Phair's 1993 debut studio album, Exile in Guyville, was released to acclaim; it has been ranked by Rolling Stone as one of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Phair followed this with her second album, Whip-Smart (1994), which earned her a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance, and Whitechocolatespaceegg (1998). Ten years after the release of her debut, Phair's fourth album, Liz Phair (2003), released on Capitol Records, moved towards pop rock, earning her a mainstream audience but alienating critics.
After the release of her fifth album, Somebody's Miracle (2005), Phair left Capitol and released her sixth album Funstyle independently in 2010. In 2018, it was announced that Matador Records would be releasing a retrospective set for Phair's debut album Exile in Guyville which includes remastered recordings from her original Girly-Sound demo tapes. Phair released her seventh studio album, Soberish, in 2021.
Black Market White Baby Dealer
Liz Phair Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is hunting around overseas
The black market white baby dealer
Brings back clean fresh white babies to me
Clean fresh white babies to me
The black market white baby dealer
The black market white baby dealer
Kidnaps clean fresh white babies for me
Clean fresh white babies for me
My smile is a dime a dozen
My lips are cherry red
My eyes are blue like the sky is blue
I've got good shoulders on my head
I look like your mother
I look like your great-aunt
So sit me down in the family photo
And everyone tells me that I look just like you
The black market white baby dealer
Is hunting around overseas
The black market white baby dealer
Brings back clean fresh white babies to me
He brings back
Oh my god he brings back
He brings back clean fresh white expensive babies
He brings back
Oh Charlie, he brings back
He brings back clean fresh white expensive babies
I come post-production
I don't need natal care
I'm already fully assembled
Down the very last part, its all there
So take me into your family
So take me into your home
Buddy take me in as your next generation
And Ill take you out of the loans, ten million to one
The black market white baby dealer
Is hunting around overseas
The black market white baby dealer
Brings back clean fresh white babies to me
Clean fresh white babies to me
Clean fresh white babies to me
The lyrics of Liz Phair's song "Black Market White Baby Dealer" are a dark commentary on the international trade of babies, specifically those who are white and "clean" – the epitome of what society considers desirable. The song's narrator, who seems to be a wealthy individual or couple, sings the praises of the black market white baby dealer who is "hunting around overseas" for the perfect baby. The lyrics allude to kidnapping and exploitation as the means by which these babies are obtained and brought back to the States.
Throughout the song, the singer's fixation on having a "clean" and "fresh" white baby is juxtaposed with her superficial appearance. She describes her smile as "a dime a dozen" and her lips as "cherry red" while emphasizing her blue eyes and good shoulders. The singer's longing for a baby who looks like her and her family is heightened by the idea of being included in family photos and being told that she looks just like her relatives.
However, the most chilling part of the song is the bridge, where the singer eagerly declares, "He brings back clean fresh white expensive babies". The use of the word "expensive" highlights how the trade of white babies is a lucrative business that preys on the desperation and vulnerability of those who may have trouble conceiving or adopting children.
Overall, "Black Market White Baby Dealer" is a disturbing commentary on the commodification of children in society and the lengths some people will go to obtain the "perfect" baby.
Line by Line Meaning
The black market white baby dealer
There is someone who deals in white babies on the black market
Is hunting around overseas
This dealer is looking for white babies outside of the country
Brings back clean fresh white babies to me
The dealer is bringing back newborn white babies that are healthy and untouched for me
My smile is a dime a dozen
My smile is ordinary and not unique
My lips are cherry red
My lips are colored red like cherries
My eyes are blue like the sky is blue
My eyes are blue, similar to the color of the sky
I've got good shoulders on my head
I have well-built shoulders that support my head
I look like your mother
I resemble your mother
I look like your great-aunt
I also resemble your great-aunt
So sit me down in the family photo
Include me in the family photo
And everyone tells me that I look just like you
People say that I look similar to other family members
He brings back
The dealer returns with
Oh my god he brings back
The dealer brings back something expensive
He brings back clean fresh white expensive babies
The dealer brings back unused, healthy white babies that are also costly
Oh Charlie, he brings back
The dealer's name is Charlie and he brings back
I come post-production
I am created or imagined after the production of something else
I don't need natal care
I don't require medical attention for newborns
I'm already fully assembled
I am already completely formed or put together
Down the very last part, its all there
Every single part of me is present and intact
So take me into your family
Please accept me into your family
So take me into your home
Bring me home with you
Buddy take me in as your next generation
Adopt me as your own child or the next generation of your family
And Ill take you out of the loans, ten million to one
I will get you out of debt with odds of ten to one in your favor
Clean fresh white babies to me
Again, the dealer brings back clean, fresh, and white babies to me
Clean fresh white babies to me
Once more, the dealer brings me clean, fresh, and white babies
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
bionicrats
great that you got the second verse.