The poet laureates of Chicago's skid row, VICTORIAN HALLS are the rare type of band that exist in the little space where art and punk meet - the type of band that can blend unadulterated pop songwriting with wailing Banshee-like vocals to create a strangely magical, vaudevillian wonder like their new seven song EP, Springteen.
"We write pop songs," singer/guitarist Sean Lenart plainly states, "but they're really noisy and lyrically overt, and kind of jarring. It's not simply generalized feelings over familiar chord progressions... Basically, your mother wouldn't like this band." Then again, nobody's mother liked THE BEATLES when they first landed either.
The result speaks for itself. In the Spin Magazine-sponsored Music Nation contest, the band made quite the impression, finishing second out of thousands of entries, and in doing so garnered praise from some big names - Perry Farrell of JANE'S ADDICTION called VICTORIAN HALLS' music a "high-strung theatrical sound ... punchy and tight, the sound of Saturday night." CURSIVE'S Tim Kasher praised the band's "theatrical style," while Spin editor Doug Brod noted a "twisted carnivalesque quality." The band also nabbed second prize on MTV2's "On The Rise" contest, despite receiving over 126,000 votes – both amazing accomplishments for a band that makes TRL-worthy songs and then burns them to the ground.
In a city that spawned FALL OUT BOY, THE PLAIN WHITE T'S, and THE ACADEMY IS…, VICTORIAN HALLS have learned that making art for art's sake doesn't always earn you a date with Ashlee Simpson, but does get you a boatload of critical acclaim and a rabid fan base that sticks by you for all the right reasons. And frankly, when you're in a band that sounds way more like THE BLOOD BROTHERS than THE JONAS BROTHERS, you define success in entirely different terms. Terms like, in Lenart's words, "Being able to piss people of by not wearing eye liner, playing a packed venue and being the only unsigned band there and then having people lining up to take pictures and sign autographs, convincing people that if white pants worked in 'A Clockwork Orange,' they can work for anyone ..."
Appropriately enough, "A Clockwork Orange" may just be the best metaphor for VICTORIAN HALLS – a bunch of musical droogs wandering the streets of America, committing acts of musical ultraviolence for their own pleasure (not to mention the pleasure of their ever-increasing fanbase). Of course, sometimes the ultraviolence takes on a more literal definition.
As was the case with "Clockwork's" infamous "aversion technique," it's damn near impossible to take your eyes of VICTORIAN HALLS for one second. Nor would you want to, because if they don't bludgeon you, their music surely will.
The released their debut LP, Charlatan in 2011.
Girls Kiss Girls
Victorian Halls Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If you'd drop that beat
And had a different heart
Something that tasted sweet.
Back at the house the party's loud
They're trading shots of dirty scotch off her stomach
In a slow exchange monologue 'till these looks catch me
(a whisper)
I want your tongue in my mouth,
Her hand on the small of my back,
She says "I know this place where we can go,
My boyfriend's in back,
My boyfriend's in back"
Back at the house the party's loud
They're trading shots of dirty scotch off her stomach
And that's, that's all you need to know,
As these looks catch me,
And my looks come clean,
Whisper something sweet.
Let the beat drop,
And it just won't stop,
And the girls kiss girls in parking lots,
And it just won't stop 'till those hips will pop so,
It just won't stop, it just won't stop.
Let the beat drop,
And it just won't stop,
We're chasin' chemicals after-hour stops,
And it just won't stop 'till the hips will pop so,
It just won't stop, it just won't stop.
I could move better oh,
If you'd drop that beat.
And had a different voice, somethin' that made you
Weep...
I could move better oh,
I take my whiskey neat,
I gotta different voice,
I gotta make you weep,
I could move better, yeah
If you'd drop that beat,
And had a different voice.
Let the beat drop,
And it just won't stop,
And the girls kiss girls in parking lots,
And it just won't stop 'till those hips will pop so,
It just won't stop, it just won't stop.
Let the beat drop,
And it just won't stop,
We're chasin' chemicals after-hour stops,
And it just won't stop 'till those hips will pop so,
It just won't stop, it just won't stop.
Back at the house a party's loud,
Their trading shots of dirty scotch off her stomach oh...
There's nothing for me here
Until I hear my name called out, woah.
(x2)
So let the beat drop,
And we just won't stop
So let the hips pop!
And we just won't stop,
So let the beat drop,
And we just won't stop,
So let the beat drop,
I just won't stop.
Let the beat drop,
And it just won't stop,
And the girls kiss girls in parking lots,
And it just won't stop 'till those hips will pop so,
It just won't stop, it just won't stop.
Let the beat drop,
And it just won't stop,
We're chasin' chemicals after-hour stops,
And it just won't stop 'till those hips will pop so,
It just won't stop, it just won't stop.
And let the beat drop,
And it just won't stop,
So let the hips pop!
And it just won't stop,
So let the beat drop,
And it just won't stop.
It just won't stop!
It just won't stop!
The lyrics of Victorian Halls's song Girls Kiss Girls talks about being attracted to someone who has a different heart, something that tastes sweet. The singer is at a party where they notice women kissing each other in parking lots. The individual says they could move better if the beat dropped and had a different voice. The party scene is rowdy, with people trading shots and engaging in monologues. They whisper something sweet and pine for someone's tongue in their mouth as they feel a hand on their back.
The chorus talks about how the music won't stop until the hips pop, and people are chasing after chemicals in after-hour stops. The singer wants to hear their name called out before anything else happens, suggesting they are looking for someone in particular. The song ends with a repetition of the chorus, emphasizing the attraction between women at the party.
The theme of the song revolves around the singer's attraction to someone who is drawn to women. They are trying to find a way to stand out and impress them by dancing and moving to the beat of the music. The song also touches upon the idea of experimentation and trying new things, as the women at the party are kissing each other in public. Victorian Halls also hints at a sense of longing and loneliness as they search for another individual that will make them feel complete.
Line by Line Meaning
I could move better oh...
If you'd drop that beat
And had a different heart
Something that tasted sweet.
The singer desires a different beat accompanied by a lighter and sweeter tone in order to enhance the experience of the music.
Back at the house the party's loud
They're trading shots of dirty scotch off her stomach
In a slow exchange monologue 'till these looks catch me
Bitter and clean fix for something sweet(a whisper)
At the party drinks are being exchanged while two people are having a personal conversation. The singer admits to craving something sweet.
I want your tongue in my mouth,
Her hand on the small of my back,
She says "I know this place where we can go,
My boyfriend's in back,
My boyfriend's in back"
The singer longs for intimacy from both a man and woman while the woman mentions her boyfriend.
Back at the house the party's loud
They're trading shots of dirty scotch off her stomach
And that's, that's all you need to know,
As these looks catch me,
And my looks come clean,
Whisper something sweet.
The atmosphere of the party is highlighted as the artist admires a person who appears clean which in turn leads the artist to reveal their own inner thoughts.
Let the beat drop,
And it just won't stop,
And the girls kiss girls in parking lots,
And it just won't stop 'till those hips will pop so,
It just won't stop, it just won't stop.
The rhythm of the music is exciting as young women are seen kissing one another in public places while dancing to the music.
Let the beat drop,
And it just won't stop,
We're chasin' chemicals after-hour stops,
And it just won't stop 'till the hips will pop so,
It just won't stop, it just won't stop.
The party-goers continue to seek artificial highs after the music continues to captivate them into dancing harder.
I could move better oh,
If you'd drop that beat.
And had a different voice, somethin' that made you
Weep...
The beat of the music and the tone of the composition fails to evoke an emotional response so the singer pleads for something that would make their heart stir.
Back at the house a party's loud,
Their trading shots of dirty scotch off her stomach oh...
There's nothing for me here
Until I hear my name called out, woah.
(x2)
The raucous party scene is repeated as the artist realizes they are not content at the party until they are recognized by someone else.
So let the beat drop,
And we just won't stop
So let the hips pop!
And we just won't stop,
So let the beat drop,
And we just won't stop,
So let the beat drop,
I just won't stop.
The repeated refrain expresses an unending enjoyment of the music, the dance, and the freedom this creates.
It just won't stop!
It just won't stop!
The song's chorus caters to a youthful vigour and seemingly never-ending cycle of excitement.
Contributed by Xavier K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.