Throwing Muses is a post-punk alternative rock band formed in 1981 in Newpo… Read Full Bio ↴Throwing Muses is a post-punk alternative rock band formed in 1981 in Newport, Rhode Island, United States, that toured and recorded extensively until 1997, when its members began concentrating more on other projects. Originally fronted by two distinctive lead singers, Kristin Hersh and Tanya Donelly, stepsisters who both wrote the group's songs, Donelly left in 1991 to form Belly and, since Throwing Muses reformed in 2003, has guested during concerts and recordings.

Throwing Muses is known for performing music with shifting tempos, creative chord progressions, unorthodox song structures, and surreal lyrics. The group was set apart from other contemporary acts by Hersh's stark, candid writing style; Donelly's pop stylings and vocal harmonies; and David Narcizo's unusual drumming techniques eschewing use of cymbals. Hallucinatory, febrile songs by Hersh occasionally touched on the subject of mental illness, more often drawing portraits of characters from daily life or addressing relationships.

Donelly left the band in 1991 and was a member of The Breeders and Belly, before starting to perform solo. She also contributed vocals to the Throwing Muses self-titled album in 2003. Hersh has also worked solo, and fronts the power trio 50 Foot Wave (which also includes Muses bassist Bernard Georges). Narcizo works in graphic design and has a musical project Lakuna.

In March 2003, Throwing Muses came back with their eighth album, Throwing Muses, which also saw the return of Tanya Donelly who provided backing vocals on the album. A greatest hits compilation titled Anthology was released in 2011. The band's ninth album, Purgatory / Paradise was released on October 29, 2013 in the UK and November 11 in the US. In early 2014, the band toured a few U.S. cities, with Donelly opening for the East Coast dates.

Backroad
Throwing Muses Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

One, two, three, four
How many, many people outside your door?
Two, three, four, five
How many, many people outside?
Four, three, two, one
I don't think you can hold your own
Five, six, seven, eight
I don't think you can save your face

You don't say no
He dunk the backboard
And he sleep on the couch
He jump the backseat
And he sleep on the couch
He drive the backroad,
He drive the backroad
And he sleep
You're a pusher
Spy in a bath
We make us move
Like some kind of bath
Come when you need some

Come when you need some
You're a pusher

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Throwing Muses's song Backroad seemingly contain a series of unrelated phrases when read at face value, but delve deeper into the meaning of the song and one can unearth its true message of exploration and vulnerability. The opening lines of the song pose a question - how many people are outside your door? The repetition of the counting sequence, from one to eight, draws attention to the significance of numbers in our lives, and how they can often hold immense value. The chorus of the song talks about a backroad - a path that is lesser known and one that is taken by those who dare to step out of their comfort zones. The singer of the song is someone who is willing to take the backroad, even if it could potentially lead to danger or uncertainty.

The lyrics are also metaphorical in nature, with references to basketball in the line "He dunk the backboard" and to sleep in lines such as "He sleep on the couch" and "And he sleep". Through these metaphorical references, the song explores notions of power and vulnerability, with the singer seeming to be both a powerful player on the court and yet someone who is also willing to rest and take time off. The song ends on the line "You're a pusher", which could be interpreted in multiple ways. It could mean that the singer is pushing boundaries and exploring new paths, or it could also signify a darker meaning of someone who is pushing drugs or illegal substances.

Line by Line Meaning

One, two, three, four
How many people you can see outside your door?

How many, many people outside your door?
Questioning the amount of people outside someone's door.

Two, three, four, five
Questioning the amount of people outside.

How many, many people outside?
Questioning the amount of people outside.

Four, three, two, one
Indicating a countdown, not sure if the person can handle a challenge.

I don't think you can hold your own
Speculating their lack of ability to do something on their own.

Five, six, seven, eight
Indicating a countdown, not sure if the person can save their own reputation.

I don't think you can save your face
Speculating if one can salvage their own reputation.

You don't say no
Illustrating one's inability to say 'no'.

He dunk the backboard
Someone made an impressive move on a basketball court.

And he sleep on the couch
After such an impressive move, he had to rest on a couch.