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.

Giant
Throwing Muses Lyrics

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Hold the man up to your hands
Old hands
Make the man work again
Giant can
Giant can get high again
Hold again or hurt
You will walk to the front and be blessed
Make my bones shiver again

Trust it again
Make my bones work

Giant can I
Giant can get high again
I can't hold your head with both hands burned
You will walk to the front and be blessed again
One bed to sweat too scared to
So unsettling
One bed to sweat too scared too tired
One bed to sweat too scared to
So I'm settling in
One bed to sweat too scared to
Grieve

Giant can
Giant can look down look down
Too small to look down to
Too small to look down look down

Just one time not to trip
Just once not to trip

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Throwing Muses’ song “Giant” are cryptic, painting enigmatic images of a giant and the people around them. The song’s opening lines seem to be about holding someone up, making them work again, and holding them again. The next lines suggest that this person, the “giant,” can get high again but they may also hurt you. The next verse invokes the idea of walking to the front and being blessed, while the following verse speaks of making bones shiver and work.

As the song progresses, the imagery becomes increasingly surreal. In the second half of the song, the lyric seems to describe a small person looking up at a giant, in awe of their size and power. The lyrics suggest that this person is scared, tired, and reluctant to grieve. They’re looking for some sort of comfort or reprieve, perhaps from the giant. In the final lines, the lyrics evoke the idea of tripping, suggesting that the singer wants to avoid making an error or having an accident.

Despite the song’s enigmatic lyrics, it’s clear that it’s about power and how it can be both alluring and intimidating. The contrast between the giant and the small person looking up at them emphasizes this dynamic. The song’s melody and instrumentation, with its haunting guitars and discordant harmonies, adds a layer of otherworldliness and unease to the lyrics.

Line by Line Meaning

Hold the man up to your hands
Lift the man up and offer him support

Old hands
Hands well accustomed to supporting others

Make the man work again
Help the man find purpose and meaning through work

Giant can
The giant has the power to

Giant can get high again
The giant can once again experience a sense of liberation

Hold again or hurt
Offer help or inflict pain

You will walk to the front and be blessed
You will receive recognition and honor

Make my bones shiver again
Provide a sense of excitement and thrill

Trust it again
Regain faith and hope

Make my bones work
Provide an opportunity to be active and productive

Giant can I
Can I experience the power of the giant?