Case moved around often as a child, spending the largest part of her youth in Tacoma, Washington. She left her parents at age 15 and three years later she started playing drums for several bands around the Northwest's punk rock scene. In 1994, she moved to Vancouver, BC to enter art school, and simultaneously joined the punk group Maow, who released a record on the Mint label. She also played with roots rockers the Weasles, and eventually formed her own backing band, the Boyfriends, which initially featured alumni of the Softies, Zumpano, and Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet.
Case released her solo debut, The Virginian, in 1997, delving wholeheartedly into traditional country via a mix of covers and originals. She went on to perform with Carolyn Mark in the old-timey side project the Corn Sisters, and recorded with the Vancouver indie supergroup the New Pornographers, which she continues to be a member of. In 1998, Case completed her studies and, with her student visa expired, returned to Washington and began work on her second solo album. The lovely, melancholy Furnace Room Lullaby was released on Bloodshot Records in 2000 and won high praise from most critics.
Case subsequently relocated to Chicago, home of a thriving alt-country scene, and released the home-recorded Canadian Amp EP in 2001. Its moody, late-night ambiance carried over to 2002's Blacklisted, a darker yet more eclectic affair; it garnered Case her strongest reviews up to that point, making many year-end critics' polls, and landed her a tour slot opening for Nick Cave. Blacklisted was recorded at Wavelab Studio in Tuscon AZ, where Case had moved to in 2002.
In 2004, Case signed with Anti Records in the United States, and that year she released a live album, The Tigers Have Spoken, recorded during several dates with Canadian surf-country band the Sadies.
Fox Confessor Brings the Flood, hailed by critics as an instant classic and Case's most realized work yet, followed in 2006. Calexico's Joey Burns and John Convertino contributed guitar, cello, bass, and drums to the album.
On March 3, 2009, Case released Middle Cyclone. It was her first album to reach the top ten's on the Billboard charts in the US.
Middle Cyclone was followed by "The worse things get, the harder I fight, the harder I fight, the more I love you" which came out September 4th 2013.
Case now lives on her farm in Vermont.
Hold On Hold On
Neko Case Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I know it's unkind but my own blood is much too dangerous
Hangin' 'round the ceiling half the time
Hangin' 'round the ceiling half the time
Compared to some I've been around
But I really tried so hard
That echo chorus lied to me with its
In the end I was the mean girl
Or somebody's in-between girl
Now it's the devil I love (ah)
And it's as funny as real love
I leave the party at 3 AM
Alone, thank god
With a Valium from the bride
It's the devil I love
It's a devil I love (ah)
And it's as funny as real love
And that's as real as true love
That echo chorus lied to me with its
"Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on"
That echo chorus lied to me with its
"Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on"
The opening lines of Neko Case's song "Hold On Hold On" reveal a deep emotional vulnerability: "The most tender place in my heart is for strangers / I know it's unkind but my own blood is much too dangerous." Here, the singer contrasts her affinity for strangers with a deep-seated fear or distrust of her own family or close relationships. The next line, "Hangin' 'round the ceiling half the time," suggests a detachment from reality or a feeling of being ungrounded.
The chorus of the song repeats the lines "Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on," which could be interpreted in a few different ways. On the surface, it could be a message of hope, encouraging the listener to hold on through difficult times. But in the context of the verses, it takes on a more ironic or sarcastic tone. The singer seems to be saying that she tried to hold on, but ultimately failed, and the echo chorus "lied" to her.
The remaining verses describe the singer's struggles to find her place in the world. She laments that she has been "the mean girl" or "somebody's in-between girl," and ultimately finds comfort in a "devil" figure. This could be interpreted in a few different ways—as a literal interpretation of the singer's love for a bad boy, or as a metaphor for something more abstract, like addiction or self-destructive behavior.
Overall, "Hold On Hold On" is a powerful exploration of loneliness, disillusionment, and the search for love and belonging. The song's mix of vulnerability and sarcasm creates a complex emotional landscape, making it a standout track on Neko Case's 2006 album "Fox Confessor Brings the Flood."
Line by Line Meaning
The most tender place in my heart is for strangers
Even though I don't know them, my emotions are drawn towards strangers
I know it's unkind but my own blood is much too dangerous
I know it sounds harsh, but my family members have hurt me deeply in the past
Hangin' 'round the ceiling half the time
I often feel detached from reality and walk around in a daze
Compared to some I've been around
I've experienced a lot of things, but so have many others
But I really tried so hard
Despite my struggles, I gave it my all
That echo chorus lied to me with its "Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on"
The repeated phrase telling me to hold on was deceiving
In the end I was the mean girl
Despite my best efforts, I ended up hurting someone
Or somebody's in-between girl
I was never anyone's top priority
Now it's the devil I love (ah)
I've turned to someone (or something) dangerous for love and comfort
And it's as funny as real love
It's ironic that I find love in something so harmful
I leave the party at 3 AM
Alone, thank god
With a Valium from the bride
I often feel isolated and turn to drugs for comfort
It's the devil I love
It's a devil I love (ah)
And it's as funny as real love
And that's as real as true love
I've fallen in love with something (or someone) harmful and it feels just as real as true love
That echo chorus lied to me with its "Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on"
The repeated phrase telling me to hold on was deceiving
That echo chorus lied to me with its "Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on"
The repeated phrase telling me to hold on was deceiving
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Travis Good, Dallas Good, Sean Dean, Neko Richelle Case, Michael Jonathan Belitsky
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
visitinguncle
"I leave the party at 3 AM / alone, thank god" is one of the greatest lines ever
linda bailey
Agreed!
Allan Petersen
“… with a valium from the bride / it’s the devil I love “
laura cooskey
Other than "With a valium from the bride," yes it is!
Cary Willis
Neko Case is one of the greatest songwriters of her generation. Her music is world-weary, sad and painfully honest, but it’s gorgeous too. Mortality is her milieu. She speaks directly about life’s disappointments and uncertainties but makes them more palatable by shrouding them in a shimmery gauze. Her poetry will kill me eventually but it tastes so good going down. Maybe just one more?
Drake Honest
Hey how are you doing today..?
Patrick Keller
Really? There are thumbs down? People have no idea what real songwriting and music are. She’s one of the rare gifts of our time. Such a stand out voice.
Drake Honest
Hello how are you doing today..?
Kevin
Every line is flawless, but “in the end I was the mean girl, or somebody’s in between girl” just does something for me.
Matt James
This is one of those songs that you wish lasted longer.