Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain once described Kelly and McKee as his "most favorite songwriters in the whole world".
The band released two singles, "Son of a Gun" and "Dying for It", prior to releasing an album. In 1989 they released their only album, Dum Dum, on the record label Rough Trade. Following the closing of the record label 53rd and 3rd, which they had originally signed to, the band broke up in 1990. However, they reunited later that year to open for Nirvana when they played in Edinburgh.
Though they were not widely known when the band existed, covers of their songs by Nirvana and Kurt Cobain's tendency to mention them as an influence brought exposure to the band. With their songs "Son of a Gun" and "Molly's Lips" covered on Nirvana's album Incesticide and "Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam" covered as "Jesus Doesn't Want Me for a Sunbeam" on MTV Unplugged in New York, the band gained a new audience from people who wanted to discover the bands that influenced Cobain (a similar situation happened to the band The Meat Puppets). Due to this new exposure, in 1992 Sub Pop released The Way of the Vaselines: A Complete History, a compilation that contained The Vaselines' entire body of work on one album.
No longer together, members of the band moved on to new bands. Kelly went on to found the band Captain America (later renamed Eugenius). He currently performs solo. McKee founded the band Suckle and released her first solo album, Sunny Moon, in 2006.
In 2008, the band reformed and began to make sporadic appearences at festivals in the United Kingdom and the United States and various tours supporting Belle and Sebastian. The band will perform at the Belle and Sebastian's second Bowlie Weekender festival in December 2010.
In 2010, the band announced they would release their second album "Sex With An X" on September 14, 2010 on Sub Pop Records.
Bitch
The Vaselines Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm a twisted witch
I'll screw you around
When you're feeling down
I wander around with my nose in the air
I bug all these losers, but I don't care
They might think they're better than me
I've been around, I've done all I can
I'll mess you up bad; I'll even steal your man
I've tried too hard, been pushed too long
Gonna put all you men where you belong
The Vaselines's song "Bitch" is a rebellious and edgy song that centers around an unapologetic woman who is proud to be different and unafraid to push boundaries. The opening line, "I'm a real bitch, I'm a twisted witch," sets the tone for the rest of the song, making it clear that this woman is not interested in adhering to societal norms or expectations of how women should behave. She revels in her power and will gladly manipulate and play with those who cross her.
The character being described in "Bitch" is seemingly someone who has been mistreated and underestimated by others, but who refuses to back down or be intimidated. She takes pleasure in disrupting the lives of those who look down on her, declaring confidently that she's "gonna make them history." The lyrics suggest that she has struggled and fought to get where she is, and she's not about to let anyone take her down.
Overall, the message of "Bitch" is one of defiance and self-empowerment. The character being portrayed here is complex and multifaceted, embodying both strength and vulnerability. The song is a celebration of all the women who refuse to be silenced or held back, and who are unafraid to be true to themselves even when it means going against the norm.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm a real bitch
I am an unpleasant and difficult person to deal with.
I'm a twisted witch
I am deceitful and wicked in my actions.
I'll screw you around
I will manipulate and mistreat you.
When you're feeling down
Especially when you are vulnerable.
I wander around with my nose in the air
I am haughty and supercilious in my demeanor.
I bug all these losers, but I don't care
I torment and annoy these inferior people, while remaining indifferent to their struggles.
They might think they're better than me
They could be under the impression that they are superior to me.
But I'm gonna make them history
I will ensure that they are forgotten and discarded like the irrelevant dust of the past.
I've been around, I've done all I can
I have experienced and achieved all that I possibly could.
I'll mess you up bad; I'll even steal your man
I will inflict serious harm upon you and might even take away your romantic partner.
I've tried too hard, been pushed too long
I have exerted myself excessively and tirelessly as well as been provoked endlessly.
Gonna put all you men where you belong
I will establish and enforce the proper hierarchical positions of all you males.
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: EUGENE KELLY, FRANCES MCKEE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind