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.
Dahmer Is Dead
Violent Femmes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dahmer is Dead.
A broomstick bashed him upside his head.
Upside the head, upside the head.
Bloody broomstick.
Dahmer is dead.
Am I supposed to feel outrage?
Jeffery Dahmer has no right tomorrow.
Dahmer is Dead
Dahmer is Dead
A broomstick bashed him upside his head.
Dahmer is Dead
Dahmer is Dead
Bloody broomstick.
Dahmer is Dead.
Along with a broomstick upside his head.
Along with broomstick.
Dahmer is dead.
The Violent Femmes’ song “Dahmer Is Dead” is a scathing indictment of Jeffrey Dahmer, the infamous serial killer and necrophiliac who murdered 17 men and boys between 1978 and 1991. The song was released just months after Dahmer was bludgeoned to death with a broomstick in prison on November 28th, 1994. The opening lines of the song state matter-of-factly “Dahmer is Dead, a broomstick bashed him upside his head. Upside the head, upside the head.” The violent imagery of a broomstick used as a weapon against Dahmer is underscored by the repetition of the phrase “Bloody broomstick” throughout the song.
The lyrics of the song question whether the listener should feel “outrage” or “sorrow” at Dahmer’s death. The answer, according to the song, is an emphatic “no”. The chorus declares that “Jeffrey Dahmer has no right tomorrow”, suggesting that he deserved the punishment he received. The lyrics are stacked with irony in that Dahmer’s sadistic and horrific acts evoke no sympathy or empathy from the band, lyrics or audience, rather his death is celebrated as a victory for justice over evil. The song’s final lines hammer home the message: “Along with a broomstick upside his head, along with broomstick, Dahmer is dead.”
In conclusion, the Violent Femmes’ song “Dahmer Is Dead” is a clear and unflinching condemnation of one of the most notorious killers of the 20th century. The violent and unapologetic lyrics leave no room for ambiguity or misplaced empathy towards Dahmer. Instead, they celebrate his death as a necessary act of justice for his unspeakable crimes.
Line by Line Meaning
Dahmer is Dead.
Jeffery Dahmer has died and is no longer alive.
A broomstick bashed him upside his head.
A broomstick was used to strike Jeffery Dahmer on the top of his head with force.
Upside the head, upside the head.
The broomstick repeatedly hit Jeffery Dahmer on the top of his head.
Bloody broomstick.
The broomstick had blood on it, likely from striking Jeffery Dahmer.
Am I supposed to feel outrage?
The artist questions if they are expected to feel intense anger or fury in response to Jeffery Dahmer's death.
Am I supposed to feel sorrow?
The singer questions if they are expected to feel sadness or grief in response to Jeffery Dahmer's death.
Jeffery Dahmer has no right tomorrow.
Jeffery Dahmer no longer has a future or a chance to live, due to his death.
Along with a broomstick upside his head.
In addition to being struck with a broomstick on the top of his head, Jeffery Dahmer also suffered additional injuries or attacks.
Dahmer is dead.
Reiteration that Jeffery Dahmer has died and is no longer alive.
Bloody broomstick.
Reiteration that the broomstick used to strike Jeffery Dahmer had blood on it.
Dahmer is Dead.
Reiteration that Jeffery Dahmer has died and is no longer alive.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GORDON GANO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
crushsatan
"when the wicked perish there is shouting."- the Bible
Amy Skye
Aw, he was such a sad panda.
Russell Solomon
I think it was a pipe not a broomstick?
Robert Sparling
+Russell Solomon It was a weight bar.