Drummer Victor DeLorenzo said that he would be open to recording new material with the Violent Femmes, but on July 15, 2013, it was announced that Dresden Dolls drummer Brian Viglione would be replacing DeLorenzo as the band's drummer. In a statement, DeLorenzo said "It's always hard to write a eulogy for a lost loved one. In this case, I sadly lament the loss of a dream and an ideal that was once Violent Femmes." Viglione is credited as the drummer on the 2016 release We Can Do Anything but would later be replaced by John Sparrow, who had played in the Violent Femmes backing band previously.
Their music is an innovative combination of American folk music and punk rock. The lyrics mix common adolescent themes like yearning for love, sex and affection with explorations of sin, death, and the hope of salvation. Their songs often express both a lyrical and musical sense of humor. Critics often attribute the Violent Femmes as laying the groundwork of dynamicism for the 90s grunge movement.
In its early days, the band frequently played coffee houses and street corners. They were discovered by James Honeyman-Scott (of The Pretenders) on August 23, 1981, when the band was busking on a street corner in front of the Oriental Theatre, the Milwaukee venue that The Pretenders would be playing later that night. Chrissie Hynde invited them to play a brief acoustic set after the opening act. The band signed to Slash Records and recorded their eponymous debut in July 1982.
The group quickly gained a small cult following after the release of their self-titled album that never burgeoned into widespread popularity, although a few songs from this album did get some recognition ("Add It Up", "Blister in the Sun" and "Gone Daddy Gone"). The debut album Violent Femmes went platinum ten years after its release, and "Blister in the Sun" has become an alternative rock radio staple.
Blister in the Sun
Violent Femmes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I strut my stuff
And I'm so strung out
I'm high as a kite
I just might stop to check you out
Let me go on
Like I blister in the sun
Big hands, I know you're the one
Body and beats
I stain my sheets
I don't even know why
My girlfriend, she's at the end
She is starting to cry
Let me go on
Like I blister in the sun
Let me go on
Big hands, I know you're the one
When I'm out walking
I strut my stuff
And I'm so strung out
I'm high as a kite
I just might stop to check you out
When I'm out walking
I strut my stuff
And I'm so strung out
I'm high as a kite
I just might stop to check you out
Body and beats
I stain my sheets
I don't even know why
My girlfriend, she's at the end
She is starting to cry
When I'm out walking
I strut my stuff
And I'm so strung out
I'm high as a kite
I just might stop to check you out
Let me go on
Like I blister in the sun
Let me go on
Big hands, I know you're the one
The lyrics of Violent Femmes’ song “Blister in the Sun” speak of a feeling of being high and strung out while walking and “strutting [one’s] stuff” in a confident, almost cocky manner. The song seems to be about the thrill of being young, wild, and free, with the singer getting a rush from the way he presents himself and the act of checking out attractive people on the street. The repetition of the phrase “let me go on like a blister in the sun” seems to reflect this feeling of euphoria and recklessness, with the singer wanting to keep going on this high for as long as he can.
However, the lyrics also touch on some darker themes, particularly in the second verse where the singer sings about staining his sheets and his girlfriend crying at the end. While it’s not entirely clear what’s going on, it could be interpreted as a reference to drug use or sexual activity that is less-than-fulfilling. The feeling of being “strung out” and “high as a kite” could also suggest drug use or addiction.
Overall, “Blister in the Sun” is a catchy, upbeat song that seems to capture the thrill of being young and reckless, but also hints at some of the darker aspects of this lifestyle.
Line by Line Meaning
When I'm out walking
When I'm out and about
I strut my stuff
I walk with confidence
And I'm so strung out
And I'm feeling intense emotions
I'm high as a kite
I'm very excited and elated
I just might stop to check you out
I might take a second look at you
Let me go on
Let me continue
Like I blister in the sun
Like I'm burning with energy
Big hands, I know you're the one
I know you're the right person for me
Body and beats
Physical sensations and rhythms
I stain my sheets
I'm engaging in sexual activity
I don't even know why
I'm not sure why I'm doing it
My girlfriend, she's at the end
My girlfriend is feeling upset
She is starting to cry
She is becoming emotional
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Gordon Gano
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@nycknyck1932
Brian Ritchie is Such an underrated bassist
@tmlafrance
You have a gift for understatement. You should see them live (if you haven't).
@tcw8287
@@tmlafrance I would absolutley love to see them love so i can study Brian
@giraffepunx4484
Dude, the bass line to “Please Don’t Go” is burned into my brain. He’s SO GOOD!
@AV9000x
@@giraffepunx4484 Brian Ritchie didn't write the bass line, that was Gordon Gano
@jackdempsey9644
@@AV9000x So what I bet you Gano can’t play it like Richie
@atdotcom64
I hitch hiked to Alaska in spring 87 with a Walkman and one tape: violent femmes 1.
I listened to it and shared it all summer in the Yukon where I eventually met my wife. Grandpa now and my grandchildren love listening to it with me when we get pancake happy meals together.
@christopherbyrns6134
That's pretty wholesome ,Wish I had a grandpa like you.
@datman3416
That’s so cool, I hope I can have a cool story like that one day
@MAGirlable
Well this was the most wonderful thing I read this week. What a beautiful life.