The Donnas were an American rock band formed in Palo Alto, California, in 1… Read Full Bio ↴The Donnas were an American rock band formed in Palo Alto, California, in 1993. The band consisted of Brett Anderson (lead vocals), Allison Robertson (guitar, backing vocals), Maya Ford (bass guitar, backing vocals) and Amy Cesari (drums, percussion, backing vocals). Cesari replaced Torry Castellano, who left the band in 2009 due to tendonitis. They drew inspiration from the Ramones, The Runaways, Girlschool, AC/DC, Bachman–Turner Overdrive and Kiss. Rolling Stone has stated that "the Donnas offer a guileless take on adolescent alienation; they traffic in kicks, not catharsis, fun rather than rage". MTV has stated that the band offers "a good old-fashioned rock & roll party". After gathering a cult following in the punk scene since their 1997 debut, the band achieved major label commercial success in the early 2000s and afterward as their music mixed punk, metal and classic rock sounds. They dissolved in 2012.

Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Donnas

Studio albums
The Donnas (1997)
American Teenage Rock 'n' Roll Machine (1998)
Get Skintight (1999)
Turn 21 (2001)
Spend the Night (2002)
Gold Medal (2004)
Bitchin' (2007)

Friends Like Mine
The Donnas Lyrics

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C'mon and show me
That you really know me
So close so tight
At least for tonight

Turning silver and gold
Into rubber and glue
Not supposed to let it get to you

It's easy to say but hard to do

When you roll back into town
Theyll all be around
Just to show you
That friends like mine will never let you down
Until you hit the ground

And they dont know you

Take what you can borrow
But what about tomorrow
Just have to wait and see
Whats in it for me

Turning silver and gold
Into rubber and glue
Not supposed to let it get to you
It's easy to say but hard to do

When you roll back into town
Theyll all be around
Just to show you
That friends like mine will never let you down
Until you hit the ground

Your an open book
Here's a mirror
Take a look
Dont like what you see?
Dont come running to me

When you roll back into town
Theyll all be around
Just to show you
That friends like mine will never let you down
Until you hit the ground

And they dont know you

Friends like mine will never let you down
And they dont know you

Overall Meaning

The Donnas’ song “Friends Like Mine” is a reflection on the complexities of friendship and how it can be both a comfort and a challenge. The opening lines, “C’mon and show me, That you really know me, So close so tight, At least for tonight” speak to the desire to be truly understood by someone, even if it’s just temporary.

The chorus, “Turning silver and gold into rubber and glue, Not supposed to let it get to you, It's easy to say but hard to do” suggests that the singer is struggling to maintain their composure in the face of adversity. The metaphor of turning precious metal into rubber implies that something valuable is being compromised for the sake of stability. The chorus acknowledges that it’s easier said than done to not let things affect you, which is both a warning and an admission of weakness.

The bridge, “Your an open book, Here's a mirror, Take a look, Don’t like what you see? Don’t come running to me” further reinforces the theme of self-reliance. The singer recognizes that ultimately, each individual is responsible for their own destiny and that leaning too heavily on others is not a sustainable solution.

Line by Line Meaning

C'mon and show me
Encouraging someone to display their true self.

That you really know me
To express the hope that someone deeply understands you.

So close so tight
To describe an intimate relationship.

At least for tonight
To indicate that the closeness may be temporary.

Turning silver and gold
To describe the process of transforming something valuable into something less valuable.

Into rubber and glue
To describe the process of making something unimportant or mundane.

Not supposed to let it get to you
To advise against taking things personally or letting them affect you emotionally.

It's easy to say but hard to do
To recognize the difficulty of following this advice.

When you roll back into town
Referring to returning home.

Theyll all be around
To describe the presence of acquaintances and friends.

Just to show you
To demonstrate loyalty or support.

That friends like mine will never let you down
To express faith in the reliability of loyal friends.

Until you hit the ground
To indicate that friends will only be there until a person is no longer successful or powerful.

And they dont know you
To suggest that these friends may not really understand the person they claim to be loyal to.

Take what you can borrow
To express the idea that it's acceptable to take advantage of opportunities in the present moment.

But what about tomorrow
To ask the question of what will happen in the future.

Just have to wait and see
To say that it is uncertain.

Whats in it for me
To express the idea of self-interest in taking an opportunity.

Your an open book
To say that someone is easy to read or understand.

Here's a mirror
To provide a chance for a person to introspect or assess themselves.

Take a look
To encourage self-reflection.

Dont like what you see?
To ask if a person dislikes what they see in the mirror.

Dont come running to me
To indicate that the person being introspected must deal with their own self-doubt or lack of confidence.

Friends like mine will never let you down
To express faith in loyal friends.

And they dont know you
To suggest that these friends may not really understand the person they claim to be loyal to.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ALLISON ROBERTSON, BRETT ANDERSON, MAYA FORD, TORRANCE CASTELLANO

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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