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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Louis
The Tiger Lillies Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Louis he sells watches a man has got to eat
The watches are legit is Louis' usual claim
The cop he laughs at Louis it's a game
So there among the fish heads Marseille is the town
The cop he cuffs up Louis, Louis going down
Louis knows that crime crime it never pays
But Louis hates the sea and that's his trade
So if it's off to prison he will bare the cost
Fish heads in the gutter Marseille is the town
Louis Louis Louis going down
The lyrics to The Tiger Lillies' song Louis tell a story of a man named Louis who sells watches on the streets of Marseille. A police officer, seeing Louis in the street, confronts him, but Louis claims that his watches are legitimate, even though the cop doesn't believe him. Eventually, the cop arrests Louis and takes him into custody. Louis never wanted to be a criminal, and he knows that crime never pays, but he has no other option due to the fact that he doesn't enjoy fishing like his four brothers who have all died at sea. Louis realizes that if he has to go to prison for what he's done, he will have to pay the price, but he doesn't want to end up like the fish heads that he sees in the gutter.
Line by Line Meaning
A cop he leers at Louis as he sees him in the street
Louis is being watched by a policeman who glares at him while he is standing in the street.
Louis he sells watches a man has got to eat
To make a living, Louis sells wristwatches on the streets.
The watches are legit is Louis' usual claim
Louis claims that his watches are legitimate and not fake.
The cop he laughs at Louis it's a game
The policeman mocks Louis and treats it as a joke.
So there among the fish heads Marseille is the town
The place where Louis is selling watches in the streets is in the fish market of Marseille.
The cop he cuffs up Louis, Louis going down
The policeman arrests Louis and takes him into custody.
Louis knows that crime crime it never pays
Louis acknowledges that crime never brings any benefits, although he sells stolen or fake watches.
But Louis hates the sea and that's his trade
Although his family has been associated with the sea business for generations, Louis despises it, and he is stuck to work as a watch seller.
Four brothers to the sea each one he has lost
Louis has lost all of his four brothers to the sea business as they died while working on it.
So if it's off to prison he will bear the cost
Louis believes that he will end up in jail for his illegal business, but he is willing to face its consequences due to his hatred for the sea.
Fish heads in the gutter Marseille is the town
The streets of Marseille are dirty, and fish heads on the gutters are common.
Louis Louis Louis going down
The chorus indicates that Louis is destined to fail and suffer the consequences of his business practices.
Contributed by Aaliyah E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.