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.
Theme From Narc
Pixies Lyrics
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The-me Fro-m NA-RC
The lyrics to Pixies’s Theme From Narc are brief and repetitive, consisting only of the title repeated twice in a rhythmic chant. However, the song is anything but mundane. The title itself could be interpreted in different ways, the most literal being a possible reference to the 1980s television cop show “Narc” while others have speculated it references the “Narcotics Anonymous Recovery Center”. The song is played at a fast pace with pounding drums and a hypnotic guitar riff that repeats throughout. The song creates a sense of urgency and energy that is both intense and unsettling. The lyrics, in this context, seem to be a call to action, a rallying cry for a frenzy of activity.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey! alright
Excitement and enthusiasm for something that's about to happen
Blistering blue barnacles, blistering blue barnacles
An exclamation of surprise or shock
Icy divine
A feeling of chilling beauty or serenity
Alright, alright
An affirmation or agreement with what's happening
Ride!
A call to start or begin something with energy and enthusiasm
Gonna take a dive, gonna make a big splash, gonna make it to the other side
Taking risks and venturing into the unknown with excitement and confidence
Win!
A call for victory and success
Come on in, the water's fine
Inviting others to join in on the adventure and experience the same excitement and thrill
Johnny's gone and got a gun
The mention of potential danger or risk in the adventure
Far away, far away, Puerto Rico
The destination or end goal of the adventure
Contributed by Jasmine C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Mike D
on Nimrod's Son
It’s “shock the people” not chocolate people