The Voidoids were started in 1976 when Richard Hell left The Heartbreakers. The first lineup consisted of Hell, Quine, Julian and Bell. The band released what has been considered their best album, Blank Generation, in 1977. This lineup dissolved around 1979.
A new lineup in 1982, this time with Hell, Quine and new members Naux (Juan Maciel) on guitar and Fred Maher on drums, was featured on The Voidoids second album Destiny Street. According to Hell, Destiny Street suffered due to Hell's being distracted during the recording process, especially by the use of narcotics. This second lineup dissolved around 1985.
1990 saw the release of the live album Funhunt (Live at the CBGB's & Max's), which was compiled from a series of audience tapes recorded between 1978 and 1985. 1990 also featured a reformation for a Japanese tour.
In 2009 Destiny Street Repaired, a remake and "repair" of Destiny Street, was released. Destiny Street Repaired featured guitarists Marc Ribot, Bill Frisell and Ivan Julian playing along to the original rhythm tracks.
Their best known songs were "Blank Generation", "Love Comes in Spurts", "The Kid With the Replaceable Head" and "Time".
Shattered
Richard Hell and the Voidoids Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
mother was a pinhead and my father was a fly.
That's why I love you darlin with a love that's so unique:
Your glistenin wings they complement your head's exquisite peak.
They all died by coin toss.
Love's a form of memory loss.
I can't forget that triple cross...
You gotta lose, you gotta lose
Not too long ago I knew a guy who thought he can't be beat
but he got rabies on his rubies now he can't unlace his feet.
And I for twenty minutes yesterday felt great, felt insensate,
But when you're twenty minutes late your fate is patient and will wait.
They all died by coin toss.
Love's a form of memory loss.
I can't forget that triple cross...
You gotta lose, you gotta lose
I know it's hard for you to face the fact Max Factor failed your face
and that your social life's misshapen cuz you feel so out of place
and that the most magic man you'd meet and ask your soul to keep
still could only love you from a distance one man deep.
You gotta lose, you gotta lose, you gotta lose, you gotta lose, you gotta lose
The lyrics to Richard Hell and the Voidoids' song "Shattered" are quite abstract and hard to pinpoint. The opening lines, "I hope I don't seem immodest when I tell you that my, my mother was a pinhead and my father was a fly," seem like Hell is trying to tell us that he comes from a dysfunctional background or that he sees himself as a mutant or an outcast. The following line, "That's why I love you darlin with a love that's so unique: your glistening wings they complement your head's exquisite peak," is Hell's way of describing the person he loves. He sees their qualities as unique and he loves them for it, particularly their physical appearance.
The stanza "They all died by coin toss, Love's a form of memory loss, I can't forget that triple cross" is particularly esoteric. It could refer to the randomness of fate, the unpredictability of love, and the feeling of betrayal. The following two stanzas are more straightforward - they speak of someone who had everything going for them but succumbed to their own vices, and someone who briefly experienced happiness but ultimately couldn't outrun fate.
In the final stanza, Hell seems to be addressing someone who feels out of place in the world and unlovable. He tells them that they need to lose their preconceptions of themselves and embrace their flaws or shortcomings. Overall, the lyrics to "Shattered" are open to a lot of interpretation, but they do touch on themes of love, loss, betrayal, and self-acceptance.
Line by Line Meaning
I hope I don't seem immodest when I tell you that my, my mother was a pinhead and my father was a fly.
I don't mean to come off as arrogant, but my parents were a bit odd - my mother had a small head and my father was like a fly. However, this is why I'm drawn to you - your unique attributes, like your sparkling wings and exquisite head shape, make me love you even more.
They all died by coin toss.
Everyone's fate is random - like a flip of a coin - and unfortunately, all these people died because of it.
Love's a form of memory loss.
Being in love can make you forget things or memories, as it takes up a significant amount of your thoughts and emotions.
I can't forget that triple cross...
I can't get over the fact that someone betrayed me three times, leaving me with a lingering feeling of hurt and mistrust.
You gotta lose, you gotta lose
Sometimes, in order to move forward, you have to let go of things that are holding you back - whether it's losing a game, losing a person, or losing a certain way of thinking.
Not too long ago I knew a guy who thought he can't be beat / but he got rabies on his rubies now he can't unlace his feet.
I used to know someone who was overconfident and thought they could never lose. However, they ultimately suffered a consequence - like a dog biting them and infecting them with rabies - that left them vulnerable and unable to move forward.
And I for twenty minutes yesterday felt great, felt insensate, / But when you're twenty minutes late your fate is patient and will wait.
Even though I felt amazing for a brief moment yesterday, the universe has a way of reminding you of reality and sometimes it's too late to change the outcome.
I know it's hard for you to face the fact Max Factor failed your face / and that your social life's misshapen cuz you feel so out of place / and that the most magic man you'd meet and ask your soul to keep / still could only love you from a distance one man deep.
I understand that it's difficult for you to accept that your appearance isn't what you want it to be and that it's affected your social life. Even if you were to meet the most amazing person, they could only love you so much due to something that you feel deeply insecure about.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Keith Richards, Mick Jagger
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind