The Legendary Pink Dots are a Netherlands-based band formed in August 1980 … Read Full Bio ↴The Legendary Pink Dots are a Netherlands-based band formed in August 1980 in the UK who, although distinctly underground, have been musically influential over the years. The band name was derived from pink dots of nail varnish on the piano in their squat, where founding members Edward and April lived. The band has as its focal point vocalist Edward Ka-Spel, who is, along with Phil "The Silverman" Knight, one of the original remaining members of the band. In the mid eighties the band resettled in the Netherlands, where they still reside today. Apart from Edward and Phil, the line-up has gone through many changes. Members such as Ryan Moore, a Canadian bass player, who joined in 1991 after the recordings of the Last Man to Fly with the Tear Garden (he joined as a session musician), went on to form their own labels and musical projects. See Twilight Circus and M Records. Their music is nothing if not original and it is difficult to categorise, but comparisons may be drawn with bands like Pink Floyd and Can.

Their sound has been described as an amalgamation of psychedelic rock, industrial, synth-pop and avant-garde. They have released over 40 records and continuously tour the world.

Members of the band have also collaborated with Nurse With Wound, The Dresden Dolls, Jarboe, HNAS, Jim O'Rourke, Skinny Puppy's cEvin Key, forming The Tear Garden. Ka Spel accompanied Skinny Puppy for a small part of their 1988 European 'Head Trauma' tour in Sweden. Key also appears on the 1994 album 9 Lives to Wonder.

Defeated
The Legendary Pink Dots Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Crazy Carrie pulled the blinds and fed the lions and read the lines that skipped across the page and sent her dizzy, dozy. Does she care? Does he? The answer's 'NO!' It's always 'NO'. There's no escape, no secret doors. There's nowhere she can hide. No way. You're finished, fated, defeated. She stumbled through the cafe doors, down on all fours to loud applause - ordered a meat mandrax + a belladonna squash to quash the pain. There's a difference at Madonna's that will carry you away. It carried her away, it made her day, they pumped her dry; they wiped her eyes. She just survived and she can prove it with her bracelet. At least the money wasn't wasted. Not wasted. But she's defeated. Still defeated. Nowhere to hide. Still defeated.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of The Legendary Pink Dots' song Defeated convey a sense of hopelessness and defeatism, exemplified by Crazy Carrie's futile attempts to escape her troubles. The opening line, "Crazy Carrie pulled the blinds and fed the lions," suggests a retreat from the external world, a desire to shut out all that is too much to handle. However, the "lines that skipped across the page" suggest a chaotic internal world that is equally difficult to navigate. The line "There's no escape, no secret doors" solidifies the sense that there is no way out of this state of defeat. Carrie's brief respite - ordering a "meat mandrax + a belladonna squash to quash the pain" - underscores the futility of her actions. Yet the line "At least the money wasn't wasted" shows a small glimmer of hope, perhaps that there is some meaningful action that Carrie can take, even if it is simply to make wise financial decisions.

Line by Line Meaning

Crazy Carrie pulled the blinds and fed the lions and read the lines that skipped across the page and sent her dizzy, dozy.
Carrie felt disconnected from reality and immersed herself in reading random things to escape from her problems.

Does she care? Does he? The answer's 'NO!' It's always 'NO'.
People around Carrie are indifferent to her struggles and her pain, and there's no one to care for her.

There's no escape, no secret doors. There's nowhere she can hide. No way.
Carrie feels trapped with no way out of her current state of mind and no place to seek refuge or solace.

You're finished, fated, defeated.
Despite her efforts, Carrie feels that she has lost the battle against her problems and is defeated.

She stumbled through the cafe doors, down on all fours to loud applause - ordered a meat mandrax + a belladonna squash to quash the pain.
Carrie resorts to drugs in order to numb her pain and forget her problems, but receives applause for her entertaining behavior instead of help.

There's a difference at Madonna's that will carry you away. It carried her away, it made her day, they pumped her dry; they wiped her eyes.
Madonna's (a reference to a bar/club) offers an escape from reality for Carrie, but it drains her emotionally and leaves her feeling empty, even though she enjoys it in the moment.

She just survived and she can prove it with her bracelet. At least the money wasn't wasted. Not wasted.
Carrie manages to survive and has a memento to prove it, but the cost of her struggle is high, and she's left with nothing but a trinket to show for it.

But she's defeated. Still defeated. Nowhere to hide. Still defeated.
Despite her efforts to escape and survive, Carrie is still defeated, with nowhere to hide from her problems and nowhere to turn for help.

Contributed by Riley R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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