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".
The Kid With the Replaceable Head
Richard Hell and the Voidoids Lyrics
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Attaches on his head with the missing link
He's skinny as a snake and fast as a mink
But he ain't for sale unless you add the kitchen sink
Look out, here he comes again
They say he's dead, he's my three best friends
He's so honest that the dishonest dread
When you live on a planet the size of a town
You can't get your kicks by getting around
Fun's hard to find on such familiar ground
So you invent it: the mental it's better than found
Look out, here he comes again
They say he's dead, he's my three best friends
He's so honest that the dishonest dread
Meeting the kid with the replaceable head
He used to beat himself up till he was sick and confused
Dead tired and throbbing, half crazy and bruised
Till he'd be too worn out to keep being himself
Now he can pick them at will from the heads on his shelf
Look out, here he comes again
They say he's dead, he's my three best friends
He's so honest that the dishonest dread
Meeting the kid with the replaceable head
The Kid With the Replaceable Head by Richard Hell and the Voidoids is a surreal and enigmatic musing on identity, individuality, and escapism. The song's protagonist, the titular "kid," is an outsider who is "too young to drink and too smart to think." He has a replaceable head that "attaches on his head with the missing link," and he is "skinny as a snake and fast as a mink." However, he is not for sale "unless you add the kitchen sink." The kid's replaceable head embodies the concept of creating a persona or alter-ego to escape from one's reality, but the high price tag suggests that this escape can also come at a cost.
The song suggests that living on a small planet or in a small town can be dull and limiting. The kid can't find fun on "such familiar ground," so he invents it by using his replaceable head. This head allows him to be whoever he wants to be, and he becomes so adept at it that he can "pick them at will from the heads on his shelf." However, the price the kid pays for this escape is physical and psychological harm. He used to "beat himself up till he was sick and confused," but now he can simply change heads whenever he wants.
The Kid With the Replaceable Head is a surreal and metaphorical exploration of identity, self-discovery, and the dangers of escapism. It suggests that while creating an alternate identity can be liberating, it can also come at a cost to one's mental and physical health.
Line by Line Meaning
Too young to drink and too smart to think
He's underage and too intelligent to do stupid things like drinking.
Attaches on his head with the missing link
His head is replaceable and can be easily interchanged with another.
He's skinny as a snake and fast as a mink
He's thin and moves quickly like a snake or a mink.
But he ain't for sale unless you add the kitchen sink
You can't buy him easily because he's valuable and requires a lot.
Look out, here he comes again
Be careful, he's approaching once more.
They say he's dead, he's my three best friends
Some people think he's no longer alive, but my closest friends say otherwise.
He's so honest that the dishonest dread
He's extremely truthful, and dishonest people are afraid of him because of it.
Meeting the kid with the replaceable head
Meeting the boy with the interchangeable head.
When you live on a planet the size of a town
When you reside in a place that's so small it feels like a town.
You can't get your kicks by getting around
It's not possible to have fun by just wandering around in a small town.
Fun's hard to find on such familiar ground
It's tough to find amusement in areas that are already well-known and familiar.
So you invent it: the mental it's better than found
You have to create excitement mentally because it's better than relying on external stimulation.
He used to beat himself up till he was sick and confused
He used to harm himself physically and emotionally till he became ill and bewildered.
Dead tired and throbbing, half crazy and bruised
Exhausted, hurting, and partially insane due to physical harm.
Till he'd be too worn out to keep being himself
He became so depleted that he could no longer continue being who he was.
Now he can pick them at will from the heads on his shelf
Now he's able to choose a new head from those he has stored on his shelf whenever he wants.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: RICHARD HELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind