Tangerine
Vixen Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Sometimes she slips into a coma
Nothin' there but the whites of her eyes
And sometimes she tries to brush her teeth
She's busy chasin' invisible flies
Well she's a waste of a perfectly good day
And I don't wanna hear
About the little green men in her backyard
And all the shit you can fear

I don't know where she goes, she's staring into space
I thought about it, and I don't get it
How could she forget all she had?

Chorus :
I knew her when she knew the simple truth
And I knew her when she was Tangerine

Some days she wears her junior prom dress
Heads straight for the grocery store
Buys a razor and a bottle of pills
Then can't remember what she got them for
Well she's a waste of a perfectly good time
And I don't wanna hear
About being swallowed by the TV
Or being pulled through a mirror

I don't know where she goes, she's staring at the stars
I thought about it, but I don't get it
How could she forget all she had?

Chorus :
I knew her when she knew the simple truth
And I knew her when she was
Someone with something to say
She'd never throw it all away
I knew her when she was Tangerine, Tangerine

(Solo)

I don't know where she goes, she's staring into space
Well how could she forget all she had?





(Chorus as 2nd)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Vixen's song Tangerine reflect the pain and frustration of watching a loved one suffer from mental illness. The repetitive and disconnected nature of the verses paints a picture of someone who is struggling to stay present in reality. The line "Sometimes she slips into a coma" suggests that the person is experiencing a dissociative state, while "sometimes she tries to brush her teeth" shows the struggle to maintain basic self-care. The chorus is a nostalgic reflection on the person before the onset of their illness, highlighting the loss of their former self.


The second verse of the song provides a glimpse into the person's self-destructive behavior. The imagery of buying a razor and pills and not remembering why reinforces the severity of their disconnection from reality. The line "I don't wanna hear about being swallowed by the TV" suggests that the person is using television as a form of escapism, but it is not providing any real relief. The final chorus is a plea to remember the person for who they were and what they stood for before mental illness took hold.


Overall, Tangerine captures the complexities and heartbreak of mental illness through powerfully evocative lyrics and a driving rock melody.


Line by Line Meaning

Sometimes she slips into a coma
Sometimes she completely loses consciousness


Nothin' there but the whites of her eyes
She looks like she's asleep, but her eyes are wide open


And sometimes she tries to brush her teeth
Occasionally, she attempts to maintain some level of personal hygiene


She's busy chasin' invisible flies
Her mental state is deteriorating to the point where she's seeing things that aren't there


Well she's a waste of a perfectly good day
Her behavior is undesirable and a waste of time


And I don't wanna hear
The singer is annoyed and doesn't want to listen to what's being said


About the little green men in her backyard
The subject matter being discussed is ridiculous and absurd


And all the shit you can fear
The artist doesn't want to hear about any more fears or anxieties


I don't know where she goes, she's staring into space
Her mind seems to be in a completely different place


I thought about it, and I don't get it
The artist has thought about the situation but doesn't understand what's happening


How could she forget all she had?
The singer is questioning how the person could let their life fall apart like this


Chorus :
The main recurring part of the song


I knew her when she knew the simple truth
The singer knew the person when they were more grounded and in touch with reality


And I knew her when she was Tangerine
The person used to be bright and full of life, but not anymore


Some days she wears her junior prom dress
There are moments when she seems to try to cling to the past


Heads straight for the grocery store
She still needs to take care of basic necessities


Buys a razor and a bottle of pills
She makes questionable and dangerous purchases


Then can't remember what she got them for
Her mental state has deteriorated to the point where she can't even remember why she purchased certain things


Well she's a waste of a perfectly good time
Her behavior is still undesirable and a waste of time


About being swallowed by the TV
She's becoming consumed and lost in media and entertainment


Or being pulled through a mirror
She's experiencing strange and disturbing hallucinations


I don't know where she goes, she's staring at the stars
Her mind is still elsewhere and detached from reality


Someone with something to say
The person used to have something about them that was interesting or unique


She'd never throw it all away
She would never have given up or let herself go like this


I knew her when she was Tangerine, Tangerine
The singer is lamenting the person the subject has become and wishes she could go back to how she was before


(Solo)
A musical interlude with no lyrics


Well how could she forget all she had?
The song ends with the same plaguing question from earlier


(Chorus as 2nd)
The chorus is repeated one more time before the song fades out




Lyrics © A SIDE MUSIC LLC D/B/A MODERN WORKS MUSIC PUBLISHING, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: GINA LYNNE TAGLIENTE, JANET GARDNER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@emmamason3480

I really like this. Its obviously heavily influenced by Alice in Chains. Vixen always did harmonies really well, so easy to slip into that AIC harmony sound.

@TheWatcherofsky

Al momento de editar el brillante álbum Rev It Up a principios de los 90’s coincide con el surgimiento del Rock Alternativo retirando las casas discográficas el apoyo al Hard Rock. Seguramente ese fue el tema de discusión, Janet a favor del cambio a la nueva corriente pero inaceptable para Jan siendo el motivo principal de su rompimiento. Este es el álbum que editó Vixen posterior al Rev It Up con un claro estilo Grunge por eso suena un poco raro y por lo mismo menos aceptado por los fans. El disco creo es bueno pero sin llegar al nivel de los dos anteriores y con marcada ausencia de la guitarra de Jan.

@msssorum

Vixen or not, I really love this album 💜

@fiorellapriscilaramosmonto973

gracias! gracias! gracias! por compartir :D Es un disco increíble. Lo amo :)

@didierarmillei8474

Sans tenir compte des changements de style et de line up, en toute objectivité, cet album est au moins aussi bon que les précédents, je ne l'avais jamais écouté, donc c'est une bonne découverte.

@Tambakis-Katelis

Χωρίς την αδικοχαμένη Jan Kühnemund (που ίδρυσε το γκρουπ & κατείχε τα δικαιώματα του ονόματος), αλλά κατά την ταπεινή μου άποψη, είναι μία δισκάρα αυτό το album. Τα τραγούδια το ένα είναι καλύτερο απ'το άλλο...Δεν έχει filler τραγούδια, ενώ θα μπορούσε άνετα.
Great work J.J. - Quite nice of you uploading it here for everybody to enjoy!
(I had bought this on CD here in Greece, maybe somewhere between 2001 to 2004, from a Virgin Megastore I think...in Thessaloniki. Or maybe from the one in Athens...Or from Patsis' Music Store in Thessaloniki).

@crimsonmoon6986

This album always confused me just because of tge different sound but like i think ive gotten used to it since i like the grunge sound too. I literally can't get machine out of my head.

@rockxskeletor2539

In song "Never say Never" the drum refrain catches the echoes of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" of Nirvana & in general this album is composited as giving a due grunge & the guitar feels the grunge drag, but I really like it!

@paulpisan9275

It would be great if they could get and upload the full recital of the original members they gave for VH1 in reunited bands ....

@Fireglo

A lot of it is scripted and re-arranged. Like the scene where they act surprised when they entered the room were like 2nd and 3rd takes.

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