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.
Saving Grace
Throwing Muses Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In our hometown
Sink back into the driveway
Which is Zen
The head in the stairs
Or the body in the chair?
A Saving Grace at odds with technology
18 with a bottle of water
Cold jeans and the face of Gibraltar
How many trunks of your goods?
How many goods do you give away?
I'm spellbound when I can't move
I stand in front of you
I'm flipping back through the pages of
Your calandar and your books
And your childhood and your looks
I try to move in your direction
Against the grain of time
I'm hoping to recollect my thoughts and motions
I pray to science and history
Like cancer doesn't grow
I worship and forget you
Bye
Worship and forget you
A Saving Grace
And holding on to what we've made
As it drags us by the legs
Across the living room
Put the children to bed
For a good night For tomorrow
The song Saving Grace by Throwing Muses seems to be about the tension between the natural world and modern technology. The lyrics start with the description of driving 10,000 miles in their hometown and then settling back into the driveway, which is "Zen." This reference to Zen could be the idea of finding peace in the simplicity of nature, which contrasts with the hectic and tech-dependent urban life.
The next verse then poses the question of whether the head is in the stairs or the body is in the chair. This line seems to allude to the divide between the intellectual and physical worlds - the former being associated with modern technology while the latter refers to our innate connection with nature. The titular "Saving Grace" is the concept that the balance between these two worlds can be achieved.
The final verse talks about the struggles of standing still in time and trying to recollect our thoughts and motions. The line "I pray to science and history, like cancer doesn't grow" might refer to the idea that the growth of modern technology is similar to the growth of cancer, which is indiscriminate and destructive. Overall, the song seems to suggest that the key to maintaining our humanity is to strike a balance between our dependence on modern technology and our connections to nature.
Line by Line Meaning
So we drive and we've driven 10,000 miles
We have traveled a long distance in our car
In our hometown
The place we always return to
Sink back into the driveway
Feel home at our front yard
Which is Zen
A state of mind, where we find calm and contentment in the simple things
The head in the stairs
Unclear direction or purpose
Or the body in the chair?
The inactivity and laziness of our physical self
A Saving Grace at odds with technology
Finding a sense of relief in doing something old-fashioned, rather than relying on technology
18 with a bottle of water
Feeling reminiscent of one's youth, and trying to recapture it
Cold jeans and the face of Gibraltar
One's physical appearance, which remains unchanged
How many trunks of your goods?
How many possessions do you have?
How many goods do you give away?
Are you generous with your possessions?
I'm spellbound when I can't move
Feeling trapped or unable to act due to emotional or mental reasons
I stand in front of you
Being face to face with someone, either physically or figuratively
I'm flipping back through the pages of
Reflecting on the past, looking for answers, or nostalgia
Your calendar and your books
The records of one's daily life and learning
And your childhood and your looks
The memories and physical features of one's younger self
I try to move in your direction
The desire for closeness and connection with someone else
Against the grain of time
Challenging the passage of time or aging
I'm hoping to recollect my thoughts and motions
Trying to regain control over one's emotions and actions
I pray to science and history
Looking for knowledge and answers that are factual and logical in nature
Like cancer doesn't grow
Seeking immunity from the destructive forces of life
I worship and forget you
Having strong emotions and feelings towards someone or something but eventually letting that attachment fade
Bye
A casual or abrupt way of ending something
A Saving Grace
A relief or source of comfort in difficult or uncertain situations
And holding on to what we've made
Preserving the things we have created or accomplished
As it drags us by the legs
The effort and struggle to maintain and preserve what we have done
Across the living room
The space that represents the life and interactions of a household
Put the children to bed
Ensuring that the next generation is taken care of
For a good night
The hope for a peaceful and restful sleep
For tomorrow
Preparation and readiness for the next day or the future
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: KRISTIN HERSH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind