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.
Call Me
Throwing Muses Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can't love nothing
I mate, kill
You wake up and it's not morning
I can't sleep, I loved you once
I loved you so muchÂ
There's a shape on the horizon
Something's gone
Something's overÂ
Move your hand again
I can't watch you wash
The floor
You live for the green
I hold your flame
So why?Â
There's a shape over the ocean
As we're picked off one by one
Summer's gone
Summer's over
Somebody here's too smart
There's nothing that doesn't die
Why don't you do to my insight
What you do to my insides?
Oh, babe
I'm in a deep hole
I've dug myself five feet deep
So many people want to talk
They look in the mirror, see themselves
They look in the mirror, they look at me,Â
They look at me
They look at me, oh-oh-oh
Something's gone
Something's over
Peter said
"Thanks for letting me hold you
Calling me moonshine
I can take you there and call you that"
This is your nameÂ
I'm lonely at night
Time on my hands
I feel sad in the day
Call me
Call me
Call me
Nobody knows
Home or away
What I'm waiting for
Call me
Call me
Call meÂ
Here I am
What a loser
Waiting for years to go by
Call me
Call me
Call meÂ
The lyrics to Throwing Muses's song "Call Me" express a sense of desperation and loneliness. The first verse begins with the line "Read the stop signs," which can be interpreted as a warning to the listener to pay attention to the signs that indicate that something is wrong. The next lines, "I can't love nothing / I mate, kill," suggest that the singer is unable to sustain a relationship and can only destroy what they love. The third line, "You wake up and it's not morning," adds to the sense of confusion and instability the singer is feeling.
The chorus contains the repeated phrase "Something's gone / Something's over," indicating that the singer is aware that something has ended but is unsure of what it is. The second verse introduces a new element with the line "Move your hand again / I can't watch you wash / The floor," which may indicate a sense of frustration and helplessness. The next line, "You live for the green," suggests that the person the singer is addressing is focused on material possessions rather than emotional connection.
The bridge contains the lines "Somebody here's too smart / There's nothing that doesn't die / Why don't you do to my insight / What you do to my insides?" which suggest that the singer is struggling to keep up with someone who is intellectually superior. The final verse introduces the character Peter, who says "Thanks for letting me hold you / Calling me moonshine," which may indicate that the singer is seeking comfort from anyone who will give it. The song ends with the repeated plea to "Call me," indicating that the singer is desperate for connection and companionship.
Line by Line Meaning
Read the stop signs
Be aware of what's happening around you
I can't love nothing
I can't love something that doesn't exist
I mate, kill
I make connections but then destroy them
You wake up and it's not morning
You expect something but get something else
I can't sleep, I loved you once
I still have feelings for you even if I can't act on them
I loved you so much
I had strong emotions for you in the past
There's a shape on the horizon
There's something in the distance that's not clear yet
As we're picked off one by one
We're slowly losing each other
Something's gone
Something we had is not there anymore
Something's over
Our relationship or connection is over
Move your hand again
I'm distracted by you even when you're doing something simple like washing the floor
I can't watch you wash
I can't focus on anything else when you're around
You live for the green
You're only motivated by money
I hold your flame
I protect and care for you
So why?
But for what reason?
There's a shape over the ocean
There's something in the future that's not clear yet
Summer's gone
A season of happiness is over
Summer's over
A time of happiness is gone
Somebody here's too smart
Somebody is overthinking things
There's nothing that doesn't die
Everything has an expiration date
Why don't you do to my insight
Why don't you listen to my opinion?
What you do to my insides?
Why don't you pay attention to my emotional state?
Oh, babe
Oh, my dear
I'm in a deep hole
I'm in a tough situation
I've dug myself five feet deep
I've made things worse for myself
So many people want to talk
So many people have an opinion
They look in the mirror, see themselves
They only care about their own interests
They look in the mirror, they look at me,
They only see me as a reflection of their own thoughts
They look at me, oh-oh-oh
They only see me as a means to confirm their own beliefs
Peter said
Someone named Peter said...
"Thanks for letting me hold you
"Thank you for letting me get close to you...
Calling me moonshine
A term of endearment
I can take you there and call you that"
"I can bring you happiness and call you that name you like"
This is your name
This is how you identify or want to be called
I'm lonely at night
I'm alone and unhappy at night
Time on my hands
I don't have anything to do or focus on
I feel sad in the day
I'm unhappy during the day too
Call me
Reach out to me
Call me
Get in touch with me
Call me
Contact me
Nobody knows
Nobody understands
Home or away
In any location
What I'm waiting for
What I'm hoping will happen
Here I am
I'm still here
What a loser
I feel like a failure
Waiting for years to go by
I'm waiting for time to pass as a solution
Lyrics © HEYDAY MEDIA GROUP LLC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lucia
Read the stop signs
I can't love nothing
I mate, kill
You wake up and it's not morning
I can't sleep, I loved you once
I loved you so much
There's a shape on the horizon
As we're picked off one by one
Something's gone
Something's over
Move your hand again
I can't watch you wash
The floor
You live for the green
I hold your flame
So why?
There's a shape over the ocean
As we're picked off one by one
Summer's gone
Summer's over
Somebody here's too smart
There's nothing that doesn't die
Why don't you do to my insight
What you do to my insides?
Oh, babe
I'm in a deep hole
I've dug myself five feet deep
So many people want to talk
They look in the mirror, see themselves
They look in the mirror, they look at me
They look at me
They look at me, oh-oh-oh
Something's gone
Something's over
Peter said
"Thanks for letting me hold you"
Calling me Moonshine
I just said, "You let him call you that?
This is your name!"
I'm lonely at night
Time on my hands
I feel sad in the day
Call me
Call me
Call me
Nobody knows
Home or away
What I'm waiting for
Call me
Call me
Call me
Here I am
What a loser
Waiting for years to go by
Call me
Call me
Call me
Anya Krasko
i am often late for good bands, sometimes for months, sometimes for years and now i guess for 2 decades. but i am glad i found them. such brilliant lyrics and a crazy rhythm here, can't ask for more.
Anya Krasko
Jonas King thanks for head ups, gonna check it out
marko galetin
3 decades?
Violetsmilexo
Brings me right back to 1987. It's amazing how music can put you right there, where you used to be. This is one of the absolute best albums of all time. God, I loved them so....
starlaeuropa
Dark and beautiful at the same time - there's certainly nobody out there like Kristin Hersch! We even named our daughter after her!
thesovgc
Hersh *
Holden Bobolden
@thesovgc imagine they spelled their daughter's name wrong
Mark Stephens
God what an album this is! These songs have been with me for 30 years.
Sean Burzic
one of the best debut albums..so special and original..one of my favourite!
DJ Well Dressed Man
I was lucky to be in Boston when the Throwing Muses, Pixies, Belly, The Zulus, Galaxie 500 got going and this album still sounds as solid as it did then. First heard it on WFNX before Max drove the bus off the cliff. WZBC and WUNH still sound amazing in 2013 as the late 1980's, great stations and all on the web.