09 Lipstick Tourniquets
Vendetta Red Lyrics

The lyrics of Vendetta Red's song 09 Lipstick Tourniquets delve into the theme of societal pressures and how people can be manipulated by external forces, leading them to become monsters. The lines "something soulless sold you/ it hates you" suggest that something outside of oneself - like societal norms or expectations - has convinced the singer to compromise their own values and beliefs, leading to an internal struggle where they eventually become a 'monster' that breathing men would kill.

The chorus, "Lucy don't go/ hold me/ haunt me/ tinctures taunt you, 'cause you are the monster breathing men would kill," is a plea to someone named Lucy not to leave or abandon the singer, as they fear they'll be alone with their inner monster. The reference to tinctures suggests some sort of addiction or substance abuse, which may be part of the source of the singer's struggles, as they try to resist becoming the monster that society has dictated they should be.

In the bridge, the singer urges Lucy to blame them for their current state, as they sit in their counting room - perhaps a metaphor for the trap of societal success and material possessions. The image of the singer coughing up blood and spitting it into their mouth implies that they are self-destructing, perhaps as a result of trying to conform to societal expectations. The final lines of the song - "Lipstick tourniquets work/ when the poison begins to take hold/ and for what reward?/ so the simple can suck on the rinds" - suggest that conformity may provide a temporary band-aid to one's struggles, but at what cost? The "simple" - those who blindly follow societal norms - may reap a superficial reward, but true individuality and self-validation is what is ultimately important.