The Vindictives are a Chicago-based punk pop group formed in 1990, and were… Read Full Bio ↴The Vindictives are a Chicago-based punk pop group formed in 1990, and were active through 1996. They are peers with Screeching Weasel, The Queers and other bands from the era, they are also heavily-influenced by the Ramones. Joey Vindicitive's characteristic nasal melodies often told the story of alienation, psychosis, social-ills, and contiunally rejected rules of politeness. The lyrics are often intelligent outrages communicated through intentionally immature self defeating soliloquies.

They began their career in 1991, cutting their first 7" record later that year with the lineup of Joey Vindictive (vocals), Johnny Personality (bass), Billy Blastoff (guitar), Dr. Bob (guitar), P.J. Parti (drums) and Erik Elsewhere (drums). The band would end up releasing 12 albums until July of 1996, when Joey Vindictive revealed that his health issues would prevent the band from going on. Luckily for him, he overcame his ailments to re-form the band in 2000, cutting a new album and overseeing the re-release of a significant part of their catalog. Dr. Bob died in 2003 due to a heroin overdose. Their song "The Invisible Man" was featured in the Ubisoft game Watch Dogs, where it attracted attention to restart the band once more in 2013, releasing a new EP titled Mono-Flexi, and to remaster most of their previous songs as Songbooks coming in volumes starting from I to III.

The Vindictives' website is currently down indefinitely.

Bonnie's In The Playpen
The Vindictives Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Bonnie's in the playpen thinking of her weekend,
Wondering, pondering, wondering, pondering,
Why time flies time flies when you're having fun.
Bonnie's in the playpen thinking up a reason,
Wondering, pondering, wondering, pondering,
Why she cannot work at all next week.
Bonnie's in the playpen blaming me to no end,
Ragging and nagging and ragging, and nagging,

About her job, her life, and her selfish friends.
She's a whipping sand in my face and said
That I'm a disgrace she's working hard these days
She'll never change her ways
But that doesn't give her the right to start up a fight so
Get up! Get out!
Bonnie's in the playpen plotting out her revenge

Thinking of ways and thinking of ways
To get time off her job to kick my ass

Overall Meaning

The Vindictives's song Bonnie's In The Playpen is a humorous reflection on the struggles of adult life. The singer, Bonnie, is stuck in a metaphorical playpen, unable to escape the responsibilities and stresses of her everyday life. She spends her time musing over the passing of time and the limitations of her work schedule, all the while blaming the people around her for her problems.

The song speaks to the frustration many adults feel when trying to balance work, relationships, and personal growth, and the difficulty of finding a way to break free from these obligations.

Bonnie's insistence on blaming others and plotting revenge against those who have wronged her underscores the importance of taking responsibility for our own lives and choices. It also highlights the negative impact that bitterness and resentment can have on ourselves and others.

Overall, the song is a witty and relatable commentary on the struggles of modern life, reminding us to find joy in the present and take control of our own destinies.

Line by Line Meaning

Bonnie's in the playpen thinking of her weekend,
Bonnie is daydreaming about the upcoming weekend while being stuck in a confined space.

Wondering, pondering, wondering, pondering,
She is deeply thinking and reflecting on different possibilities and outcomes.

Why time flies time flies when you're having fun.
She is pondering why time passes so quickly when we enjoy ourselves.

Bonnie's in the playpen thinking up a reason,
She is trying to figure out an excuse or justification for not working the following week.

Why she cannot work at all next week.
She is questioning why it is impossible for her to work the coming week.

Bonnie's in the playpen blaming me to no end,
She is venting her frustrations and attributing her problems to me without end.

Ragging and nagging and ragging, and nagging,
She is constantly complaining and irritatingly bringing up the same issues.

About her job, her life, and her selfish friends.
She is expressing her concerns about her work, personal life and the selfish behaviour of her friends.

She's a whipping sand in my face and said
She is a metaphorical source of pain and frustration in the life of the artist.

That I'm a disgrace she's working hard these days
She's insulting the artist by calling them shameful, while emphasizing that she is working hard.

She'll never change her ways
She has no intention of changing her behaviour or attitudes.

But that doesn't give her the right to start up a fight so
Although she is not changing, her troublesome conduct does not excuse her from starting a conflict.

Get up! Get out!
The singer is telling someone, presumably Bonnie, to leave and go away in a forceful and assertive way.

Bonnie's in the playpen plotting out her revenge
She's planning a malicious and vindictive scheme while still trapped in the playpen.

Thinking of ways and thinking of ways
She's contemplating different approaches and methods to carry out her plan.

To get time off her job to kick my ass
She's trying to come up with a strategy to get time off from work to take revenge on the artist.

Contributed by Maria B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS