Recording mostly live, the band released its debut, Almost Killed Me, on French Kiss Records in March 2004 and Separation Sunday a year later. In April 2006 the band signed to Vagrant Records and entered the studio on the 1st of May to begin work on their third record, Boys and Girls in America. Released in October, it was one of the most critically acclaimed records of 2006 and reached a much larger audience than its predecessors.
The band released their fourth album, Stay Positive, recorded again with Boys and Girls in America producer John Agnello. Nicolay left the group and on May 4, 2010 the band released their fifth studio album, Heaven Is Whenever, recorded with producer Dean Baltulonis.
On July 15, 2008, Stay Positive was released. It debuted at #30 on the Billboard 200. It debuted on the UK Album Chart at #15 on July 20, the third-highest new entry. It ranked #1 on the UK Indie Chart. The album was named the best of 2008 by Entertainment Weekly. The song "Constructive Summer" was number 56 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2008.
Their seventh album, Thrashing Thru the Passion, was released in 2019. Among its songs, "Entitlement Crew" and "Confusion in the Marketplace," were considered standouts.
Your Little Hoodrat Friend
The Hold Steady Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Because it burns being broke and it hurts to be heartbroken but always being both must be a drag. she's been calling me again. she's been calling me again.
Your little hoodrat friend's been calling me again.
And I can't stand all the things that she sticks into her skin.
Like sharpened ballpoint pens and steel guitar strings.
She says it hurts. But it's worth it.
Tiny little text etched into her neck it said "Jesus lived and died for all your sins."
She's got blue black ink and it's scratched into her lower back.
I've been dusted in the dark up in penetration park.
I've been plastered. I've been shaking hard and searching in a dirty storefront church.
I've been plowed. but I ain't ever been with your little hoodrat friend.
What makes you think I'm getting with your little hoodrat friend?
Your little hoodrat friend got me high though.
We were seventeen and stuck up in Osseo.
She said it's funny even true love gets troubled by still water and washed up in the Mississippi river.
Her claddagh ring was pointed at the people.
She said "St. Theresa comes to me in dreams."
She said "I ain't gonna do anything sexual with you.
I'm kinda saving myself for the scene."
I've been dusted in the dark up in penetration park.
I've been plastered. I've been shaking hard and searching in a dirty storefront church.
I've been plowed. But I ain't ever been with your little hoodrat friend.
What makes you think I'm getting with your little hoodrat friend?
She said: City Center used to be the center of the scene. now City Center's over.
No one really goes there.
Then we used to drink beneath this railroad bridge.
Some nights the bus wouldn't even stop. There were just way too many kids.
I was waiting for my ride and I got jumped from behind. I got punctured.
I got stopped by the cops. They found it in my socks and I got probed.
But I ain't ever been with your little hoodrat friend.
What makes you think I'm getting with your little hoodrat friend?
In "Your Little Hoodrat Friend" by The Hold Steady, the first two lines, "Your little hoodrat friend makes me sick but after I get sick I just get sad, because it burns being broke and it hurts to be heartbroken but always being both must be a drag," conveys the sorrowful emotions of the singer who finds himself constantly being drawn towards his ex-girlfriend's friend, who he describes as a troubled person. The singer's curiosity about her becomes more intense as she continues to contact him despite his reluctance to communicate with her. He describes her self-harming tendencies through her use of sharpened ballpoint pens and steel guitar strings, something he finds both intriguing and disturbing. The lyrics, "but it's worth it, tiny little text etched into her neck it said 'Jesus lived and died for all your sins'," suggest that she is trying to find solace in religion, though this habit only adds to her troubled persona in the eyes of the singer.
Further, the reference to the Osseo bridge collapse, "We were seventeen and stuck up in Osseo. She said it's funny even true love gets troubled by still water and washed up in the Mississippi river," adds a layer of depth to the song's nostalgic and sad tone as it recalls the tragedy that took place in Minnesota. The singer's stubbornness against being labeled a user or a cheater, though he finds himself tangled in complicated situations, echoes the song's take on self-destruction and the way it impacts one's character. The song conveys the complexities of human relationships and how our past and present get entangled and form a melancholic yet intriguing narrative.
Line by Line Meaning
Your little hoodrat friend makes me sick but after I get sick I just get sad.
I am disgusted by your friend's behavior, but it makes me sad to see her in such a state
Because it burns being broke and it hurts to be heartbroken but always being both must be a drag.
It is painful to be both poor and heartbroken all the time
she's been calling me again. she's been calling me again.
Your friend has been repeatedly calling me
Your little hoodrat friend's been calling me again.
Your friend keeps calling me despite my disinterest
And I can't stand all the things that she sticks into her skin.
I find it difficult to watch your friend harming herself with various objects
Like sharpened ballpoint pens and steel guitar strings.
She puts sharp objects like a pen and guitar strings into her skin
She says it hurts. But it's worth it.
While she admits it's painful, she considers it worth the suffering
Tiny little text etched into her neck it said "Jesus lived and died for all your sins."
She has a tattoo on her neck with a religious message
She's got blue-black ink and it's scratched into her lower back.
She also has another tattoo on her lower back
It said: "damn right I'll rise again." Yeah, damn right you'll rise again.
Her tattoo has a message of rebirth and resilience
I've been dusted in the dark up in penetration park.
I have used drugs in a place called Penetration Park
I've been plastered. I've been shaking hard and searching in a dirty storefront church.
I have been drunk, trembling, and looking for answers in a dirty, small church
I've been plowed. but I ain't ever been with your little hoodrat friend.
I have had sexual experiences before, but not with your friend
What makes you think I'm getting with your little hoodrat friend?
I don't understand why you keep insisting that I am involved with your friend
Your little hoodrat friend got me high though. We were seventeen and stuck up in Osseo.
One time, when we were 17 and in a place called Osseo, your friend got me high
She said it's funny even true love gets troubled by still water and washed up in the Mississippi river.
Your friend said that even genuine love can encounter difficulties, like still water or getting washed up in the Mississippi River
Her claddagh ring was pointed at the people.
Your friend has a Claddagh ring, which symbolizes love and loyalty
She said "St. Theresa comes to me in dreams."
Your friend claimed to have a dream where St. Theresa appeared to her
She said "I ain't gonna do anything sexual with you. I'm kinda saving myself for the scene."
Your friend declared that she won't have sex with me, as she is waiting for something more meaningful
She said: City Center used to be the center of the scene. now City Center's over. No one really goes there.
Your friend reminisced about how City Center used to be the happening place, but now it's no longer popular
Then we used to drink beneath this railroad bridge. Some nights the bus wouldn't even stop. There were just way too many kids.
Your friend recalled drinking under a railroad bridge where buses would sometimes skip stopping because of too many kids
I was waiting for my ride and I got jumped from behind. I got punctured.
One time, while waiting for my ride, I was attacked from behind and injured
I got stopped by the cops. They found it in my socks and I got probed.
The police stopped me and searched my socks, which I found invasive and unsettling
But I ain't ever been with your little hoodrat friend.
Once again, I have never been intimate with your friend
What makes you think I'm getting with your little hoodrat friend?
I am still puzzled as to why you persist in thinking I am involved with your friend
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: CRAIG FINN, TAD KUBLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Don Leschke
Your little hoodrat friend makes me sick
But after I get sick I just get sad
'Cause it burns being broke, hurts to be heartbroken
And always being both must be a drag
She's been calling me again
She's been calling me again
Your little hoodrat friend's been calling me again
And I can't stand all the things that she sticks into her skin
Like sharpened ballpoint pens and steel guitar strings
She says it hurts, but it's worth it
Tiny little text etched into her neck
It said "Jesus lived and died for all your sins"
She's got blue black ink and it's scratched into her lower back
Says "Damn right, He'll rise again"
Yeah, damn right, she'll rise again
Damn right, you'll rise again
And I've been dusted in the dark up in penetration park
And I've been plastered
I've been shaking hard and searching in a dirty storefront church
And I've been plowed
But I ain't never been with your little hoodrat friend
I ain't never been with your little hoodrat friend
I ain't never been with your little hoodrat friend
What makes you think I'm getting with your little hoodrat friend?
Your little hoodrat friend got me high though
We were seventeen and stuck up up in Osseo
She said it's funny how true love gets troubled by still water
And washed up in the Mississippi River
Her Claddagh ring was pointed at the people
She said St. Theresa came to me in dreams
She said I ain't gonna do anything sexual with you
I'm kinda saving myself for the scene
And I've been dusted in the dark up in penetration park
And I've been plastered
I've been shaking hard and searching in a dirty storefront church
And I've been plowed
But I ain't never been with your little hoodrat friend
I ain't never been with your little hoodrat friend
I ain't never been with your little hoodrat friend
What makes you think I'm getting with your little hoodrat friend?
She said city center used to be the center of our scene
Now city center's over, no one really goes there
Back then we used to drink beneath this railroad bridge
Some nights the bus wouldn't even stop, there were just too many kids
I was waiting for my ride and I got jumped from behind
I got punctured
I got stopped by the cops and they found it in my socks
And I got probed
But I ain't never been with your little hoodrat friend
I ain't never been with your little hoodrat friend
I ain't never been with your little hoodrat friend
What makes you think I'm getting with your little hoodrat friend?
Caleb Vinson
Haven’t thought about this song in so long. Takes me back to summertime being a kid, skating around the neighborhood with friends, playing ps2, just being a care free kid. Good times.
Amber Olsen
2016 and I'm still playing THP8 😂 one of my favorite songs from the game haha
ethyllSvhn0774
You are lucky. I wish my PS2 wouldn't have broken...
Ruari Donelon
Almost 2019 now and I'm still playing it haha
rhoncus caseus
It's 2020 and i still play project 8
TEKARUKITE
I agree
pork
@rhoncus caseus 2021 4 me
ethyllSvhn0774
I remember listening to this awesome song while watching Rodney Mullen's clip when I was a kid. Man, those were the times.
Eythyn
Same here brother!
Jovinian
Underrated band. Authentic and powerful.