognizes that the woman may be experiencing a mental or emotional disconnect.
Realize her lack of social grace.
The artist is acknowledging that the woman may not be acting within the norms of social behavior.
She can take the smile off his face.
The woman's behavior is negatively impacting someone else's emotional state.
He wants to take her somewhere she'll be safe.
Another person present wants to remove the woman from the situation in order to protect her.
Set the table dancin' on the table.
The artist is describing a lively or chaotic scene.
Clear her place because she is unable, Mabel.
The artist is indicating that someone else must attend to a task or responsibility because the woman cannot.
He looks at her and he wonders where she is.
Another person present seems perplexed by the woman's behavior or state of mind.
She smiles a little and she tells him she is his.
The woman responds to the other person's gaze or confusion with affection and reassurance.
They're taking her away
The woman is being removed from the situation or location by others.
The devil made her pay.
The singer assigns blame or fault to a supernatural force or entity for the woman's situation.
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