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.

Graffiti
Throwing Muses Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I see the sun rise over this wall,
I watch it break and slide,
See my name

See my name on the wall
I tried to walk on this wall
It fell right under my feet,

Now I only lean
Only lean on the wall
I throw an egg at this wall

I watch it break and slide,

See my name
See my name on the wall

Overall Meaning

In Throwing Muses' song Graffiti, the lyrics suggest a sense of detachment from the singer's surroundings. The wall symbolizes a physical, emotional, and psychological barrier that separates the singer from the rest of society, as they watch the sun rise over it with a sense of detachment. The first two lines have inviting imagery, with the sun rising, but then the narrative shifts to a more cynical tone as the singer sees their name on the wall.

Throughout the song, the singer tries to break free from the wall's barrier, but it keeps collapsing underneath them. The egg thrown at the wall symbolizes an act of rebellion, albeit an ineffectual one. Overall, the song's melancholy describes the isolation many individuals experience in a society that often feels indifferent to them.

Line by Line Meaning

I see the sun rise over this wall,
I observe the sun ascending above this barrier,

I watch it break and slide,
I witness it fragment and slither,

See my name
I spot my name imprinted,

See my name on the wall
I admire my name inscribed on the wall

I tried to walk on this wall
I attempted to stride on this wall

It fell right under my feet,
It crumbled precisely under my feet,

Now I only lean
Now, I merely prop myself

Only lean on the wall
Only rely on the wall for support

I throw an egg at this wall
I cast an egg towards this wall

Lyrics © HEYDAY MEDIA GROUP LLC
Written by: Kristin Hersh

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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