Wanting to cut themselves off from their pasts, Mosshart and Hince considered their new project to be Year Zero in their careers, so they renamed themselves "VV" and "Hotel" respectively and began writing sparse, minimalist songs together with the aid of a drum machine. In 2001 they showcased their new songs on a well received demo tape. In true punk rock fashion, however, the pair shunned approaches from major record labels. Recording as VV and Hotel, they contributed the song "Restaurant Blouse" to the compilation If the Twenty-First Century Did Not Exist, It Would Be Necessary to Invent It. Shortly after this they recorded their debut release, the Black Rooster EP, which saw release on British indie label Domino Records and was picked up for distribution by Dim Mak Records in the United States.
Following international touring, they entered Toe Rag studios to record their debut album Keep on Your Mean Side, mostly on 8-track, in just 2 weeks.
Popular indie band, the xx, name The Kills as the major influence for having a male/female lead singer combo: http://edition.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/Music/04/05/xx.interview/index.html?iref=allsearch
Their second album, No Wow, was released by Domino records on February 21, 2005. Featuring an artier, less guitar rock sound, the record embraced New Wave and post punk influences and sounded even more stripped down than Keep on Your Mean Side. The first single, The Good Ones, was released on February 7, 2005 and reached number 23 in the UK singles charts.
VV sang the song Meds on Placebo's 2006 eponymous album.
Their third album Midnight Boom was released March 10, 2008. It was followed by 5 different singles since its release.
Damned If She Do
The Kills Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She damned if she don't
If history hang hang hangs her well
Her memory won't
There's been a perception
Of sweet hearts passing through
Some of them left no trace at all
She come alive when she dying
She come alive when she dying
She come alive when she on her last legs
She come alive when she dying
She come alive when she on her last legs
She damned if she will
She damned if she won't
Some of them left in one piece
And some she damn near broke
And I am no stranger to the strange all his ways
What could be stranger than to be stuck outside your cage
She come alive when she dying
She come alive when she dying
She come alive when she on her last legs
She come alive when she dying
She come alive when she on her deathbed
She come alive when she on her deathbed
She come alive when she dying
She come alive when she dying
She come alive when she on her last legs
She come alive when she dying
She come alive when she on her deathbed
She come alive when she on her deathbed
She come alive when she dying
She come alive when she dying
She come alive when she dying
The Kills's Damned If She Do is a haunting and enigmatic song that explores the idea of being judged no matter what choices we make in life. The first two lines - "She damned if she do, She damned if she don't" - speak to the idea that no matter what we do, there will always be someone who thinks we're wrong. The song is likely about a woman who is living her life on her own terms, but is constantly faced with criticism and judgment from those around her.
The second verse - "There's been a perception, Of sweet hearts passing through" - suggests that this woman has had many lovers in her life, some of whom have left her physically injured or emotionally scarred. The line "She come alive when she dying" is repeated throughout the song, and could be interpreted as meaning that this woman feels most alive when she is on the verge of destruction - either physically or emotionally.
The final lines of the song - "She come alive when she dying, She come alive when she dying, She come alive when she dying" - suggest that this woman is constantly in a state of flux, constantly on the brink of something new and uncertain. The song seems to suggest that life is a constant struggle, and that we are all just doing the best we can to survive.
Line by Line Meaning
She damned if she do
No matter what she does, she can't escape the consequences.
She damned if she don't
Even if she does nothing, she'll still be punished.
If history hang hang hangs her well
If her past mistakes define her, she'll be judged harshly.
Her memory won't
But even if people forget her mistakes, she'll still suffer.
There's been a perception
People have judged her based on their own biases and ideas.
Of sweet hearts passing through
People who seemed kind and loving who have crossed her path.
Some of them left no trace at all
Some people had no impact on her life
Some left her black and blue
But some have hurt her deeply.
She come alive when she dying
She feels more alive when she's at her lowest point, perhaps because she has nothing to lose.
She come alive when she on her last legs
She feels more alive when she's close to death, perhaps because she can finally let go of everything.
She damned if she will
Even if she tries to make something good happen, she'll still be judged harshly if it goes wrong.
She damned if she won't
But if she does nothing, she'll still be punished for not taking action.
Some of them left in one piece
Some people left her life without causing harm.
And some she damn near broke
But others hurt her badly.
And I am no stranger to the strange all his ways
The singer understands the unusual and unexplainable, so he can understand her pain.
What could be stranger than to be stuck outside your cage
Being trapped in a situation where you can't escape is strange and terrifying.
She come alive when she on her deathbed
The idea of dying is liberating and exciting for her.
She come alive when she dying
She feels the most alive when she's close to death.
She come alive when she on her last legs
Her vitality grows as she approaches the end of her life.
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Written by: ALISON MOSSHART, JAMES HINCE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind