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.
Girls' Room
Liz Phair Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm sleeping in the sky
I'm sleeping in the water
I'm sleeping in girls' room
I'm sleeping in girls' room
I'm sleeping in girls' room tonight
Here comes Tiffany
Wearing a size too small of sweater
Me and Tiffany
Dressing up pretty
We love to ride
We love to canter
My best friend Tiffany
She is so popular
We're going from site to site and pool to pool tonight
And we hear Terry say that Tricia's ok
But she ought to learn to shave her bikini line better
And Tauren was born, like her mother, in a storm
And Tracey's been away forever
I'm sleeping in girls' room
I'm sleeping in girls' room
I'm sleeping in the sky
I'm sleeping in the water
I'm sleeping in girls' room
I'm sleeping in girls' room
I'm sleeping in girls' room tonight
The song "Girls' Room" by Liz Phair has an ethereal quality to it, with ambiguous lyrics that seem to float through different phases and images. The repeated phrase "I'm sleeping in girls' room" forms an anchor to the song, suggesting a sense of comfort and familiarity. However, the following lines "I'm sleeping in the sky" and "I'm sleeping in the water" challenge this idea of a physical location, as if the singer is inhabiting different states of being.
The second verse of the song introduces Tiffany, who is described as the singer's best friend and who wears a sweater that is too small for her. This image suggests a certain vulnerability and self-consciousness, which is further explored in the following lines "Dressing up pretty/ We love to ride/ We love to canter." While there is a sense of playfulness in this verse, there is also an underlying anxiety about fitting in and being accepted.
The final verse of the song takes a more critical tone, as the singer hears gossip and rumors about other girls in the "girls' room." The line "But she ought to learn to shave her bikini line better" is particularly biting, highlighting the expectations and judgments that teenage girls face about their appearance. Overall, the song captures the complex and sometimes conflicting feelings that young women experience in their social and personal lives.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm sleeping in girls' room
The singer is sleeping in the room of a group of girls.
I'm sleeping in the sky
The singer feels light and airy, perhaps due to the excitement of spending time with her friends.
I'm sleeping in the water
The singer feels fluid and at ease, perhaps due to the soothing effect of being around her friends.
Here comes Tiffany
The artist's friend Tiffany has arrived.
My best friend, Tiffany
Tiffany is the artist's closest friend.
Wearing a size too small of sweater
Tiffany is wearing a sweater that is too small for her, perhaps to show off her body.
Me and Tiffany
The singer and Tiffany are spending time together.
Dressing up pretty
The artist and Tiffany are putting on makeup and dressing nicely.
We love to ride
The artist and Tiffany enjoy the feeling of being on top of the world.
We love to canter
The artist and Tiffany enjoy the rhythm of galloping on horseback.
She is so popular
Tiffany is well-liked and admired by many people.
We're going from site to site and pool to pool tonight
The artist and Tiffany are going to various locations and parties throughout the night.
And we hear Terry say that Tricia's ok
The singer overhears someone named Terry talking about Tricia.
But she ought to learn to shave her bikini line better
Terry is criticizing Tricia's grooming habits.
And Tauren was born, like her mother, in a storm
The singer hears a story about someone named Tauren who was born during a storm, just like her mother was.
And Tracey's been away forever
The artist hasn't seen Tracey in a very long time.
I'm sleeping in girls' room
The artist is sleeping in the room of a group of girls.
I'm sleeping in girls' room
The singer is sleeping in the room of a group of girls.
I'm sleeping in the sky
The singer feels light and airy, perhaps due to the excitement of spending time with her friends.
I'm sleeping in the water
The artist feels fluid and at ease, perhaps due to the soothing effect of being around her friends.
I'm sleeping in girls' room
The artist is sleeping in the room of a group of girls.
I'm sleeping in girls' room
The artist is sleeping in the room of a group of girls.
I'm sleeping in girls' room tonight
The singer is spending the night in the room of a group of girls.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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