Ruby Throat's debut album The Ventriloquist was released on 8th November 2007 in a limited run of only 500 copies. These consisted of books bound from vintage Indian red leather, with the CD in a cloth pocket in the back of the book. Another limited edition version of 400 copies was released on 16th January 2008, this time in a regular jewel case and a 4-panel CD booklet, featuring pinhole photography by Chris Whittingham.
The commercial release of The Ventriloquist came out on 1st September 2008 with new songs "Consuela's Newt" and "Boat Song" added to the tracklisting. "House of Thieves" was released as a digital single on 1st October 2008, backed with new b-side "He Doesn't Love You".
A second album Out of A Black Cloud Came A Bird was released in November 2009 and was again limited to 500 numbered copies, including 10 fine art prints, 5 photographs and a personal effect.
The standard gatefold version is now also available on the official Katie Jane Garside website.
Official website: www.rubythroat.co.uk
The Ventriloquist
Ruby Throat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And fell in a heap
Your doll in the dark bedroom woke
With her scream a whip
With her scream a whip
With your arms around my neck
We ran through the thorny wood
Daddy was no good
Daddy was no good
You sobbed against my chest
I waded the river's freeze
The doll had put your mummy on show
The Kraken of the seas
As you lay on the bed
I lean to the locked door
The doll sat on the roof and screamed
I was with a whore
I was with a whore
The doll broke in that night
Killed you and was gone
Screaming at the stars to look
And see justice done
And see justice done
And see justice done
The Ventriloquist by Ruby Throat is a haunting and enigmatic song that tells an eerie story of a woman who falls for a man who's accompanied by a ventriloquist doll. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a dark bedroom where the couple is caught in an embrace, with the doll screaming like a whip in the background. The doll seems to be a sinister presence, with its accusing voice following the couple as they run through a thorny wood. The doll is seemingly trying to warn the woman to stay away from the man, declaring "Daddy was no good," and later accusing the man of infidelity by declaring "I was with a whore."
The song takes a tragic turn when the doll breaks into the couple's room and kills the woman, screaming for justice to be done. The lyrics are deliberately open-ended and abstract, leaving much to interpretation, but it's clear that the doll is a manifestation of the couple's pent-up fears and desires. The woman's attraction to the man is tinged with danger and a sense of inevitability, which is foreshadowed by the doll's ominous presence.
The song's haunting melody and sparse instrumentation add to its eerie atmosphere, making it a powerful and unforgettable piece of storytelling. Overall, The Ventriloquist is a fascinating and deeply unsettling song that rewards close listening and interpretation.
Line by Line Meaning
We caught each other by the body
We embraced each other tightly
And fell in a heap
And we collapsed onto the ground
Your doll in the dark bedroom woke
Your toy in the dimly-lit bedroom awakened
With her scream a whip
Her screech had a piercing and painful effect
With your arms around my neck
With your arms embracing my neck
We ran through the thorny wood
We hurried through the dense and prickly forest
The doll screamed after us to the world
The toy shouted for us to hear
Daddy was no good
Father was inadequate
You sobbed against my chest
You wept on my torso
I waded the river's freeze
I trudged through the icy river
The doll had put your mummy on show
The toy had displayed your mother
The Kraken of the seas
Like a sea monster, frightening and threatening
As you lay on the bed
As you rested on the bed
I lean to the locked door
I approached the locked entrance
The doll sat on the roof and screamed
The toy sat on the roof and howled
I was with a whore
I was unfaithful with another woman
The doll broke in that night
The toy entered forcefully that night
Killed you and was gone
It murdered you and vanished
Screaming at the stars to look
Yelling at the sky to observe
And see justice done
And witness that fairness is served
And see justice done
And witness that fairness is served
And see justice done
And witness that fairness is served
Contributed by Aubrey A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.