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.
No. 13 Baby
Pixies Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And a comb in her pocket, if the winds get blown
Stripes on her eyes when she walks slow
But her face falls down, when she go, go, go
Black tear falling on my lazy queen
Gotta tattooed tit say number 13
Viva, don't want no blue eyes
Rica, I'm in a state, I'm in a state
I'm in a state, I'm in a state
I'm in a state, I'm in
Choir in the yard, in the house next door
Where a grandma brought, some songs from the shore
Six foot girl gonna, sweat when she dig
Stand close to the fire, when they light the pig
Standing in her chinos shirt pulled off clean
Gotta tattooed tit say number 13
Viva, don't want no blue eyes
La loma, I want brown eyes
Rica, I'm in a state, I'm in a state
I'm in a state, I'm in a state, I'm in a state
Viva, don't want no blue eyes
La loma, I want brown eyes
Rica, I'm in a state
Pixies' "No. 13 Baby" is a hauntingly beautiful song with cryptic lyrics that can be a bit challenging to understand. The song's opening lines describe a woman with hair that flows all the way down to her bones and a comb in her pocket to tame it when the wind blows. She has stripes on her eyes when she walks slow, but her face falls down when she goes away. The singer notes a black tear falling on his lazy queen and mentions that she has a tattooed tit that says "number 13". This woman seems to be an enigma, with a mix of beauty and sadness that the singer is drawn to.
The song's chorus repeats the phrases "Viva, don't want no blue eyes/La loma, I want brown eyes/Rica, I'm in a state" several times. These phrases are likely references to different places and experiences that the singer has had or desires. "Viva" could be a reference to the lively, celebratory nature of Latin American culture, while "La loma" might refer to a specific place or location that is important to the singer. "Rica" could be a nod to the Spanish word for "rich", or it might relate to the idea of feeling contentment or satisfaction.
The second verse of the song paints a picture of a choir in a nearby yard, singing songs that were brought over by a grandma from the shore. The singer then describes a tall woman who is going to sweat when she digs and who stands close to the fire when they light the pig. She's wearing chinos and has a tattooed tit that says "number 13", just like the first woman. Throughout the song, it's unclear whether these two women are actually the same person or if they represent different aspects of the singer's desires and experiences.
Overall, "No. 13 Baby" is a song that's open to interpretation. It's filled with vivid imagery and references that could mean many different things, depending on how you choose to read them.
Line by Line Meaning
Got hair in a girl, that flows to her bones
She has hair that is so long it flows down to her bones.
And a comb in her pocket, if the winds get blown
She always carries a comb in her pocket, in case the wind messes up her hair.
Stripes on her eyes when she walks slow
When she walks slowly, you can see the stripes of her eyelashes against the light.
But her face falls down, when she go, go, go
Her face droops down when she is exhausted or tired from going nonstop.
Black tear falling on my lazy queen
She is crying and my queen is not doing anything about it, being lazy.
Gotta tattooed tit say number 13
She has a tattooed breast that says number 13.
Choir in the yard, in the house next door
There is a choir singing in the yard of our neighbor's house.
Where a grandma brought, some songs from the shore
The songs being sung were brought by a grandma from the shore.
Six foot girl gonna, sweat when she dig
The six-foot girl will sweat a lot when she digs/pushes herself physically.
Stand close to the fire, when they light the pig
They are going to roast a pig, so she needs to stand near the fire to cook it.
Standing in her chinos shirt pulled off clean
She's standing there in her chinos, with a clean shirt pulled off.
Viva, don't want no blue eyes
Viva doesn't want someone with blue eyes.
La loma, I want brown eyes
La Loma wants someone with brown eyes.
Rica, I'm in a state, I'm in a state
Rica is in a state of mind that makes her anxious, worried or anxious.
I'm in a state, I'm in a state, I'm in a state
Rica is really, really worried or upset about something.
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