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.
Out The Window
Violent Femmes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Life was great
'Til I made my big mistake
Oh no it'll never happen to me
And life was sweet
I was thinking as I hit the street
I could hardly believe
I could scarcely conceive
But I had gone out the window
I had gone out the window
I had gone out the window
She was fine
She looked great
And so we made our big mistake
I swear I swear I swear
It'd never happen to her
But the pavement knocked her head around
When she hit the solid concrete ground
From 30 flights above
And she was thirty something loving nothing
Gone out the window
She had gone out the window
She had gone out the window
Catch me if I'm falling,
Catch me if I'm calling
He was smart he was wise
He'd profoundly philosophize
Empathy for all humanity
'Til one day by an open window
There's a note that read
I've gone out the window, I'm dead
He said yes to life for all of his life
But then one day he said no
I gotta go out the window
We all go out the window
Catch me I am falling
Catch me I am calling
Catch me we are falling
Catch me we are calling
The song 'Out the Window' by the Violent Femmes is a reflection on the fragility of life and the unforeseeable events that can lead to its abrupt end. The song speaks to the inevitability of death, and how no one can predict the circumstances under which their end will come. The lyrics illustrate this point by recounting the stories of three different people who all met their demise after making a fatal mistake.
The song begins by suggesting that life was once joyful and carefree for the singer. He had great times until he made his 'big mistake.' The singer expresses disbelief that this could happen to him, an assumption that many people living their lives today would agree with. But tragedy can strike anyone, as illustrated by the subsequent stories of the other characters in the song. Each one appears to have had everything going for them but ended up meeting a tragic end because of a single decision.
The song serves as a sober reminder that death can come unexpectedly and that we should cherish every moment we have here on earth. It's also a cautionary tale about the consequences of making reckless decisions in life. Overall, the message of the song is to live life to the fullest, taking care to make wise choices and to be always mindful of the preciousness of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Life was fun
The singer used to enjoy life
Life was great
The singer had a great time in life
'Til I made my big mistake
However, the singer made a mistake that changed everything
Oh no it'll never happen to me
The artist thought that they were invincible and that nothing bad would ever happen to them
Life was short
The artist realized that life is short
And life was sweet
The singer enjoyed life despite its shortness
I was thinking as I hit the street
The singer had time to think as they fell from a building
I could hardly believe
The situation was unbelievable for the artist
I could scarcely conceive
The artist could not fully comprehend the situation
But I had gone out the window
The artist fell from a building or jumped out of a window
She was fine
The woman was doing well
She looked great
The woman appeared good-looking
And so we made our big mistake
The singer and the woman made a serious mistake
I swear I swear I swear
The singer emphasizes the truthfulness of their statement
It'd never happen to her
The singer thought that nothing bad would happen to the woman
But the pavement knocked her head around
The woman's head hit the pavement and caused injury
When she hit the solid concrete ground
The woman fell from a building and hit the ground
From 30 flights above
The woman fell from a high floor of a building
And she was thirty something loving nothing
The woman was in her thirties and did not have much to love or live for
Gone out the window
The woman fell out of a window
Catch me if I'm falling,
The artist is asking for help to avoid falling
Catch me if I'm calling
The artist is calling for help to avoid falling
He was smart he was wise
The man was intelligent and knowledgeable
He'd profoundly philosophize
The man would think deeply about philosophy and life
Empathy for all humanity
The man had compassion for all people
Til one day by an open window
One day, the man found himself near an open window
There's a note that read I've gone out the window, I'm dead
The man left a note saying that he had jumped out of the window and committed suicide
He said yes to life for all of his life
The man had always embraced life and lived it to the fullest
But then one day he said no
However, one day the man decided that he did not want to live anymore
I gotta go out the window
The man took his own life by jumping out of a window
We all go out the window
The song suggests that eventually, everyone will die
Catch me we are falling
The artist is asking for help to avoid falling, along with other people who may be falling too
Catch me we are calling
The artist is calling for help to avoid falling, along with other people who may be calling for help too
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: GORDON GANO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jazlynmoy9518
lyrics:
Life was fun
Life was great
'Til I made my big mistake
Oh no it'll never happen to me
Life was short
And life was sweet
I was thinking as I hit the street
I could hardly believe
I could scarcely conceive
But I had gone out the window
I had gone out the window
I had gone out the window
She was fine
She looked great
And so we made our big mistake
I swear I swear I swear
It'd never happen to her
But the pavement knocked her head around
When she hit the solid concrete ground
From 30 flights above
And she was thirty something loving nothing
Gone out the window
She had gone out the window
She had gone out the window
Catch me if I'm falling,
Catch me if I'm calling
He was smart he was wise
He'd profoundly philosophize
Empathy for all humanity
'Til one day by an open window
There's a note that read
I've gone out the window, I'm dead
He said yes to life for all of his life
But then one day he said no
I gotta go out the window
We all go out the window
Catch me I am falling
Catch me I am calling
Catch me we are falling
Catch me we are calling
@lucasgruber8509
My girlfriend bought me the live cd that had this song and it has quickly became my favorite album. I used to only listen to the Violent Femmes album but it was an addition I am forever grateful for.
@johngillespie3409
I drove from NC to Chicago to San Antonio with only this album playing loudly 🎸🪕🤘last week.😁
@swiftbobber
@@johngillespie3409 bailter space album
@8thYang
This is actually my favorite song by them.
@nsnbc6093
Respectfully, you're such an idiot. Old mother Reagan is the best 30 second punk song. Respectfully, you know nothing.
@SteefPip
It's hard for me to pick a singular favorite but this definitely is in the running.
@joshmichels9526
Scandalous how on point this is. Timing
@yamomsahoe1312
Go out the window we all go out the window
@zarnell
growing up i was a hard core Metal Head, Metalica... Motorhead... etc etc. But those bands didn't get me laid like the femmes did!
@gasoline976
Violent femmes got you laid??..