Pixies is an American alternative rock band which formed in Boston, Massach… Read Full Bio ↴Pixies is an American alternative rock band which formed in Boston, Massachusetts, United States in 1986. The band consists of Charles (Black Francis) Thompson IV (vocals, guitar; also known as ''Frank Black''), Joey Santiago (lead guitar), David Lovering (drums) and Paz Lenchantin (bass, vocals). Until 2013, the band also featured Kim Deal on bass and vocals. The band officially split in 1993 and reunited in 2004. They went on hiatus in 2007, with each band member pursuing projects of their own, only to reunite in 2009, with the announcement of a new tour commencing in Europe that summer.

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.

I'm Amazed
Pixies Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

girls and fucked 'em at school
All I know is that
There were rumors he was into field hockey players
There were rumors
So he applied basically
He was gone the next day
And went off with the team
It's like, he was go-they just like

It was so hush hush
They were so, quiet about it
And then the next thing you know
The day before
I was wed
She went upstairs
And then she cut her head away
I'm amazed [Repeat x4]
And when I was
A little boy
A ball of string
Might get up to the rain (???)
Before I died
I took my Honda
And cranked it up up up

Too bad it don't have no brakes
I'm amazed [Repeat x4]

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Pixies' song "I'm Amazed" are enigmatic and surreal, much like the rest of their discography. The song seems to revolve around a series of disconnected memories and anecdotes that the singer relays with a detached and ironic tone. The opening lines of the song evoke a scene of sexual misconduct, with a boy bragging about having sex with girls at school while rumors swirl about his supposed attraction to field hockey players. The singer doesn't seem to have any strong opinions about these events; instead, they're presented in a matter-of-fact manner that emphasizes their banality and ugliness.

The middle section of the song shifts gears and becomes even more abstract, with the singer recounting a childhood memory of playing with a ball of string in the rain. This image is followed by a bizarre non-sequitur about the singer taking their Honda for a ride, even though it apparently has no brakes. The song ends with the repeated phrase "I'm amazed," which can be interpreted in a number of ways. Perhaps the singer is expressing disbelief at the events they've described, or maybe they're just marveling at the unpredictability and absurdity of life itself.

Overall, "I'm Amazed" is a fascinating and challenging song that rewards close listening and repeated analysis. While its meaning may remain opaque, its imagery and mood linger in the mind long after the song has ended.

Line by Line Meaning

girls and fucked 'em at school
There were rumors he had sexual relationships with multiple girls at school

All I know is that
The singer has limited knowledge of the situation

There were rumors he was into field hockey players
There were rumors that the person in question was attracted to field hockey players

There were rumors
The existence of rumors is acknowledged

So he applied basically
The person applied or tried to join the field hockey team

He was gone the next day
After joining the team, he left the next day

And went off with the team
He left with the field hockey team

It's like, he was go-they just like
The artist is unsure of what exactly happened

It was so hush hush
The situation was kept secret

They were so, quiet about it
The people involved were very secretive about it

And then the next thing you know
Suddenly, something unexpected happens