The Kills is an alternative rock duo formed by American vocalist Alison "VV… Read Full Bio ↴The Kills is an alternative rock duo formed by American vocalist Alison "VV" Mosshart and British guitarist Jamie "Hotel" Hince that rose to public recognition at the dawn of the hype surrounding the genre's explosion of the early 2000s. Mosshart had been in the Florida punk band Discount and Hince in British rock band Scarfo. When these groups disbanded, the duo, who first met when Mosshart heard Hince practicing in the hotel room above hers, struck up a songwriting partnership. For months, the pair air mailed work tapes across the Atlantic; after this proved to test the patience of both artists, as it took days or weeks to get each others tapes, Mosshart upped sticks from her Florida home to fly to London.

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.

Hook and Line
The Kills Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

[Chorus: ]
With your hook and line, I still blow away
With your hook and line, I still blow away
With your hook and line, I still blow away
With your hook and line, I still blow away

Try your best in your heavy shape
Keep it quiet, keep it cool

Lipstick letters and souvenirs
Make a mockery of your fears

[Chorus: ]

Try your best to make it matter
Tattoo it in the clouds above you
Nail it down with jealous bones
'Til it goes like a feather off on its own

[Chorus: ]

A pawn
A shove
An eerie love
A whip
A crack
You won't come back

[Chorus: Repeat]

Overall Meaning

The Kills' song Hook and Line is a song that talks about a person's inability to let go of someone they care for, even though the relationship is not healthy. The chorus repeats multiple times, stating that even though the person has been hooked with a line by their significant other, they still feel like they're being blown away. The first verse is sung to the person who has been hooked. It tells them to keep calm and keep all the love letters and souvenirs the love of their life has given to them, even if they just make a mockery of their fears. The verse is a reminder that even though the relationship is filled with uncertainty, they should still hold on to their memories and not let go of them easily.

The second verse is sung to the person who is doing the hooking. It tells them to try their best to make their relationship with the other person matter. To tattoo it in the clouds above them and to nail it down with jealous bones, so they can hold onto that relationship for as long as possible. It's a reminder that the person who is doing the hooking is just as uncertain about the relationship, so they need to do their best to make it work. The last verse is an acceptance of the fact that the relationship is not healthy, and that the person who is being hooked is just a pawn. They are being shoved around by the person who is doing the hooking. Their love is like a whip that cracks and ultimately won't last.

Line by Line Meaning

With your hook and line, I still blow away
Despite your attempts to capture me, I remain free and unaffected.

Try your best in your heavy shape
Do your utmost, although you may feel weighed down.

Keep it quiet, keep it cool
Remain calm and collected.

Lipstick letters and souvenirs
Sentimental items and intimate messages.

Make a mockery of your fears
Laugh at your own anxieties and vulnerabilities.

Try your best to make it matter
Do everything you can to ensure it counts.

Tattoo it in the clouds above you
Permanently etch it into your memory, just like a tattoo.

Nail it down with jealous bones
Hold on to it tightly, perhaps even with a sense of possessiveness.

'Til it goes like a feather off on its own
Until it breaks free and flies away, taking on a life of its own.

A pawn
A person who is being used or manipulated by someone else.

A shove
An act of force or aggression.