The song features guest vocals by former pornographic actress Traci Lords. The song is about the sexual exploitation of a woman, and Lords agreed to a duet with the band's singer-lead guitarist James Dean Bradfield. Bradfield said: "we needed somebody, a symbol, a person that could actually symbolize the lyrics and justify them to a certain degree. Traci was more than happy to do it. She saw the lyrics, and she had an immediate affinity with them. It was definitely easy to incorporate her personality into the lyrics. We just wanted a symbol for it, and I think she was a great symbol. She sounds like a female Joey Ramone to me." Lords said that "I listened to the tape and really identified with the character in the song... this young girl who's been exploited and abused by men all her life." In an interview some years later, she said that she was distressed at the news of the disappearance and presumed suicide of the band's guitarist-lyricist Richey Edwards.
Originally, the band wanted the duet to feature vocals by Australian singer Kylie Minogue, but she could not be released from her PWL contracts. She later performed the song live with the group. She also collaborated with them on her 1997 album Impossible Princess.
Little Baby Nothing
Manic Street Preachers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your lack of ego offends male mentality
They need your innocence
To steal vacant love and to destroy
Your beauty and virginity used like toys
My mind is dead, everybody loves me
Wants a slice of me
Need to belong, oh the roads are scarey
So hold me in your arms
I want to be your only possession
Used, used, used by men
All they leave behind is money
Paper made out of broken twisted trees
Your pretty face offends
Because it's something real that I can't touch
Eyes, skin, bone, contour, language as a flower
No god reached me, faded films and loving books
Black and white TV
All the world does not exist for me
And if I'm starving, you can feed me lollipops
Your diet will crush me
My life just an old man's memory
Little baby nothing
Loveless slavery, lips kissing empty
Dress your life in loathing
Breaking your mind with Barbie Doll futility
Little baby nothing
Sexually free, made-up to breakup
Assassinated beauty
Moths broken up, quenched at last
The vermin allowed a thought to pass them by
You are pure, you are snow
We are the useless sluts that they mould
Rock 'n' roll is our epiphany
Culture, alienation, boredom and despair
You are pure, you are snow
We are the useless sluts that they mould
Rock 'n' roll is our epiphany
Culture, alienation, boredom and despair
The song "Little Baby Nothing" by Manic Street Preachers is a powerful critique of the exploitation of women by the male-dominated music industry. The lyrics describe the way in which women are objectified and used by men for their own pleasure, and the devastating effects this can have on the women involved.
The first verse highlights the way in which women are seen as objects by men, and how their lack of ego and innocence makes them vulnerable to exploitation. The second verse explores the ways in which the music industry can offer a kind of escape for those who feel alienated and alone, while at the same time reinforcing destructive social norms.
The chorus uses the image of a "little baby nothing" to convey the sense of powerlessness and vulnerability experienced by many women in this situation. The final verse takes on a more confrontational tone, celebrating the strength and purity of the women involved, while also acknowledging the ways in which they are constrained by their circumstances.
Overall, the song is a powerful and emotionally charged indictment of the way in which women are used and abused by the music industry, and a call to action for all those who care about gender equality.
Line by Line Meaning
No one likes looking at you
You feel like people ignore you
Your lack of ego offends male mentality
People don't like that you don't act arrogant like they do. Male people, especially.
They need your innocence
People want to take advantage of you because you are naive
To steal vacant love and to destroy
People will steal your love because it's easy and then they will ruin you
Your beauty and virginity used like toys
People treat you like an object, not a human, and use you for your looks and virginity
My mind is dead, everybody loves me
You feel like a shell of a person and people only like you for superficial reasons
Wants a slice of me
People want to take bits of you for themselves, without regard for your feelings
Hopelessly passive and compatible
You are so passive that you just go along with what other people want from you
Need to belong, oh the roads are scarey
You want to fit in somewhere but it's intimidating because it's hard to find a place where you truly belong
So hold me in your arms
You crave physical comfort and safety
I want to be your only possession
You want to belong to someone and vice versa, exclusively
Used, used, used by men
Men see you as an object they can use up and then discard
All they leave behind is money
The only thing people leave you with when they use you is monetary payment
Paper made out of broken twisted trees
Money is made out of the destruction of nature
Your pretty face offends
People don't like that you have beauty they can't have and it makes them upset
Because it's something real that I can't touch
Your beauty is something physical that people can't possess, and that bothers them
Eyes, skin, bone, contour, language as a flower
People appreciate your physical attributes in the same way that they appreciate flowers for their beauty
No god reached me, faded films and loving books
You have not found solace in religion, only in movies and books about love
Black and white TV
You only have access to outdated technology
All the world does not exist for me
You feel like you are not part of the world and it doesn't matter to you
And if I'm starving, you can feed me lollipops
You will accept anything, even if it's not substantial or nutritious
Your diet will crush me
If you don't have anything substantial to give, it will hurt you
My life just an old man's memory
You feel like your life is already over and not worth living
Little baby nothing
You feel insignificant and like you don't matter
Loveless slavery, lips kissing empty
You feel like being in love is pointless and it's a trap
Dress your life in loathing
You feel like hating yourself and your life is the only way to cope
Breaking your mind with Barbie Doll futility
You feel like trying to be like the perfect, unattainable Barbie Doll is a waste of time and it's driving you crazy
Sexually free, made-up to breakup
You are free to have sex with whomever you please but it always ends in a breakup
Assassinated beauty
Your beauty has been taken from you like a tragic death
Moths broken up, quenched at last
People have been trying to destroy you like moths, but it's finally ending
The vermin allowed a thought to pass them by
The people who have harmed you are so insignificant that they didn't even realize how much damage they have caused
You are pure, you are snow
You feel like you are innocent and untouched by the world
We are the useless sluts that they mould
Society has molded women to be seen as objects without any real value
Rock 'n' roll is our epiphany
Music is the only thing that provides a moment of clarity for us
Culture, alienation, boredom and despair
Our lives are full of a sense of detachment from society, dullness, and hopelessness
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JAMES BRADFIELD, NICHOLAS JONES, RICHARD EDWARDS, SEAN MOORE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@nazperalta1794
I've recently (re) fallen in love with the Manics. I first saw them live when I was 18 (Astoria, July 1992, with Richey) and at the time was the proud owner of the Generation Terrorists CD. I bought every album up until Postcards from a Young Man, then lost track a bit as family and kids got in the way. Working at home I recently spent a couple of days listening to all the albums back to back, and reconnecting with so many songs. I can't think of another band that has so many beautiful tracks, and as a group they have always stayed grounded and not blinded by success/the limelight. Definitely one of the bands I'd like to see again post lockdown.
@granto6738
Best wishes from Durham England ❤ 🇬🇧
@meekcheeks
This band is seriously up there with the most underrated bands of all time. I love all their music. But I'm glad they didn't get so recognised because they put out good music all the time.
@dmore
Didn’t get so recognised? Four No 1 singles, 11 NME Awards, 8 Q Awards, 4 Brit Awards & 2 Mercury Noms. They regularly headline festivals, have sold tens of millions of albums worldwide and have one of the most mysterious (and tragic) rock stories of all time… they are pretty recognised lol
@kyogofurahashi
I don't think they were underrated, they been adored by millions of fan globally, it's just that their type of music is not commercial enuff, just my opinion
@robbieporter1612
So agree with you mate
@MelD1404
@@dmoreHeadlining festivals? Especially these days when the festival line up (Glasto 23) looks like it's in alphabetical order ... anyway the only sure thing is the Manics have always made really good music 😘
@shonabeggs4640
We're you unwell when you wrote that?
@alexreid4131
Talent, insight, wisdom (beyond their years at the time), intelligence, crazy work ethic, empathy and big brass balls!!! The Manics might be one of the best bands of all time.
@johnbenson5154
lets give it up for Traci Lords fantastic vocals, she sells this song like no one else could have -
Rock n Roll is our epiphany !