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.
Into The White
Pixies Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And there ain't no night
Did you hear what I said?
But into white
Into white
Into white
Into white
And there ain't no day
And there ain't no day
And there ain't no night
And there ain't no night
And there ain't no day
And there ain't no night
Into the white
Into the white
Into the white
Did you hear what I said?
Did you hear what I said?
Deeper than your sleepy head
Deeper than your sleepy head
Ain't nothin' to see
Ain't nothin' in sight
Into the white
Into the white
Into the white
Go and you'll go real far
Go and you'll go real far
Just pass the big quasar
Just pass the big quasar
Can't hitch a meteorite
Can't hitch a meteorite
Into the white
Into the white
Into the white
...
The lyrics of Pixies' song "Into the White" depict a strangely serene and otherworldly landscape devoid of both day and night. The refrain of "Into white" is repeated throughout the song, suggesting that the singer is entering into a white, blank space. The repetition of "But into white" after "And there ain't no night" suggests that the singer is seeking some kind of respite or escape from the darkness.
The line "Deeper than your sleepy head" highlights the surreal, almost dream-like quality of the singer's journey. The final verse continues to describe the journey as almost extraterrestrial, with a reference to a quasar and the impossibility of hitching a ride on a meteorite. Overall, the song seems to be about an escape from the mundane, the dark, and the familiar into a space of purity and possibility.
Line by Line Meaning
And there ain't no night
There is no darkness or absence of light
And there ain't no night
Reemphasizing that there is no night
Did you hear what I said?
Asking if the listener comprehended the previous statements
But into white
Instead, everything is illuminated and white
Into white
Repeating the idea that everything is white
Into white
Emphasizing that the surroundings are all white
And there ain't no day
There is no presence of sunlight either
And there ain't no day
Reiterating the fact that there is no day
And there ain't no night
Reemphasizing the absence of darkness
And there ain't no night
Again, acknowledging the lack of darkness
And there ain't no day
Restating that there is no daylight
And there ain't no night
Once more, stressing that there is no night
Into the white
Continuing to describe the surroundings as all white
Into the white
Repeating that the only thing around is whiteness
Into the white
Reiterating the idea of being enveloped in whiteness
Did you hear what I said?
Asking if the listener paid attention to the previous lines
Deeper than your sleepy head
The concept being described is more profound than can be immediately grasped
Deeper than your sleepy head
Reiterating that this concept is beyond immediate comprehension
Ain't nothin' to see
Despite the whiteness, there is nothing visible or distinguishable
Ain't nothin' in sight
Rephrasing the idea that nothing is visible
Go and you'll go real far
If one moves in this white environment, they will travel a great distance
Go and you'll go real far
Reiterating that movement in this environment takes one a great distance
Just pass the big quasar
One only needs to navigate around the large quasar to continue on their path
Just pass the big quasar
Reiterating that avoiding the quasar is necessary for continued progress
Can't hitch a meteorite
One cannot catch a ride on a meteorite to escape this environment
Into the white
Returning to the central idea that the environment is overwhelming white
Into the white
Reemphasizing that the environment is completely white
Into the white
Again highlighting the whiteness of the surroundings
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