Although quite popular on alternative rock radio in the United States due to heavy airplay of the singles "Monkey Gone to Heaven" and "Here Comes Your Man", they were never widely popular there, but found success in Europe, especially in the UK (where they managed three top 40 singles "Velouria", "Planet of Sound" and a re-release of "Debaser") and Belgium and the Netherlands, where they were heavily broadcasted by alternative public radio.
The band's style of alternative rock music is heavily influenced by punk and surf rock, and while highly melodic, is capable of being tremendously abrasive at the same time. Francis is the Pixies' primary songwriter and singer and has a distinctly desperate, yowling delivery. He has typically written cryptic songs about offbeat subjects, such as UFOs and surrealism. References to mental instability, violent Biblical imagery, and physical injury feature in many of the band's songs.
The group is frequently posited as the immediate forebear of the alternative rock boom of the 1990s, though they disbanded before reaping any of the benefits this might have brought them. Avowed fan Kurt Cobain's acknowledgement of the debt Nirvana owed to the Pixies, along with similar tributes by other alternative bands, ensured that the Pixies' legacy and influence grew substantially in the years following their demise.
In 1993, during an interview with BBC Radio 5, Black Francis announced that the band had split - something he had not told his bandmates. After the interview, he called Santiago, who in turn faxed Deal and Lovering the news the next morning. After the split, Black Francis inverted his stage name to Frank Black and embarked on a successful solo career, while Deal resumed her role in The Breeders with her identical twin sister Kelley. In 2004, the band reunited for a tour - documented in the film loudQUIETloud - and released a new single, "Bam Thwok" that summer. In 2007, Black Francis (now going by that name again) stated in an interview that the reunion was "done" even though the members remain in good terms with each other. In later interviews however, he began to mention that he might be willing to record another Pixies album. Nonetheless, Francis has returned to his solo career and Deal to the Breeders, both of which released albums and toured in 2008. Lovering and Santiago, meanwhile, set up their own project, a band called Everybody.
In order to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the release of Doolittle, Pixies launched a tour in October 2009, on which they perform all the album's songs and B-sides. In the autumn of 2011 the "Lost Cities" tour continued the "Doolittle Tour" as they played many venues for the first time.
Cactus
Pixies Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just wishing that I had just something you wore
I put it on when I go lonely
Will you take off your dress and send it to me?
I miss your kissin' and I miss your head
And a letter in your writing doesn't mean you're not dead
Run outside in the desert heat
I miss your soup and I miss your bread
And a letter in your writing doesn't mean you're not dead
So spill your breakfast and drip your wine
Just wear that dress when you're dying
P-I-X-I-E-S
Sitting here wishing on a cement floor
Just wishing that I had just something you wore
Bloody your hands on a cactus tree
Wipe it on your dress and send it to me
Sitting here wishing on a cement floor
Just wishing that I had just something you wore
The lyrics to Pixies' "Cactus" are haunting and intense. They express the desire of the singer to possess an article of clothing belonging to someone they miss deeply. The repeated line "Just wishing that I had just something you wore" conveys the desperation and longing of the singer. They wish they had something physical to hold onto, something that could bring them closer to the person they miss.
The chorus is particularly striking, with its imagery of desert heat and wet dresses. It's not clear whether the person being addressed is alive or dead; the line "a letter in your writing doesn't mean you're not dead" suggests that they may be gone, but the singer still feels a strong connection to them. The repeated line "just wear that dress when you're dying" is chilling, emphasizing the singer's fixation on this piece of clothing and their desire to be close to the person who wore it.
Overall, "Cactus" is a powerful meditation on loss and obsession. The lyrics are raw and emotional, expressing the pain of separation and the desire for connection.
Line by Line Meaning
Sitting here wishing on a cement floor
I'm sitting and hoping on this hard surface
Just wishing that I had just something you wore
I desire a possession of yours, perhaps an article of clothing
I put it on when I go lonely
I would wear this item of yours when I feel alone
Will you take off your dress and send it to me?
I am asking you to remove your clothing and send it to me
I miss your kissin' and I miss your head
I long for your embraces and your presence
And a letter in your writing doesn't mean you're not dead
Just because you wrote a letter, it doesn't mean you are still alive
Run outside in the desert heat
Go outside in the scorching hot desert
Make your dress all wet and send it to me
Soak your dress in water and send it to me
I miss your soup and I miss your bread
I miss the food that you used to make
So spill your breakfast and drip your wine
Mess up your food and drink and waste it
Just wear that dress when you're dying
Wear that dress when you're at death's door
P-I-X-I-E-S
The name of the band who wrote this song
Bloody your hands on a cactus tree
Hurt yourself on a thorny cactus plant
Wipe it on your dress and send it to me
Clean your bloody hands with your dress and send it to me
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHARLES THOMPSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mike D
on Nimrod's Son
It’s “shock the people” not chocolate people