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.
There Goes My Gun
Pixies Lyrics
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Yoo hoo
Yoo hoo
There goes my gun (there goes my gun)
There goes my gun
There goes my gun (there goes my gun)
There goes my gun
Look at me
Look at me
Look at me
There goes my gun (there goes my gun)
There goes my gun
There goes my gun (there goes my gun)
There goes my gun
Friend or foe?
Friend or foe?
Friend or foe?
Friend or foe?
There goes my gun (there goes my gun)
There goes my gun
There goes my gun (there goes my gun)
There goes my gun
The lyrics of Pixies' song "There Goes My Gun" are fairly minimalistic, but they convey a sense of anxiety and paranoia. The repetition of "There goes my gun" creates a sense of impending danger, as if something is about to happen that the singer is helpless to prevent. The opening "Yoo hoo" seems like a playful call or greeting, but it's also possible that it is meant to signal an alarm or warning.
The repeated refrain of "Look at me" suggests that the singer is trying to get someone's attention, perhaps in a desperate attempt to prevent something from happening. The line "Friend is foe" further reinforces the idea that trust has broken down and that danger is close at hand. The sense of impending violence is heightened by the use of the word "gun," which conjures up images of both protection and aggression.
It's possible that the song is inspired by real-life events, but it's also possible that the lyrics are meant to be more symbolic or metaphorical. Overall, the song creates a tense, unsettling mood that leaves the listener on edge.
Line by Line Meaning
Yoo hoo
An exclamation of surprise or attention-seeking behavior.
There goes my gun
An acknowledgement of losing control or power in a situation.
Look at me
A request for attention and validation.
Friend is foe
A realization that someone who was trusted or expected to be an ally is actually an adversary.
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