Essentially the j… Read Full Bio ↴The Indelicates is a UK band founded in late-2005.
Essentially the joint project of Simon Indelicate (formerly a performance poet and author of ‘The Book Of Job: The Musical’ – revived in 2011) and Julia Indelicate (an acclaimed documentary photographer) The Indelicates are a piano and guitar-led pop/rock act from Sussex, UK. Taking their musical cues from folk and classical sources – as well as the broad spectrum of British indie rock – they write melodic, edgy and intellectually coherent songs that have been consistently well-received in the UK and abroad.
They have played and been released all over the world, headlining the second stage at Austria’s Frequency Festival, supporting Art Brut (UK) in Germany, Amanda Palmer (USA) in Scotland and The Vaselines (Scotland, UK) in New York; as well as touring extensively in Europe and the UK. In 2008 they attended the Texas SXSW festival, to great acclaim, and in 2009 recorded the follow up to début album American Demo, in Berlin.
In July 2009 The Indelicates published their first collection of lyrics and poems Words by Simon & Julia Indelicate, and in April 2010 their sophomore album Songs For Swinging Lovers was released on Corporate Records in the UK, USA, and all other major territories, and on Snowhite Records in Germany. The album received praise from US/UK author Neil Gaiman and was reviewed by, among others, actor Jack Black in Germany’s Intro Magazine.
From mid-2010 onwards The Indelicates began recording a concept album based on David Koresh and the Waco Siege in Texas in 1993. David Koresh Superstar tells the story of 1993′s Waco Siege with a full complement of pedal steel guitars, musical saws and percussive guns, in a bitter cocktail of rebel country, luau, disco and rock opera. The UK cast includes performances from Carter USM’s Jim Bob, David Devant and his Spirit Wife’s Vessel and Radio favourite Philip Jeays. David Koresh Superstar was co-recorded by renowned producer, engineer and member of acclaimed Austin band Monahans, Britton Beisenherz and Screamadelica (Primal scream) producer Brian O’Shaugnessey. The album was released in the UK on May 16th 2011, and re-released in the US, with additional material, in October 2011, to coincide with The Indelicates first US tour.
Represented by Kip Kouri at Tell All Your Friends PR, they have been written about positively in the NME, the New Statesman, Artrocker, the Guardian, the Times, The Fly and other magazines. Internationally, they have been praised in Vanity Fair, Musik Express, and Der Spiegel (Germany), Rolling Stone and Pitchfork(US), and widely on internet blogs and music sites.
Flesh
The Indelicates Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
the rapists in the new men
Hey girls it’s the comfort of
the only halfway human
The power bought for the clawing self
in the serpents subtle deals
It may be fleeting but
my god, the way it feels
Hey girls we’re almost there
so we might as well stop swimming
Hey girls, ain’t you heard we’re more concerned
about the hegemony, than the women
Hey girls pull it down, there’s money,
c’mon babe, just a little
Pull it down, stick it out, open up,
just a little babe, just a little baby
Hey doc take your knife to me,
scar my snatch into a smile
Strip me and dissect me,
milk my tears and tap my bile
Hey doc can you take my skin
and melt it into plastic
Beauty isn’t truth, it’s just youth,
and it’s adaptive and it’s elastic…
And I love you, whoever you are, yeah, I love you.
Hey girls, we’re all the same, aren’t we
Hey girls, we’re all the same, aren’t we.
The Indelicates's song Flesh delves into the concept of female objectification and the commodification of women's bodies. In the first verse, the song highlights the disturbing reality of how women are conditioned to believe that certain qualities and characteristics can evoke attraction from men, even if it means using their bodies to do so. The reference to "rapists in the new men" is particularly poignant, as it alludes to the fact that men have been portrayed as the dominant force in relationships and, to some extent, are expected to act on their primal instincts rather than be seen as equals.
Moving on, the song then focuses on the pressure faced by women to conform to unrealistic beauty standards that are perpetuated in the media. This is most strikingly exhibited in the lyrics, "Hey doc take your knife to me, scar my snatch into a smile / Strip me and dissect me, milk my tears and tap my bile". Here, the singer asks the doctor to surgically enhance her vagina, ultimately objectifying herself in a desperate attempt to meet society's beauty standards.
The final verse of the song speaks to the universal struggle of women, regardless of their background or circumstances. The singer states, "Hey girls, we’re all the same, aren’t we?" highlighting the common thread of female objectification that exists worldwide.
Overall, the song is a powerful statement against the gross commodification of women's bodies and showcases the struggles that women face on a systemic level. The lyrics are thought-provoking and haunting, forcing listeners to confront the raw realities of modern society.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey girls let’s see if we can bring out the rapists in the new men
Let's try to provoke sexual assault from men who have never done it before.
Hey girls it’s the comfort of the only halfway human
Women feel safe and content when they are only seen as partially human.
The power bought for the clawing self in the serpents subtle deals
Women use their sexuality to gain power in deceiving ways.
It may be fleeting but my god, the way it feels
Even though it's temporary, the pleasure of using sexuality as power is intense.
And I love you, whoever you are, yeah, I love you.
The artist loves anyone who shares their beliefs and actions.
Hey girls we’re almost there so we might as well stop swimming
Women should surrender control and succumb to the society's expectations of their gender.
Hey girls, ain’t you heard we’re more concerned about the hegemony, than the women
Women care more about pleasing those in power than supporting fellow women.
Hey girls pull it down, there’s money, c’mon babe, just a little
Women can make financial gain by exploiting their sexuality for male pleasure.
Pull it down, stick it out, open up, just a little babe, just a little baby
Women should expose themselves to men in sexual ways for their satisfaction.
Hey doc take your knife to me, scar my snatch into a smile
Women may undergo surgeries to conform to male standards of desirable anatomy.
Strip me and dissect me, milk my tears and tap my bile
Women's bodies are objectified and dehumanized for male pleasure.
Hey doc can you take my skin and melt it into plastic
Women may go to great lengths to change their appearance in hopes of being more attractive to men.
Beauty isn’t truth, it’s just youth, and it’s adaptive and it’s elastic…
Society's concept of beauty is not based on reality, but on superficial characteristics that are changeable.
Hey girls, we’re all the same, aren’t we
Women are seen as interchangeable objects without individuality.
Hey girls, we’re all the same, aren’t we.
Women's identities are stripped away and they are reduced to their gender.
Contributed by Joshua J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.