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.

Honeychain
Throwing Muses Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

My best friend knows this old guy who
Who keeps a picture in his shoe
He takes it out after a spell
Says, see

Shouldn't stare that way so long baby
Stare holes into the walls
My dress hangs here for you to wear out

I walked in beauty too, till I met you

Here hangs this chain
This thing this old girl keeps
We got it easy
So why do you stare that way so long

Stare holes into the walls
We're all honey
Dripping through the honey chain
And lay our lives down

Down and pretty
In the honey chain

Please don't stare that way so hard baby
Stare holes

Overall Meaning

into the walls

The lyrics of "Honeychain" by Throwing Muses are poetic and abstract, creating an atmosphere of mystery and depth. In these lyrics, a story is being told about an old man who carries a picture in his shoe, which he takes out after a while to look at it. The singer suggests that this behavior of staring at the picture can be harmful, as it can lead to obsessiveness and the creation of emotional holes. The singer then switches to talk about how she and someone else have it easy, but they also engage in staring and obsession, represented by the concept of honey dripping through a chain. The song ends with a warning to not stare too hard, to avoid creating emotional or psychological holes.

The lyrics of "Honeychain" are filled with symbolism and leave much room for personal interpretation. The mention of the picture in the shoe can represent hidden desires or secrets, while the idea of the honey chain can be seen as a metaphor for the interconnectedness of human emotions and experiences. The warning against staring too hard can refer to the dangers of fixation and the impact it can have on one's mental health.

Line by Line Meaning

My best friend knows this old guy who
The singer's best friend is acquainted with an elderly man

Who keeps a picture in his shoe
The elderly man keeps a picture in his shoe

He takes it out after a spell
After some time, he takes out the picture from his shoe

Says, see
He shows the picture to the artist

Shouldn't stare that way so long baby
The artist is staring at the picture for too long

Stare holes into the walls
The singer's gaze is so intense that it could burn through walls

My dress hangs here for you to wear out
The singer's dress is hanging there for someone to wear

I walked in beauty too, till I met you
The artist was once beautiful but something has changed since they met someone

Here hangs this chain
A chain is hanging here

This thing this old girl keeps
An old girl keeps this thing

We got it easy
Life is easy for us