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.
Hook In Her Head
Throwing Muses Lyrics
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Spend my time
I guess I'll have to unhook those hooks
This woman literally
Felt she had a hook in her head
Rip it up Live it down
Make it big
Shake it off
Take him off
Take it off
Do him good
Keep it up
Shake it off
He's a fucking drag,
But if you don't then you watch him go
If you can you see it home,
You be strong
And when you die it's a shame
But you old life stays the same
She has a hook in her head
I saw this lady close her eyes
The bottle slipped between her fingers
And slid along the aisle
If I were a man I'd have a gun,
But I'm so bone tired
I'm so bone tired, I'm old
I watch the snow make slow time
I watch the snow cover up the bottle
So I can slip between
I will read the label from underneath
I wear the circle in my sleep
The lyrics of Throwing Muses's Hook In Her Head portray a theme of desperation and an attempt to break free from perceived psychological hooks. The chorus of the song features the phrase "certain things I love, spend my time, I guess I'll have to unhook those hooks" which suggests that the singer's love of certain things is causing them to feel trapped or restricted. This is reinforced by the repetition of various commands such as "shake it off" and "take him off" which can be interpreted as the singer attempting to rid themselves of these limiting hooks.
The singer's struggles with these hooks are further exacerbated by external factors, such as the man referenced in the lyrics who is described as a "fucking drag". There is a sense of anger and exhaustion that permeates through the lyrics, particularly evident in the line "if I were a man I'd have a gun, but I'm so bone tired". The singer's sense of entrapment is mirrored in the image of the woman with a hook in her head, and the subsequent lines that describe her dropping a bottle and the snow covering it up contribute to the overall sense of despair.
In conclusion, Throwing Muses's Hook In Her Head is a song that explores the theme of psychological entrapment and the singer's attempt to break free from their perceived limitations.
Line by Line Meaning
Certain things I love, Spend my time
The singer enjoys certain things and spends time on them.
I guess I'll have to unhook those hooks This woman literally
The singer plans to remove something that has a hold on them, possibly referring to a metaphorical hook while referencing an actual woman.
Felt she had a hook in her head Rip it up Live it down Make it big Keep it clean
The woman the singer is referencing felt like she had something weighing her down and wants to remove it. The singer gives advice to the woman to overcome whatever is holding her back.
Shake it off Take him off Take it off Do him good
The artist is encouraging someone to shake off whatever is bothering them and possibly remove someone from their life for their own well-being.
Keep it up Shake it off He's a fucking drag, But if you don't then you watch him go
The artist is advising someone to keep going and push through obstacles. They acknowledge that someone might be holding them back, but if they don't separate themselves, they'll be left behind.
If you can you see it home, You be strong And when you die it's a shame But you old life stays the same
The singer is suggesting that if someone is able to recognize their issues and work on them, they'll be able to live a more fulfilling life, but if they don't, they'll die with regrets and their life will remain the same.
She has a hook in her head I saw this lady close her eyes The bottle slipped between her fingers And slid along the aisle
The singer observes a woman who seems to be struggling with something, possibly addiction. They see her losing control of a bottle.
If I were a man I'd have a gun, But I'm so bone tired I'm so bone tired, I'm old I watch the snow make slow time
The artist acknowledges that if they were male, they might feel the need to protect themselves, but they are tired and feel old. They watch time pass slowly.
I watch the snow cover up the bottle So I can slip between I will read the label from underneath I wear the circle in my sleep
The artist observes the bottle being hidden by snow, which allows them to find space to relax. They reflect on their experiences with the bottle and the hold it has on them.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: KRISTIN HERSH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind