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.
Prison Girls
Neko Case Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My hotel room won't remember me
And this dream will die, die by morning
And this dream won't remember me
Awakened by a droning voice
I love your long shadows and your gunpowder eyes
Is it a lady or is it a man
I love your long shadows and your gunpowder eyes
I love your long shadows and your gunpowder eyes
On my feet to chase it down
The lights were spokes and rungs away
I stumbled back and hit the floor
Long shadows crawl beneath the door
To a passage so poorly lit
There's moths flying away from it
Who am I tonight? La, da, da
My hotel room won't remember me
Darkness enter prison girls
Pushing mops and kicking pails
Now's my chance
I clasp my chest
And declare unto my audience
I love your long shadows and your gunpowder eyes
I love your long shadows and your gunpowder eyes
Prison girls are not impressed
They're the ones that have to clean this mess
They've traded more for cigarettes
Than I've managed to express
Filing past miles long
The cheek is frozen to the floor
The prison girls have filled their beds
Their thoughts too dry above their heads
I love your long shadows and your gunpowder eyes
The lyrics of Neko Case's song "Prison Girls" begin with a sense of disorientation and uncertainty, as the singer finds herself in an unfamiliar hotel room and wonders where she is. This dreamlike mood is heightened by the use of nonsense syllables ("La, da, da") and the suggestion that the dream will fade away by morning. Suddenly, the dream is interrupted by a "droning voice" that declares its love for the singer's "long shadows" and "gunpowder eyes." The gender of the singer is ambiguous, adding to the surreal and unsettling feeling of the lyrics.
The singer seems compelled to follow this voice, stumbling through the dark corridors of a poorly-lit passage. When she finally reaches the source of the voice, the "prison girls" who are working there are unimpressed by her declaration of love. They have endured hardships and struggles beyond the singer's experience, as indicated by their trade of sexual favors for cigarettes. The final repetition of the refrain, "I love your long shadows and your gunpowder eyes," takes on a more desperate and ironic tone, as the singer recognizes that her words are hollow in comparison to the reality the prison girls face.
Line by Line Meaning
Where am I tonight? La, da, da
The singer is unsure of her location and feels disconnected from her surroundings.
My hotel room won't remember me
The singer feels forgotten in her unremarkable hotel room.
And this dream will die, die by morning
The singer's fleeting dream will end abruptly by the time morning comes.
And this dream won't remember me
The singer's dream will not provide any lasting memory or impact.
Awakened by a droning voice
The singer is abruptly awakened by a monotonous voice or sound.
I love your long shadows and your gunpowder eyes
The singer is drawn to someone's intriguing and unique features.
Is it a lady or is it a man
The singer is unsure of the gender of the person with the captivating features.
Humming helicopters through the blades of a fan
The sound of helicopters can be heard faintly over the hum of a fan.
On my feet to chase it down
The singer feels compelled to pursue something or someone.
The lights were spokes and rungs away
The lights are difficult to reach, like rungs on a ladder.
I stumbled back and hit the floor
The singer loses her balance and falls to the ground.
Long shadows crawl beneath the door
Shadows stretch out from under the door, elongated by the low lighting in the area.
To a passage so poorly lit
The passage the singer is in is dimly lit, making it difficult to navigate.
There's moths flying away from it
Moths are escaping from the poorly lit passage, seeking the light elsewhere.
Who am I tonight? La, da, da
The singer is lost and uncertain of her identity.
Darkness enter prison girls
The darkness encroaches upon the girls in prison, making their situation even more dismal.
Pushing mops and kicking pails
The prison girls are performing menial cleaning tasks, such as pushing mops and kicking pails.
Now's my chance
The singer sees an opportunity for something but it's unclear what that is.
I clasp my chest
The singer puts her hand on her chest, possibly to regulate her breathing or due to anxiety.
And declare unto my audience
The singer is speaking to someone, but it's unclear who or why.
Prison girls are not impressed
The prison girls are not swayed or affected by the singer's words or presence.
They're the ones that have to clean this mess
The prison girls are responsible for cleaning up the mess and maintaining the facility, making their situation even more difficult and tiring.
They've traded more for cigarettes
The prison girls have been forced to do more demeaning things in exchange for cigarettes than the singer has had to do in her life.
Than I've managed to express
The singer feels that she has not adequately conveyed her own hardships in comparison to the prison girls.
Filing past miles long
The prison girls are walking for an extensive distance down an endless hallway.
The cheek is frozen to the floor
The girls are so exhausted that one of them has collapsed and is lying on the cold floor.
The prison girls have filled their beds
The prison girls are so worn out that they fall asleep instantly and completely when they get to their beds.
Their thoughts too dry above their heads
The prison girls are mentally exhausted as well, their thoughts feeling even drier and more fleeting than the singer's dream.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Neko Case, Paul Rigby
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Shiva Ganesha
"To a passage so poorly lit there's moths flying away from it."--and every other line in this song--my god this is a masterpiece. Why is it that only us few are seeing this?
Joseph Gagliardi
i get. it but miss gastown
trip fontaine
I don’t know that there’s a better living songwriter than Neko Case. This song has so many incredible lines. Is it a lady or is it a man? Humming helicopters through the blades of a fan
ringpexpert
This woman is amazing. Her lyrics are fresh, and her voice is like something deep in your soul is trying to come alive.
The Greek Pianist
This song fits Norman Bates soooo perfectly!!! ❤️
hb rick
Her voice reaches out and touches your body and leaves you with a feeling like you've just been kissed.
foxymetroid
Gorgeous lyrics "Love your long shadows and your gunpowder eyes..." What makes this so very haunting is the tritone (diminished fifth chord). My daughter in Canada introduced me to this artist and now I can't get enough.
uvp5000
Absolutely one of my favorite songs to listen to, play and sing along to or recommend to anyone open to such sophisticated and haunting songwriting.
flylotusfly
Truly amazing. Can't wait for the next record!
barfyspitz
I LOVE her rockabilly grindhouse sound.