Anja Plaschg grew up in a small village called Gnas in south east Styria, where her parents have a farm. She has played piano since she was six. At the age of 14 she began violin studies and developed an interest in electronic music. She attended the Graz Polytechnic for Graphic Design, but dropped out at 16 and moved to Vienna shortly afterwards. There she studied art at the Academy of Fine Arts in the master class of Daniel Richter, but at 18 dropped out again.
Musicians like Xiu Xiu, Cat Power, Björk, Nico, Aphex Twin and composers like Sergei Rachmaninoff or Arvo Pärt have had a great impact on her music.
After only playing a handful of concerts she was already being dubbed a "Wunderkind". In 2008 she played German singer Nico in the play "Nico - Sphinx aus Eis" by Werner Fritsch in Berlin and Vienna, performing several songs in it, including "Janitor Of Lunacy", from her first EP.
Her first album, called "Lovetune for Vacuum", was released in March 2009. It received excellent reviews and placed in the Austrian Top 10. The album also achieved chart positions in Germany, Belgium and France. Music journalists have already claimed to see in her a new star of Austrian pop.
In 2010 her song "Mr Gaunt Pt 1000" was used in the television commercial for Ford's Mondeo. In the 2010 French film "Mes chères études" (also known as "Student Services"), the song titled "The Sun" plays during the credits. Her tracks 'Brother of Sleep' and 'Marche Funèbre' were used in the soundtrack for Universal Pictures thriller 'War Games: At the End of the Day' in 2010.
The death of her father in 2009 was a key element on her mini-album Narrow, which was released in February 2012.
Big Hand Nails Down
Soap&Skin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Gobbets of me
Wrapped in tissue through the side blow
That had somehow slipped from you
Vacuum of god
And there you go
Hanging upside down
Half of a bit, shit drown
My life weeping to your feet
On gallows of love
Tear a kiss
Into a lie of bliss
Shouts with a voice you can't hear
For what you can't bear
From world's void juice
Emptied by words
Vacuum of god
And there you go
From world's void juice
Emptied by words
Emptied by words
Emptied by words
The lyrics of "Big Hand Nails Down" evoke a sense of despair and isolation. The first line, "Vacuum of god," sets the tone for the rest of the song. It suggests a loss of faith or belief in something higher than oneself, leaving one feeling empty and void of purpose. The next line, "Gobbets of me," further emphasizes the feeling of disintegration and fragmentation. The use of the word "gobbets" suggests something torn apart or ripped to pieces, making it hard to recognize oneself.
The second verse describes a situation of caretaking in a relationship. The lines "I nursed you like a crown/ Hanging upside down" suggest a subservient role in the relationship, sacrificing one's own needs for the other person's. The lines "Tear a kiss/ Into a lie of bliss" suggest a sense of fakeness or inauthenticity in the relationship. The chorus repeats the phrase "Vacuum of god" and "And there you go," further emphasizing the feeling of emptiness and loss.
The final verse speaks to the emptiness of words and the futility of trying to express one's pain or suffering. The line "For what you can't bear/ From world's void juice" suggests that words can never fully capture or alleviate the pain one feels. The repetition of "emptied by words" highlights the limitations of language in expressing deep emotions.
Overall, "Big Hand Nails Down" is a haunting exploration of emptiness and despair, with lyrics that capture the feeling of being lost and alone in the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Vacuum of god
The emptiness or absence of a divine power or presence
Gobbets of me
Pieces or chunks of myself
Wrapped in tissue through the side blow
Covered in a tissue as a result of being hurt or hit
That had somehow slipped from you
Something that was once yours that is now lost or released
And there you go
Departing or leaving, disappearing
I nursed you like a crown
I took great care of you, treated you like royalty
Hanging upside down
Being in a state of chaos, feeling disoriented
Half of a bit, shit drown
Feeling incomplete, lost, and overwhelmed
My life weeping to your feet
Feeling completely devoted and submissive to you
On gallows of love
Being trapped or constrained by the intense emotions of love
Tear a kiss
Making a forced or unhappy goodbye with a kiss
Into a lie of bliss
Going on with a facade of happiness while truly being unhappy
Shouts with a voice you can't hear
Crying out for help or attention, but being ignored or neglected
For what you can't bear
Asking for help or support during a time of difficulty
From world's void juice
From the empty, meaningless aspects of the world
Emptied by words
Feeling drained or emptied by the words or actions of others
Contributed by Molly J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ben - Moderator
on Safe With Me
Lyrics updated
Aaron
on Safe With Me
Where in the world did these random lyrics come from?