The Lemonheads is an American alternative rock band, originally from Boston… Read Full Bio ↴The Lemonheads is an American alternative rock band, originally from Boston, Massachusetts, but now based in New York City. The primary (and only consistent) member is Evan Dando.

The band formed in 1986 as an underground punk rock act. Their popularity grew during the following decade with the 1992 album It's A Shame About Ray, which was produced, engineered, and mixed by The Robb Brothers (Bruce Robb, Dee, and Joe), followed by a cover of Simon and Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson", which eventually became one of the band's most successful singles.

Throughout its various incarnations, recording and touring lineups of the band have included co-founders Ben Deily and Jesse Peretz, John Strohm (Blake Babies), Doug Trachten, Corey Loog Brennan, Byron Hoag, Ben Daughtry, Juliana Hatfield (Blake Babies), Nic Dalton (Godstar, Sneeze, The Plunderers), Dave Ryan, Patrick "Murph" Murphy (Dinosaur Jr), Bill Gibson (Eastern Dark), Mark 'Budola' Newman, Kenny Lyon, Vess Ruhtenberg, Devon Ashley, Karl Alvarez and Bill Stevenson (Descendents), P. David Hazel and various others.

Cited as one of the most important alternative rock groups, The Lemonheads were active until 1997 and went on hiatus, but reformed with a new lineup in 2005 and released The Lemonheads in the following year. The band released its latest album, Varshons, in June 2009.

Layin' Up With Linda
The Lemonheads Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Laying up with Linda, used to be fun
Nobody every paid the rent, there was never anything done
Than, one day I killed her, now I'm on the run
But, living with Linda used to be fun

Living with Linda, she did what I wanted her to do
But, living with Linda wasn't always easy to do
So, one day I killed her, now I'm on the run

But, living with Linda used to be fun

Laying up with Linda, never had responsibility
She was a dancer at night, where I was rock 'n' rolling 'till three
We drank, we never saw the daylight, that was the death of her and me
Then one day I just got bored and killed her, but she used to be fun

Laying up with Linda, we still fuck, fuck
Never had a quarter, everything we owned was in Hawk

Then I got pissed and killed her, so now I'm on the run
But let me tell ya, living with Linda used to be fun

Overall Meaning

The Lemonheads' song "Layin' Up With Linda" tells a story of a man who used to share a carefree, fun-filled existence with a woman named Linda, but ultimately kills her in a fit of boredom. The song is narrated from the perspective of the murderer, who describes Linda as a willing submissive who did everything he wanted her to do. He also highlights their total disregard for responsibility; Linda was a dancer who worked at night, while he played music until early morning. There is an underlying sense of irony throughout the song. The juxtaposition of the upbeat, almost joyful melody with the dark, disturbing lyrics creates a jarring effect, adding to the unsettling nature of the story's climax.

The song's central theme is that of the destructive power of boredom, and how it can negatively impact relationships. The lyrics seem to suggest that the singer reached a point where Linda's company was no longer enough to keep him satisfied, and instead of confronting his feelings, he resorts to violence. The use of the phrase "used to be fun" emphasizes the contrast between the joyful past and the violent, uncertain present.

Line by Line Meaning

Laying up with Linda, used to be fun
Being with Linda was enjoyable in the past

Nobody ever paid the rent, there was never anything done
Living with Linda was carefree and lacked responsibility

Than, one day I killed her, now I'm on the run
The singer murdered Linda and is currently evading justice

But, living with Linda used to be fun
Despite the current situation, the artist reminisces about the enjoyable times spent with Linda

Living with Linda, she did what I wanted her to do
The artist was able to control Linda in their living situation

But, living with Linda wasn't always easy to do
Even though the singer was able to have their way with Linda, it was not always easy to live with her

So, one day I killed her, now I'm on the run
The singer refers again to the murder and their current situation

Laying up with Linda, never had responsibility
The artist highlights the lack of responsibility in their relationship with Linda

She was a dancer at night, where I was rock 'n' rolling 'till three
Linda worked as a dancer at night, while the artist stayed up late playing music

We drank, we never saw the daylight, that was the death of her and me
The artist blames their excessive drinking and nocturnal lifestyle for the demise of their relationship with Linda

Then one day I just got bored and killed her, but she used to be fun
The singer admits to killing Linda out of boredom, but still fondly recalls the enjoyable times they had together

Laying up with Linda, we still fuck, fuck
The artist reveals that they continued to engage in sexual activity with Linda

Never had a quarter, everything we owned was in Hawk
The singer was broke and in a state of financial desperation

Then I got pissed and killed her, so now I'm on the run
The singer expresses anger as the motive for Linda's murder

But let me tell ya, living with Linda used to be fun
The singer reiterates that despite the tragedy, they still look back on their time with Linda as enjoyable

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