Currently Martyn Jacques, Adrian Stout, Adrian Huge (Past member Phil Butcher)
Their surreal style has been described as dark, darkly humorous, strangely humorous, Brechtian, and gypsy cabaret. They are also notorious for singing controversial songs involving bestiality, prostitution and blasphemy.
The Tiger Lillies were originally buskers, playing songs about the criminals, pimps and whores of Soho, London, England. Over time, the band became involved in several theatrical productions around the world, including the critically acclaimed Shockheaded Peter. Known for their intense, outlandish, and dark performances, they have garnered both controversy and critical acclaim.
Also "The Tiger Lillies", "The Tigerlilies" and "The Tigerlillies" may refer to Indie rock band from Cincinnati, Ohio that formed in 1989.
Bio:
Cincinnati's power pop stalwarts the Tigerlillies formed in 1989 and set out to fuse glam rock, roots rock, and post-punk into an aesthetic they called "More Pop than Jesus." Led by vocalist/guitarist Pat Hennessy, the band also included former members of the Chrome Cranks, the Candy Snatchers, and G.G. Allin & the Murder Junkies before settling on the lineup of Hennessy, guitarist/vocalist William Weber, bassist Brian Driscoll, and drummer/vocalist Steve Hennessy.
Discography:
Deep (1992)
Space Age Love Songs (1997)
Ceci N'est Ces Pop (2003)
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Blood Alley
The Tiger Lillies Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
More evil than a grinning clown
More evil than the harbour in Shanghai
In which the suicides do drown
Blood Alley you won't be tripping down it
In opium dreams you'll be damned
In blood alley with another set of dreamers
And we can only watch as time passes
See the young ones getting old
The drinkers and the rebels and the junkies
So now your warm heart is going cold
We're drunk, the cold bites like a bulldog
At the market they're singing bags of bones
The sausages are sizzling with the onions
in your grave you're just skin and bones
The strange girl who sings like Marlene Dietrich
Shall we murder those young groupie girls?
The trannies twitch and dream of young men
The street girls dream of diamonds and pearls
The harmonium is no longer wheezing
The celeste is rusting in the rain
Anna who's son died at the market
And left her bereft and in pain
Another alchy's kidneys have malfunctioned
In the gutter now he does lie
Your penny whistle blows down this lonely street
On Blood Alley I say goodbye
The Tiger Lillies's song Blood Alley is a dark and haunting portrayal of the seedy underbelly of society. The first verse opens with the imagery of cancer as a metaphor for the insidious nature of evil. The line "More evil than a grinning clown" is a reference to the traditional role of clowns as figures of amusement and entertainment, but also fear and horror. The comparison to the harbour in Shanghai where suicides drown further emphasizes the darkness and despair that is pervasive in the song.
The chorus, "Blood Alley you won't be tripping down it / In opium dreams you'll be damned / In blood alley with another set of dreamers / Vertinsky sings and no one gives a damn" emphasizes the idea that the only escape from the bleak reality of Blood Alley is through drugs and dreams. The reference to Vertinsky, a Ukrainian singer who rose to fame in the early 20th century, adds a historical and cultural dimension to the song's themes of mortality and despair.
The subsequent verses continue to explore the lives of the denizens of Blood Alley, including the drinkers, rebels, and junkies who are all slowly dying. The imagery of the cold biting like a bulldog and the sizzling sausages all add to the bleak and oppressive atmosphere. The song's final verse highlights the futility of trying to escape death in the midst of this world of decay and desperation, as represented by the alchy whose kidneys have failed and the lonely figure of the penny whistle player.
Overall, Blood Alley is a haunting and evocative meditation on mortality and the darker aspects of human existence.
Line by Line Meaning
The cancers got it's grip upon you
You're consumed by an evil force that's like a deadly cancer.
More evil than a grinning clown
The force that's taken over you is more sinister and dangerous than a clown who's role is to entertain but can also evoke fear.
More evil than the harbour in Shanghai
The force that's taken over you is more malevolent than the treacherous waters of the Shanghai harbor where people have committed suicide.
In which the suicides do drown
People have drowned in the Shanghai harbor due to its danger and ominous presence.
Blood Alley you won't be tripping down it
You won't be taking the dangerous path of Blood Alley to get your fix.
In opium dreams you'll be damned
You'll be lost in the damnation of opium dreams.
In blood alley with another set of dreamers
You're accompanied by other dreamers in the dangerous path of Blood Alley.
Vertinsky sings and no one gives a damn
The singer Vertinsky sings in Blood Alley where no one cares about anything or anyone.
And we can only watch as time passes
We're powerless to stop the passage of time.
See the young ones getting old
The young people are growing old and experiencing the inevitable changes of time.
The drinkers and the rebels and the junkies
Those who drink, rebel, and are addicted to drugs.
So now your warm heart is going cold
You're losing your compassion and becoming colder inside.
We're drunk, the cold bites like a bulldog
We're intoxicated and the freezing weather is unbearable.
At the market they're singing bags of bones
People at the marketplace are singing about death and decay.
The sausages are sizzling with the onions
Food is still being cooked and consumed despite the darkness that looms over everything.
In your grave you're just skin and bones
When you're dead, all that's left are your bones.
The strange girl who sings like Marlene Dietrich
There's a girl who sings who resembles Marlene Dietrich, but seems out of place in this dark alley.
Shall we murder those young groupie girls?
Should we kill those young fans who blindly follow and idolize us?
The trannies twitch and dream of young men
Transgender people are struggling and dreaming of acceptance and finding love.
The street girls dream of diamonds and pearls
Prostitutes dream of a better life, free from exploitation and poverty.
The harmonium is no longer wheezing
The harmonium, once an instrument of music, is now silent and still.
The celeste is rusting in the rain
The celeste, once beautiful and shining, is now corroded and damaged from the rain.
Anna who's son died at the market
Anna tragically lost her son at the marketplace.
And left her bereft and in pain
She's feeling deep sadness and emotional pain due to the loss of her son.
Another alchy's kidneys have malfunctioned
Another alcoholic has developed kidney problems due to their drinking.
In the gutter now he does lie
The alcoholic has ended up on the street in a state of desperation and despair.
Your penny whistle blows down this lonely street
Your music echoes down the lonely and forgotten street of Blood Alley.
On Blood Alley I say goodbye
This is the farewell to Blood Alley, a place of darkness, despair, and pain.
Contributed by Samantha L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.