Violent Femmes is an alternative rock band, formed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin,… Read Full Bio ↴Violent Femmes is an alternative rock band, formed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States in 1980. The band originally consisted of Gordon Gano (vocals, guitar), Brian Ritchie (bass), and Victor DeLorenzo (drums), with Guy Hoffman replacing DeLorenzo following his departure starting in 1993 and up until his return in 2002. The band split in early 2009, their last recording being a cover of the Gnarls Barkley song "Crazy", a response to Gnarls Barkley's cover of the Femmes song "Gone Daddy Gone" released the previous year. In January 2013, it was announced that the Violent Femmes would be reuniting and performing at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April. They performed there, the Bottlerock Napa Valley in May and Milwaukee's Summerfest in June. The band is also on the bill for Riot Fest, which will take place in Chicago in September.
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.

Promise
Violent Femmes Lyrics

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Y'know that I want your loving
But my logic tells me that it ain't never gonna happen
And then my defense'd say I didn't want it anyway
But you know sometimes I'm a liar

Could you ever want me to love you
Could you ever want me to care
Disregard my nervousness

Please ignore my vacant stares

'Cause just what I've been through
Is nothing like where I'm going to
Give me some sign to pursue
A promise

And your unhappy
This is only a guess
Do you know what it's like to hate
When it's way down deep inside

Oh god I hate what's been done to my life
I could rule the pain
I could rule the night
Or would I ruin my salvation

Ruin my mind rules your pains
Rulers of the night

Ruin your salvation
Ruin your mind

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Violent Femmes’ song "Promise" are a reflection of a conflicted individual who wants to love someone but is unsure if it's possible. The songwriter expresses their desire for love, but their logical mind tells them that it won't ever happen. They admit to sometimes lying to themselves and others as a way of keeping their vulnerabilities hidden. The writer then asks the object of their affection if they could ever want love and care from them. They plead for the person to be patient with their nervousness and vacant stares, indicating a lack of confidence in themselves.

The writer then acknowledges that the person they are interested in may be unhappy, but they can only speculate. They ask the question, "Do you know what it's like to hate when it's way down deep inside?" which suggests that they, too, are struggling with inner turmoil. The lyrics then take a darker turn as the writer reflects on their pain and the potential to rule over it, but also to risk ruining their salvation. They highlight the need to rule over their mind and not let their pains and fears control them.

Overall, "Promise" is a contemplative and raw expression of inner turmoil and the desire for love, but also a reluctance to trust in it fully. The lyrics convey a sense of fear and uncertainty, but also a small glimmer of hope for a promise of something better.

Line by Line Meaning

Y'know that I want your loving
I have strong desire for your affection

But my logic tells me that it ain't never gonna happen
However, my practical reason suggests that it's impossible

And then my defense'd say I didn't want it anyway
And if I fail, I will deny ever wanting it

But you know sometimes I'm a liar
But the truth is that I often lie to myself and others

Could you ever want me to love you
Do you reciprocate my feelings?

Could you ever want me to care
Are you willing to receive my concern?

Disregard my nervousness
Please overlook my anxiety

Please ignore my vacant stares
And disregard my empty gazes

'Cause just what I've been through
My past experiences have shaped me

Is nothing like where I'm going to
But that doesn't define where I'm heading

Give me some sign to pursue
Inspire me to follow my path