Dawson became well known as a member of The Moldy Peaches. Since the Moldy Peaches took a break from performing and recording in 2004, Dawson has released a string of lo-fi homemade albums, and toured widely in North America and Europe.
In 2005 the Pharmacy and Matty Pop Chart performed as her backing band on a U.S. tour. In 2006 she collaborated with a number of friends to make a group, Antsy Pants, that recorded and released an album on Plan It X Records.
Dawson's songs are featured in the films The Guatemalan Handshake and Glue, both of which were shown at the Olympia Film Festival in November 2007. There is also some of her music in the cult movie Juno, which is the fastest selling film soundtrack since Saturday Night Fever.
Kimya's "kid's album" Alphabutt was released in 2007, and recording for her new album "Thunder Thighs" is wrapping up as of Fall 2010. The mean time she has spent writing and touring, as well as spending time with her family and singing with the Olympia Free Choir.
parade
Kimya Dawson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And they went around my body almost seven times
He said "baby I've been thinking and I think I will quit drinking
And I think on my next birthday I'll turn thirty five
And I will settle down with you, we'll make sweet love the whole night through
You'll convert into a jew, sit shiva for your former life"
And I said "nick although you're handsome, I'll hold out for isaac hanson,
And he'll get his braces back when I become his wife"
Me and hanson take a chance, lock the door it's party time
All our babies will be born November seventeenth I'm sure
And we'll get a cookiepuss from the local carvel store
Then our brothers will come over for a big game of red rover
Everybody holding hands, break the chain, break the chain
what would I do when you've had a few?
Oh would I stay or go away?
Would you grieve if I chose to leave?
What would you say if I was in pain?
last night sergio valenti customized some denim for me
Special for my special shape, they fit me perfectly
Now I've got this new ensemble, certain circles I'm a bombshell
But a guardian anglo keeps saying "negro please"
Pay attention and you'll notice one man's chops is one man's bloatus
One man's taint is one man's choad is one man's mr. clean
And every scene I've ever seen becomes a tootsie roll to me
A little tasteless waxy turd that gets stuck in my teeth
And everywhere I try to go the cars are moving much to slow
I said "excuse me mr. johnson" he said "call me beau"
"I think this is my biggest fear, the road before me is unclear"
He said "close your eyes my child and let the old man steer"
I said "oh, thanks anyway, what would fenton lawless say?"
Five years in the saddle and I've gotta take the reins
what would I do when you've had a few?
Oh would I stay or go away?
Would you grieve if I chose to leave?
What would you say if I was in pain?
five years in the saddle and I've gotta take the reins
Five years in the saddle, five years in the saddle
Five years in the saddle and I've gotta take the reins
Five years in the saddle and I've gotta take the reins
Five years in the saddle, five years in the saddle
Five years in the saddle and I've gotta take the reins
In "Parade" by Kimya Dawson, the opening verse is about the singer imagining herself in a romantic encounter with Nick Valensi, the guitarist of The Strokes. She pictures him holding her closely and saying he wants to settle down with her. But she rebuffs his advances, saying she would hold out for Isaac Hanson and that they would one day get married and have children. The chorus then shifts to a more introspective theme, with the singer asking what she would do in different scenarios where her partner may be drinking or causing her pain.
The second verse features the singer receiving customized denim from fashion designer Sergio Valenti and she is now confident in her appearance. However, she faces racial discrimination from someone she calls a "guardian anglo". She then ends up standing in traffic and a man called Beau Johnson tells her to close her eyes and let him guide her. She then asks what Fenton Lawless, a racing jockey, would say in her situation as she feels she needs to take control of her own life. The chorus repeats, with the singer still questioning what her reactions would be to different situations.
One way to interpret the song is that it's about the singer's struggle to find her own identity and voice in the face of societal pressures and expectations. She rejects Nick Valensi's advances and instead imagines marrying Isaac Hanson, potentially symbolizing a desire to stray from the mainstream music scene. She is proud of her new outfit, but still faces discrimination. She then finds herself stuck in traffic and unsure of which way to go, but ultimately asserts her independence by wondering what Fenton Lawless would do.
Line by Line Meaning
I imagined nick valensi wrapped his long, long arms around me
The singer is daydreaming about Nick Valensi hugging her tightly.
And they went around my body almost seven times
Nick Valensi's arms are long enough to wrap around the singer's body almost seven times.
He said "baby I've been thinking and I think I will quit drinking
Nick tells the singer he wants to quit drinking.
And I think on my next birthday I'll turn thirty five
Nick plans to turn 35 on his next birthday.
And I will settle down with you, we'll make sweet love the whole night through
Nick wants to settle with the singer and love her all night long.
You'll convert into a jew, sit shiva for your former life"
Nick wants the singer to convert to Judaism and renounce her former life.
And I said "nick although you're handsome, I'll hold out for isaac hanson,
The singer tells Nick that she prefers Isaac Hanson over him.
And he'll get his braces back when I become his wife"
The singer tells Nick that she will marry Isaac Hanson and he'll get his braces back as a result.
Me and hanson will go dancing, me and hanson true romance
The singer plans on dancing with Isaac Hanson and enjoying true romance.
All our babies will be born November seventeenth I'm sure
The singer envisions having babies with Isaac Hanson who will all be born on November seventeenth.
And we'll get a cookiepuss from the local carvel store
The singer plans on getting a Cookiepuss from the nearby Carvel store.
Then our brothers will come over for a big game of red rover
The singer envisions her brothers coming over to play Red Rover, along with Isaac Hanson and their children.
Everybody holding hands, break the chain, break the chain
Everyone joins hands and plays Red Rover together, breaking the chain.
what would I do when you've had a few?
The singer wonders what she would do if her partner had too much to drink.
Oh would I stay or go away?
The singer is unsure whether she would stay or leave in case her partner is drunk.
Would you grieve if I chose to leave?
The singer wonders if her partner would be upset if she decides to leave.
What would you say if I was in pain?
The singer wonders how her partner would react if she were in pain.
last night sergio valenti customized some denim for me
Sergio Valenti customized a pair of jeans for the singer last night.
Special for my special shape, they fit me perfectly
The jeans were specially made to fit the singer's body shape perfectly.
But a guardian anglo keeps saying "negro please"
Someone is repeatedly saying "Negro please" to the singer, causing her distress.
Pay attention and you'll notice one man's chops is one man's bloatus
The singer observes that one's strengths could be another's weaknesses.
One man's taint is one man's choad is one man's mr. clean
The singer observes that what one person considers disgusting, another might see as clean.
And every scene I've ever seen becomes a tootsie roll to me
The singer is jaded by the repeated patterns she sees in life.
A little tasteless waxy turd that gets stuck in my teeth
The singer compares the repeated patterns she sees to a tasteless, waxy turd that cannot be removed.
And everywhere I try to go the cars are moving much to slow
The cars on the road are frustratingly slow.
I said "excuse me mr. johnson" he said "call me beau"
The singer addresses someone as Mr. Johnson, who responds by asking to be called Beau.
I think this is my biggest fear, the road before me is unclear
The singer is scared about the unknown path ahead of her.
He said "close your eyes my child and let the old man steer"
Beau insists that the singer close her eyes and let him guide her like an old sage.
I said "oh, thanks anyway, what would fenton lawless say?"
The singer declines Beau's offer and wonders what Fenton Lawless, someone she knows, would say.
Five years in the saddle and I've gotta take the reins
The singer has been on this journey for five years and now needs to take control.
Five years in the saddle, five years in the saddle
The singer repeats that she has been on this journey for five years.
Five years in the saddle and I've gotta take the reins
The singer repeats that she now needs to take control.
Five years in the saddle and I've gotta take the reins
The singer repeats that it is now her turn to take charge.
Five years in the saddle, five years in the saddle
The singer repeats that she has been on this journey for five years.
Five years in the saddle and I've gotta take the reins
The singer repeats that she now needs to take charge.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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