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.
I Held Her in My Arms
Violent Femmes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That I have been burnt
And I'm learning things that I
Should've already learnt
Everyone I ever knew
Was so kind and coy
I was with a girl
But it felt like I was with a boy
If we were lovers
Or if I just wanted to
But I held her in my arms
I held her in my arms
I held her in my arms
But it wasn't you
I will not kill
The one thing that I love
In this world of wreckage
I look above
Help me Lord
Help me understand
What it means to be a boy
What it means to be a man
The lyrics to Violent Femmes' song "I Held Her in My Arms" describe a person's struggle to come to terms with their own sexuality and identity. The first verse conveys a sense of regret and self-blame for not having learned certain things sooner, most likely related to the singer's confusion over their own romantic experiences. They express the feeling of being with someone, but not feeling the way they're "supposed to" feel, highlighting their own internal struggle between what they think they should desire and what they actually desire.
The chorus, which repeats the line "I held her in my arms" three times, emphasizes the singer's confusion and ambivalence toward their past experiences. They are unable to fully remember or understand their own motives, and the feelings they had at the time are muddled - were they truly in love, or did they simply want to be? Despite this, the song is not without hope. The second verse shifts to a plea for guidance and understanding. The singer acknowledges that they don't know what it means to be a "boy" or a "man", suggesting that they may be struggling with society's expectations of gender roles as well.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm gnawing on the knowledge
I am mentally chewing on the idea
That I have been burnt
That I have been hurt or disappointed
And I'm learning things that I should've already learnt
I am gaining knowledge or insight that I should have already had
Everyone I ever knew was so kind and coy
All of the people I have known were friendly and flirtatious
I was with a girl but it felt like I was with a boy
I had a female partner, but our encounter felt more like being with a male
I can't even remember if we were lovers or if I just wanted to
I am uncertain if we had romantic involvement or if I simply desired such a relationship
But I held her in my arms
We physically embraced
I will not kill the one thing that I love
I refuse to destroy the person or thing I care about deeply
In this world of wreckage, I look above
While living in a broken world, I seek guidance from a higher power
Help me Lord, help me understand
I plead for divine intervention that brings me enlightenment
What it means to be a boy, what it means to be a man
I want clarity on the characteristics and behaviors that differentiate masculinity at different stages of life
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: GORDON GANO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Leanne Van Hoof
loveeeeeeee this band - classic and timeless good times .. realllllyyyy gooooood times thx boys
hifijohn
Use to play this song all the time when I was a DJ in college.
Bill Saul
As a truck driver there grouse to listen to, gets me thru the night, love them, enjoy.
Philip J. Fry
thats awesine dyde
Erik Rivera
Love this album. Have not heard not i years. Thanks for posting.
Dean Eiden
My favorite Femmes song
Bill Saul
Mate the femms, I'm 55 and still love them, keep going boys. We rule.
Michael Arney
It is their best. Still, not a popular opinion.
Alex Crooker
ive loved this band since i was in 7th grade... im a senior in college now and theyre still the shit... doesnt seem like a lot o fpeople are that into them though...
bhdctn
I discovered this band in 83/84 but got the first album in 85. 11th grade for me. Everyone who heard first album loved it for the most part. 2nd and 3rd not so much. I never understood that. Hallowed Ground and Blind Leading the Naked are both GREAT albums! 0If you don't like all 3 you ain't a fan to me!!! The album 3 was good but uneven to me.