Gouge Away
Pixies Lyrics

The Pixies’ “Gouge Away” is a fast-paced, aggressive song that plays with religious themes and violence. The refrain of the song is a repeated call to “gouge away”, which could be interpreted as a call to remove something either physical, mental or emotional. The song starts off with a set of instructions that seem to be given to someone else. The singer calls out “Missy aggravation/Some sacred questions/You stroke my locks/Some marijuana/If you got some”. This set of instructions positions the singer as a teacher, or perhaps a cult leader, instructing someone else to do something. But what is unclear is why the singer is giving these instructions, and who the instructions are meant for.

The song then switches to being narrated by someone else who is being acted upon: “Sleeping on your bed/You break my arms/You spoon my eyes/Been rubbing a bad charm/With holy fingers”. This verse introduces a note of violence and abuse, and interestingly, the violent actions in the song are being carried out by someone who is also using “holy fingers” to rub a “bad charm”. This use of religious symbolism brings up questions around what is sacred, and what religion means in the context of abuse.

From there, the song shifts into a chaotic mix of imagery and violence: “Chained to the pillars/A three day party/I break the walls/And kill us all/With holy fingers”. The image of being chained to the pillars has religious connotations, suggesting a victim’s suffering, while the three day party introduces an element of the hazy, drug-fueled atmosphere that the song has previously hinted at. The next two lines are violent, with the singer breaking the walls and killing everyone around them, again using the image of holy fingers to connect religious language with violence. Overall, the song is a dark, surreal exploration of violence, control, and drugs.