They describe their heavily art-damaged and theatrical style as "Brechtian punk cabaret", a phrase invented by Palmer because she was "terrified" that the press would invent a name that "would involve the word 'gothic'," and are part of an underground dark cabaret movement that started gaining momentum in the early 1990s.
Palmer accompanies her confessional story-songs with a thunderous and shimmering piano style that rests on the shoulders of Jerry Lee Lewis and Nina Simone. Viglione's jazz and hardcore-influenced drumming and creative percussion are the perfect foil, providing in turns a delicate cradle of rhythm and a piercing bed of nails onto which Palmer lays her raw, tragicomic lyrics.
The release of their debut album The Dresden Dolls, produced by Martin Bisi (Swans, Sonic Youth), has won the band accolades from both mainstream and underground media, and it appears that the Dolls are poised to transcend cult status and smash all commonly held ideas about what a rock band is supposed to be. Their awe-striking live energy and singular look has earned them opening slots for Nine Inch Nails, Beck, the B-52s, Jane's Addiction, OK Go and Panic! At the Disco, a tour with the Legendary Pink Dots, and a victory in the 2003 WBCN Rock and Roll Rumble.
Their second album Yes, Virginia was released in 2006, eventually followed by a companion record No, Virginia in 2008, which features b-sides and out-takes from the "Yes, Virginia" sessions, as well as a smattering of new tracks.
At the end of summer 2008 they announced a hiatus. The band has made further announcements saying they will reunite when the time is right for both of them, and have stressed they have not broken up.
In September 2008, rumors began to circulate about the future of the whole band. Viglione confirmed that the band is currently on hiatus but emphasized that he and Palmer are on good terms and that they will get together again when it feels right for both of them. In late July and early August 2009, a rumor began to spread that the band was "reuniting for performances in 2010" but Palmer clarified in her blog on August 7: "There's been a ton of press lately re-printing an old quote from an old interview that's now blown up into a full-fledged press rumour that Brian and I have planned Dresden Dolls' shows for 2010. Not true. We aren't planning any shows. Sorry about that, blame the gossip whores."
In 2010, a reunion tour to selected venues in the United States occurred. It started on Halloween in New York City and ended in San Francisco on New Years Eve.
The Dresden Dolls played a show in Mexico City on 9 December 2011. They had a tour of New Zealand and Australia in early 2012, supported by The Jane Austen Argument and The Bedroom Philosopher.
Slide
The Dresden Dolls Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And a red little girl's at the top of a slide
And an orange old man at the bottom
Wants to take her for a ride
As she slips and she tumbles the orange man mumbles
Pennies crash down from the sky
And he tells her, he'll take her away where it's safe
She's a third the down and her skirts are yanked up
And her little girl cheeks start to wrinkle
But her smile is wide and her legs are spread wider
Her hair growing long and her hips getting larger
Past getting brighter
Light growing weaker
She is halfway down now but the man is impatient
Shakes change in his pocket he might have to wait
But she's coming
She's coming
She's coming
Who are you blaming?
They're just playing
That's a good one, who left the playground
A good decade before the bell rang?
As she starts to draw nearer the view becomes clearer
The splinters are painful but she doesn't feel it
The pennies were loaded and as they exploded
She starts to spin out of control
Her eyes are now closing her sleeves are unrolling
Up past her head and her veins are all showing
Not that she noticed, she's thoroughly focused on
One old man who's laughing
Who's laughing
Who's laughing
Don't worry, I've got you
Don't worry, I've got you
Don't worry, I've got you
Don't worry, I've got you
The orange man got you
A late April day and it's sunny outside
And a red little girl's at the top of the slide
And an orange old man at the bottom
Wants to take her for a ride
The Dresden Dolls' "Slide" tells the story of a young girl who is approached by an older man at the bottom of a slide. The man promises to take her away to safety as pennies rain down from the sky. The girl slides down the slide, skirts yanked up, smile wide, hips getting larger, until she reaches the man at the bottom. The man is impatient, but the girl is coming. As she gets closer, the splinters become painful, but she doesn't feel it. The pennies were loaded, and as they explode, the girl starts to spin out of control. Her eyes close, her sleeves unroll, her veins are showing, but she's focused solely on the old man, who is laughing.
The song is a commentary on the societal issues of power dynamics and sexual abuse. The lyrics describe how the old man targets the young girl and promises to "take her away where it's safe,” drawing her in with a lie. The girl eventually spirals out of control, with no control over what is happening to her. The lyrics shift the blame from the victim to the perpetrator, questioning why society allows these power dynamics to exist.
Line by Line Meaning
A late April day and it's sunny outside
The setting is a bright and cheerful day in late April
And a red little girl's at the top of a slide
A little girl dressed in red is at the top of a slide
And an orange old man at the bottom
An old man dressed in orange is waiting at the bottom of the slide
Wants to take her for a ride
The old man has motives to take the little girl away
As she slips and she tumbles the orange man mumbles
The little girl slips and tumbles down the slide while the old man mutters to himself
Pennies crash down from the sky
Pennies rain down from the sky as the little girl slides down
And he tells her, he'll take her away where it's safe
The old man promises the little girl safety and takes advantage of her trust
And of course it is a lie
The old man's promise is false
She's a third the way down and her skirts are yanked up
The little girl is making her way down the slide and her skirt is lifted up
And her little girl cheeks start to wrinkle
The little girl's facial expression changes as she slides down
But her smile is wide and her legs are spread wider
The little girl maintains a smile and spreads her legs wider as she slides down the slide
Her hair growing long and her hips getting larger
The little girl's hair grows longer and her body is changing as she grows up
Past getting brighter
The view is becoming brighter as she reaches the bottom of the slide
Light growing weaker
The light is growing weaker as she reaches the bottom of the slide
She is halfway down now but the man is impatient
The little girl is halfway down and the old man is growing impatient
Shakes change in his pocket he might have to wait
The old man shakes coins in his pocket and considers waiting for the little girl
But she's coming
The little girl is getting closer to the bottom of the slide
Who are you blaming?
A rhetorical question directed at someone who may be blaming others for the situation
They're just playing
The little girl and the old man are not really playing - the old man has dangerous intentions
That's a good one, who left the playground
A sarcastic remark questioning who is responsible for the situation
A good decade before the bell rang?
The situation could have been prevented a long time ago
As she starts to draw nearer the view becomes clearer
The little girl is approaching the bottom of the slide and the situation becomes more clear
The splinters are painful but she doesn't feel it
The little girl is experiencing physical pain, but is likely numb to it due to the trauma of the situation
The pennies were loaded and as they exploded
The pennies thrown by the old man were intended to hurt or harm the little girl
She starts to spin out of control
The little girl loses control and is in danger
Her eyes are now closing her sleeves are unrolling
The little girl is losing consciousness and her clothing is falling apart
Up past her head and her veins are all showing
The little girl's appearance is becoming more and more disheveled and revealing
Not that she noticed, she's thoroughly focused on
The little girl is focused on the old man and her fate, and is not aware of her physical state
One old man who's laughing
The old man is laughing at the distress of the little girl
Who's laughing
A repetition of the above line, emphasizing the cruelty of the old man
Don't worry, I've got you
The old man attempts to calm the little girl and claims to have her best interests in mind - this is sinister
The orange man got you
The little girl has fallen prey to the dangerous old man
Lyrics © CTM Outlander Music LC, BMG Rights Management, CTM Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: TOBIAS GAD, LOREAL PALMER, KEKE PALMER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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