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)

Have You No Pride
The Donnas Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Shoe gazers in blazers
Introduce you to razors, so that
The Wilson twins- they can see you
In all your glory, in all your glory

Don't you car what all the people say
You don't care you're gonna do in any way
All eyes on you and they'r burning holes till

There's no one left inside
Have you know pride

How many pairs do you own
How many patches have you
sewn on your sleeve
Now don't you dare mend your holes
They tell your story yeah tell your story
(sell your story)

What do you write in that journal
Some kind of infernal poetry
So that I'll offer my help
But don't you worry, don't you worry

Let'a take a walk through the crowd
Let's take a walk through the crowd

Overall Meaning

The Donnas' song "Have You No Pride" satirizes the subculture of shoe gazers, who are typically characterized by wearing blazers and displaying a self-obsessed, narcissistic attitude. The lyrics portray the Wilson twins, presumably members of the shoe-gazing group, as being so fixated on their own image that they introduce razors to help others cultivate the same look. The song criticizes this narcissistic behavior, particularly in the lines "All eyes on you and they're burning holes till there's no one left inside" and "Have you no pride," which suggest that this obsessive focus on image is not only unappealing but potentially damaging to the individual's self-worth.

The lyrics also poke fun at the particular aesthetics of the shoe-gazing subculture, such as their tendency to wear blazers and sew patches onto their sleeves to indicate various allegiances. The line "What do you write in that journal / Some kind of infernal poetry" suggests that even the Wilson twins' self-absorption extends beyond their appearance into their creative output. The repeated refrain "Let's take a walk through the crowd" is a call to break away from this self-obsession and take stock of the broader social context.

Overall, "Have You No Pride" is a critique of the shallow, self-obsessed attitudes that can be present in certain subcultures. The song challenges listeners to examine their own motivations and values, and to reject the notion that superficial appearances and self-promotion are more important than developing genuine self-worth and a sense of community.

Line by Line Meaning

Shoe gazers in blazers
People who are not confident in themselves and often look down at their shoes while wearing formal attire.

Introduce you to razors, so that
Encouraging people to take action and be more assertive, even if that means being aggressive.

The Wilson twins- they can see you
Others can see you for who you truly are, and they may judge you accordingly.

In all your glory, in all your glory
This is who you are, be proud of it.

Don't you care what all the people say
Do not worry about what others think or say about you.

You don't care you're gonna do it anyway
Do what you want to do, regardless of what others may think about it.

All eyes on you and they're burning holes till
People are watching and scrutinizing you intensely to try and identify any perceived flaws or weaknesses.

There's no one left inside
You feel exposed and vulnerable, like there is nothing left of yourself to hide.

Have you no pride
Don't you have any self-respect or dignity?

How many pairs do you own
How many different personas do you have? How often do you pretend to be someone you are not?

How many patches have you sewn on your sleeve
How many times have you tried to cover up your imperfections or insecurities, rather than embracing them?

Now don't you dare mend your holes
Do not try to hide your flaws or imperfections. They are a part of you and deserve to be accepted and respected.

They tell your story yeah tell your story (sell your story)
Your flaws and imperfections are a part of your unique story and should be embraced, rather than hidden or covered up.

What do you write in that journal
What thoughts and feelings do you keep locked away inside, rather than expressing or sharing them with others?

Some kind of infernal poetry
You may be hiding dark or troubling thoughts, rather than addressing them in a healthy way.

So that I'll offer my help
Others may notice that you are struggling, and may be willing to offer their assistance if you are willing to accept it.

But don't you worry, don't you worry
Everything will be alright. You do not need to keep everything bottled up inside.

Let's take a walk through the crowd
Let's face our fears and insecurities by stepping out into the world and connecting with others.

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

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS