Tanya Donelly (born July 14, 1966, in Newport, Rhode Island) is an American… Read Full Bio ↴Tanya Donelly (born July 14, 1966, in Newport, Rhode Island) is an American singer/songwriter and guitarist based in New England who cofounded Throwing Muses with stepsister Kristin Hersh, then went on to work in The Breeders and Belly in the 1990s. In the late 1990s, she settled into a solo recording career, working largely with musicians connected to the Boston music scene.

Donelly is best known for her Grammy-nominated work in the mid-1990s as lead vocalist and songwriter for Belly, when she scored a national radio and music television hit with her composition "Feed the Tree." Belly recorded on Sire/Reprise Records and 4AD; Donelly's solo works have been released on Warner Brothers Records and 4AD.

Over the years she has listed several musical influences. In one interview she named her guitar-playing influences as Marc Ribot, the Beatles, and former bandmate Hersh. More recently she mentioned Leonard Cohen as a songwriting hero, citing her then-current listening favorites as Lucinda Williams and Joan Wasser, and listing Boston-based groups like the Dambuilders, Pixies, and Count Zero as past favorites. Although Donelly mainly performs her own original songs, she has in recent years added covers by Robyn Hitchcock, Nina Simone, and the Beatles to her repertoire.

Restless
Tanya Donelly Lyrics

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You stare out the wall
like it's a window
And hold your side
like your insides might let go
Are you restless, baby?
Are you restless, baby?
Are you restless, baby?
Baby, are you...

You hold my hand like it's a razor
And hold my eyes with yours
in a gaze more like a vice
Are you restless, baby?
Are you restless, baby?
Are you restless, baby?
Baby, are you...
Baby, are you restless?
I saw a light there before you
Baby, are you restless?
(it was bright and restless)
Baby, are you dying
Baby, are you dying... to fly?
Still staring out that wall
like it's a window
A hand on your heart
like your tryina keep it quiet
Are you restless, baby?
Are you restless, baby?

Are you restless, baby?
Baby, are you...

Overall Meaning

The song "Restless" by Tanya Donelly is a poignant and introspective exploration of restlessness, unease and a burning desire for something more. The opening lines of the song, "You stare out the wall like it's a window, and hold your side like your insides might let go" set the tone for the rest of the song. The singer is observing someone who seems to be lost in thought, gazing at nothing in particular with a deep sense of restlessness and anxiety.

The second verse continues with a sense of unease, as the person holds the singer's hand like a razor and stares intensely into their eyes, almost like they are trying to hold onto something or someone for dear life. The chorus continually asks, "Are you restless, baby?" which becomes an almost desperate plea for the person to acknowledge their restlessness and to take action to address it.

In the final verse, the person is still staring out at the wall, holding their hand on their heart as if trying to keep it quiet. The repetition of the chorus becomes more urgent, a final appeal for the person to acknowledge their restlessness and to take steps to change their life.

Overall, the song captures the sense of unease and restlessness that can afflict us all, while also emphasizing the need to recognize these feelings and to take action to address them.

Line by Line Meaning

You stare out the wall like it's a window
You seem lost in thought and fixated on something, like you're looking through the wall instead of at it.

And hold your side like your insides might let go
You're clutching your side, as if in pain or discomfort, and seem nervous about something.

Are you restless, baby? Are you restless, baby? Are you restless, baby? Baby, are you...
You seem agitated and uneasy, and the repeated questioning suggests concern for how you're feeling.

You hold my hand like it's a razor And hold my eyes with yours in a gaze more like a vice
Your grip is tight and intense, as if you're trying to convey something through your eyes that you can't express through words.

Baby, are you restless?
The question is repeated again, emphasizing how uneasy you seem to be.

I saw a light there before you Baby, are you restless? (it was bright and restless)
The singer observed a change in your demeanor or mood, perhaps characterized by a new restlessness that is troubling.

Baby, are you dying Baby, are you dying... to fly?
The singer wonders if you're yearning to escape or let go of something that's been troubling you, maybe to the point of desperation.

Still staring out that wall like it's a window A hand on your heart like your tryina keep it quiet
You remain absorbed in your thoughts, with a hand on your chest as if to calm yourself down or control your emotions.

Are you restless, baby? Are you restless, baby? Are you restless, baby? Baby, are you...
The song's final repetition of this line underscores how important the question is to the artist, who's clearly worried about the addressee's well-being.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: TANYA DONELLY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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