Discography:
1995 - Sleater-Kinney (Chainsaw)
1996 - Call the Doctor (Chainsaw)
1997 - Dig Me Out (Kill Rock Stars)
1999 - The Hot Rock (Kill Rock Stars)
2000 - All Hands on the Bad One (Kill Rock Stars)
2002 - One Beat (Kill Rock Stars)
2005 - The Woods (Sub Pop)
2015 - No Cities to Love (Sub Pop)
2019 - The Center Won't Hold (Mom+Pop)
2021 - Path of Wellness (Mom+Pop)
Heart Attack
Sleater-Kinney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I wait for
Hit and run
Could happen any day
but I'm walking into your house
I really want to figure you out
It's always somewhere/someone new each day
Insomnia
Popping pills
It's still too tight
It's never right
Threw out everything I own again today
Something's bound to give me a disease
I still feel like nothing next to you
Because you want everything new
Stress case undone preplanned no fun
I'm scared I've scared them all away
High strung let go loss of control
I'm scared I've scared all sleep away
Heart attack
Hit and run
The lyrics of Sleater-Kinney's song "Heart Attack" exhibit themes of anxiety, restlessness, and frustration. The primary speaker of the song is plagued by sleeplessness and feelings of inadequacy when compared to another person whom she is trying to understand. The lines "I wait for hit and run, could happen any day" demonstrate her anxiety and feeling of impending doom. The song includes references to insomnia, taking pills, and a sense of unease. The singer feels out of control and stressed, as evidenced by the lines "stress case undone preplanned no fun" and "high strung let go loss of control."
The second verse reveals that the singer has thrown out everything she owns in an attempt to find stability, which further highlights her feeling of unease. She feels like she needs something new to feel worthwhile, and that feeling causes her anxiety. The final lines, "heart attack, hit and run," refer back to the song's opening and suggest that the anxiety and uncertainty are constant in her life.
Line by Line Meaning
Heart Attack
The fear of sudden death is keeping me on edge
I wait for
I am anticipating something negative to happen
Hit and run
An unfortunate event that will occur and leave me stranded
Could happen any day
My anxiety of when this will happen never subsides
but I'm walking into your house
Despite my fears, I am still seeking a connection with someone
I really want to figure you out
I am curious about your identity and who you truly are
It's always somewhere/someone new each day
It is a constant struggle to find someone who can accept me for who I am
As long as I'm not looking for me
I am more concerned with finding someone who understands me, than myself
Insomnia
My anxieties are keeping me up at night
Popping pills
I am desperate for a solution to my problems
It's still too tight
My current situation is causing me discomfort
It's never right
No matter what I do, it never feels right
Threw out everything I own again today
I am struggling to find any real value in my life
Something's bound to give me a disease
My obsession with finding someone is starting to affect my health
I still feel like nothing next to you
In comparison, you seem to have it all figured out and I feel inferior
Because you want everything new
You are only interested in the latest and greatest, which makes it hard for me to keep up
Stress case undone preplanned no fun
My anxiety is causing me to self-sabotage and make things worse for myself
I'm scared I've scared them all away
My fears are pushing everyone away and leaving me alone
High strung let go loss of control
I am feeling overwhelmed and need to learn to let go
I'm scared I've scared all sleep away
Even when I should be resting, my anxieties keep me wide awake
Heart attack
My fears are taking over my existence
Hit and run
I feel like I'm always on the run from something
Contributed by Nicholas G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.