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 Bleed
Pixies Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A ringing bell
Behind my smile
It shakes my teeth
And all the while
As vampires feed
I bleed
I bleed
Prithee, my dear
Why are we here?
Nobody knows
We go to sleep
As breathing flows
My mind secedes
I bleed
I bleed
I bleed
I bleed
I bleed
I bleed
There's a place
In the buried west
In a cave
With a house in it
In the clay
The holes of hands
You can place
A hand in hand
I bleed
I bleed
I bleed
"I Bleed" is a song by the American band Pixies which was released on their second album, "Doolittle" in 1989. The song starts with the sound of a loud bell ringing, creating a sense of tension and urgency. The lyrics of the song are enigmatic, metaphorical, and hard to decipher. The first verse talks about something that is as loud as hell, a ringing bell that shakes the teeth behind the singer's smile. This can be interpreted as internal turmoil or mental anguish that the singer is experiencing without showing on the outside. The second line "As vampires feed" suggests that something is draining the singer's energy, leaving him feeling weak and vulnerable.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "I bleed" three times. Bleeding is a vivid metaphor for both physical and emotional pain. The singer is bleeding, which could mean that he is hurting or that he is releasing an emotion in a cathartic way. In the second verse, the lyrics take a more introspective tone. He asks, "Prithee, my dear, why are we here? Nobody knows." This is a philosophical question about the meaning of life and the purpose of existence. The answer may be elusive, but the fact that the question is being asked suggests a certain level of existential anxiety.
In the final part of the song, the lyrics become even more abstract. The singer talks about a cave in the buried west, which could be a metaphor for the subconscious or the unknown depths of the mind. He mentions a house in the cave and the holes of hands in the clay, creating a sense of mystery and intrigue. The phrase "A hand in hand" could symbolize comfort or support in times of distress. The final repetition of "I bleed" is almost whispered, leaving the listener with a sense of uncertainty and ambiguity.
Line by Line Meaning
As loud as hell
This feeling is so loud and overwhelming, it can only be compared to the deafening noise of hell.
A ringing bell
The feeling is persistent, like the sound of a bell that keeps ringing continuously without any indication of stopping.
Behind my smile
Despite my cheerful appearance on the outside, this feeling lurks deep within and affects me greatly.
It shakes my teeth
The feeling is so intense that it affects me physically, making my teeth rattle and shake uncontrollably.
And all the while
While this feeling consumes me entirely, it lingers in the background, unshakeable and persistent.
As vampires feed
This feeling drains the life out of me, just like how vampires feed on the blood of their victims, leaving them weak and vulnerable.
I bleed
This feeling causes me emotional pain, and I'm bleeding internally. It's like my soul is bleeding.
Prithee, my dear
My dear friend, I beseech you to tell me why we are here in this existence, what's the purpose of our being?
Why are we here?
What is the significance of our existence? Our purpose, if any? This line conveys a sense of existential crisis and a need for deeper meaning in life.
Nobody knows
The answer to these questions remains a mystery, and nobody knows for sure why we are here.
We go to sleep
We temporarily escape this existential dread by sleeping and allowing our minds to rest.
As breathing flows
As we breathe and exist, our lives continue, but the deeper questions remain unanswered.
My mind secedes
My mind withdraws and separates from my body, overwhelmed by the weight of the great unknown.
I bleed
Once again, this feeling causes emotional pain, and I'm internally bleeding.
There's a place
This line evokes a sense of mystery and intrigue, suggesting that there might be a specific place that holds answers or resolution to our existential questions.
In the buried west
This place may be in the 'buried west,' a mysterious and unknown location that is difficult to find or access.
In a cave with a house in it
The place we're looking for is hidden and inaccessible, like a cave with a house built inside that only a few know of.
In the clay, the holes of hands
This possibly metaphorical description of the obscure place reveals that it might be connected to death, perhaps a burial site, with the holes of hands referencing graves.
You can place a hand in hand
This line might refer to holding hands with the departed, which can be comforting when facing death or loneliness.
I bleed
Finally, this last line ties everything together by revealing that even though there might be answers to our existential questions or comfort in death, the pain of internal bleeding never truly goes away.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHARLES THOMPSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mike D
on Nimrod's Son
It’s “shock the people” not chocolate people