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)
https://facebook.com/TheTigerliliesUSA/
https://myspace.com/tigerliliesusa
Violet
The Tiger Lillies Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She said she was angry with me,
She said she was coming round my house to murder me.
She had a big knife,
She wanted to stick it in me.
I took out a baseball bat,
Now it's her that's dead, not me.
And the judge brings down his hammer,
There's a black hat on his head.
They're going to take me from here
And hang me 'till I'm dead.
I'm sitting here on death-row
Hoping they might pardon me,
Or they're going to take me from here
And hang me on Tuesday.
Hang me on Tuesday, they're going to hang me on Tuesday
Hang me on Tuesday, they're going to hang me on Tuesday
Hang me on Tuesday, they're going to hang me on Tuesday
Violet's mum, she found a note.
And the note, the note it said,
That violet was coming round my house,
And she wanted me dead.
Well this is my tragedy,
It's a tragedy for me.
They found the note on Wednesday
And they hung me on Tuesday.
So now I'm up in Heaven,
The noose is still around my neck,
That Violet Harrison was a right pain in the neck,
They hung me on Tuesday
They hung me on Tuesday
They hung me on Tuesday
They hung me on Tuesday
They hung me on Tuesday
They hung me on Tuesday
They hung me on Tuesday
The Tiger Lillies’s song Violet tells the twisted tale of a man who is targeted for murder by a woman named Violet. In the opening lines, the singer claims that Violet has expressed her anger towards him and even threatens to murder him. Violet plans to do so with a big knife, and this confrontation then leads the singer to arm himself with a baseball bat. The singer ends up killing Violet, but the repercussions of this violent incident prove to be deadly for him. He is sentenced to death, and when the judge brings down his hammer, the singer knows that his time is up. As he awaits his execution on death-row, he hopes for a pardon, but eventually, his fate is sealed. The hanging is scheduled for Tuesday, and come what may; he will meet his end.
The song thus uses vividly violent and disturbing lyrics to depict a tale of murder, fear, and retribution. As the singer goes about his daily life, he subconsciously fears the worst, which reflects the haunting quality of living with violence. The lyrics also take a satirical turn as the singer goes through the legal proceedings, casting a damning eye on the justice system present at that time. The song explores themes of fear, revenge, and the finality of death.
Line by Line Meaning
Violet said she was angry,
Violet expressed that she was filled with anger.
She said she was angry with me,
She specifically directed her anger towards me.
She said she was coming round my house to murder me.
She declared her intention to commit murder at my residence.
She had a big knife,
Violet possessed a weapon of considerable size.
She wanted to stick it in me.
Her plan was to use the aforementioned weapon to harm me physically.
I took out a baseball bat,
As a form of defense or retaliation, I produced a baseball bat.
Now it's her that's dead, not me.
As a result of the altercation, Violet is the one who lost her life, not me.
And the judge brings down his hammer,
The judge presiding over my trial is about to deliver a verdict.
There's a black hat on his head.
The judge is wearing a black hat, which may carry cultural or symbolic significance.
They're going to take me from here
The authorities will soon take me away from my current location.
And hang me 'till I'm dead.
I will suffer capital punishment by being hanged.
I'm sitting here on death-row
My current location is death-row, a cell for inmates sentenced to death.
Hoping they might pardon me,
I am hoping for clemency or a pardon from my sentence.
Or they're going to take me from here
If I don't receive clemency, then the authorities will still carry out my sentence.
And hang me on Tuesday.
The day scheduled for my execution is Tuesday.
Violet's mum, she found a note.
Violet's mother discovered a written message.
And the note, the note it said,
The contents of this message are about to be revealed.
That violet was coming round my house,
The note revealed that Violet intended to visit my home.
And she wanted me dead.
The note stated that Violet harbored the intention of killing me.
Well this is my tragedy,
The present situation has turned out to be a tragedy for me.
It's a tragedy for me.
This statement is repeated for emphasis on the severity of the situation.
They found the note on Wednesday
The authorities discovered the message one day after it was written.
And they hung me on Tuesday.
Despite the discovery of the message, I was still sentenced to death by Tuesday.
So now I'm up in Heaven,
The artist implies that they have passed away and gone to heaven.
The noose is still around my neck,
Despite being dead, the physical evidence of their hanging still remains.
That Violet Harrison was a right pain in the neck,
The singer identifies Violet as a thorn in their side or a nuisance.
They hung me on Tuesday
The repetition of this phrase serves as a refrain or repeating motif.
They hung me on Tuesday
This repetition continues to emphasize the artist's fate and the injustice they perceive in it.
They hung me on Tuesday
The final repetition leads to a sense of finality and closure for the song.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind