The band takes its name from the New Order song "Love Vigilantes," although their sound tends more to folk, Americana, and country rock than New Wave. Their 2001 album Summershine also showed some movement toward Brit-pop and R.E.M.-style college rock, which would be more fully explored in Mallonee's solo career.
Pleasure
Vigilantes of Love Lyrics
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Thirty days for running down a traffic cop
Now I'm fresh out of the slammer
Got a new job running a jackhammer
Darling see the shackle marks on my skin
It's a sad commentary on the shape i'm in
Pleasure it has been my
Now i'm struck by how often
Fountain pens are really nails in coffins
Nice tie handshake
Sign here we'll make you great
I put the move on this woman named mortality
She slapped me in the face with life's brevity
Maybe I need a hobby
Maybe a lobotomy
Seems like every wrong choice
Still small voice dies inside of me
Now I'm starving and thirsting and I gotta repent
But sometimes with dogs you gotta rub their nose in it
The lyrics of Vigilantes of Love's song "Pleasure" tells a story of a man who had just been released from prison after serving thirty days for running down a traffic cop. He got a new job running a jackhammer, but his experience behind bars had left him with shackle marks on his skin, an indication of the sad shape he is in. The man seems to be struggling to find pleasure and meaning in his life.
He reflects on how often things that appear positive or uplifting, like fountain pens and nice handshakes, can turn out to be the cause of disappointment and defeat, like nails in a coffin. He tries to find pleasure in life by making moves on a woman named mortality, but she slaps him in the face with the brevity of life. The man has made many wrong choices and his conscience is dying inside him. He is starving and thirsting for something genuine and he resolves to repent, but acknowledges that sometimes, it takes tough love to make dogs learn a lesson.
In summary, the song is a thought-provoking commentary on the human condition and an expression of the struggle to find pleasure and purpose in the midst of life's challenges.
Line by Line Meaning
Public service non-stop
I was constantly out doing something for others
Thirty days for running down a traffic cop
I was put in jail for a month for accidentally hitting a police officer with my car
Now I'm fresh out of the slammer
I have just been released from jail
Got a new job running a jackhammer
I have started a new job as a construction worker
Darling see the shackle marks on my skin
I still have physical scars from being in jail
It's a sad commentary on the shape i'm in
It is a reflection of my current state of mind
Pleasure it has been my
I have always sought pleasure as a means of self-medication
Now i'm struck by how often
I am realizing how frequently
Fountain pens are really nails in coffins
Little things can lead to one's own demise
Nice tie handshake
Pleasantries that only mask the true intentions of others
Sign here we'll make you great
The promise of success that is not always fulfilled
I put the move on this woman named mortality
I attempted to ignore the fact that my time on earth is limited
She slapped me in the face with life's brevity
I was confronted with the reality of death
Maybe I need a hobby
Perhaps I need a healthy distraction
Maybe a lobotomy
Perhaps I need to undergo a drastic change in order to feel better
Seems like every wrong choice
It feels like I can never make the right decision
Still small voice dies inside of me
My conscience is struggling to stay alive
Now I'm starving and thirsting and I gotta repent
I am in a state of desperation and I need to make amends for my wrongdoing
But sometimes with dogs you gotta rub their nose in it
Sometimes you have to confront people with the harsh reality of their situation
Contributed by Madison V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.