Dr. Troll
Xiu Xiu Lyrics


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La La holds inside of her
The horrible dream of being somebody
Thinking about her dream makes her feel
Like it's stupid
A dream whose coming true
Is a must, a must
It would be so much easier
If she was a real girl
The preschool students ask her
What she is
She thinks, "I don't know"
She say, "What do you think?"
Listen to On Fire and pretend someone could love you
Listen to Lady Day and pretend they knew the half of it




Listen to Birthday and pretend someone could love you
Listen to Nick Drake and pretend they knew the half of it

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Xiu Xiu's song Dr. Troll examine the internal struggles of La La, a person who dreams of being someone significant. The lyrics imply that while La La has great aspirations, she does not intensely believe in the possibility of her dreams coming true. In the second and third lines, the lyrics convey the idea that La La's dream feels foolish, and they are likely to fail. Her dream is a must, but at the same time, she perceives it as something that may not come true. The fourth line reveals that it would seem easier if she was a real girl, which points to perhaps not feeling wholly human, or that there is a division in her identity.


The preschool students asking La La what she is, showcases the questions that La La may be asking herself. Her response, "I don't know," is a telling response that highlights her lack of self-identity, the difficulty of finding answers to the questions we ask ourselves, and uncertainty as to whether she'll achieve her dreams.


The last four lines speak of self-deception, where La La listens to different singers' songs and pretends that someone could love her. The lyrics suggest she's trying to attach herself to something more significant, potentially someone who could love her, yet their half-reality or lack of authenticity leaves her in a state of "pretend" happiness. In essence, the song is a profound portrayal of the internal archetypes that someone goes through to fight the difficulty of finding who they are, discovering what their reality is, and the challenges of authenticity.


Line by Line Meaning

La La holds inside of her
La La carries within herself


The horrible dream of being somebody
An unpleasant vision of becoming someone notable


Thinking about her dream makes her feel
Contemplating her aspiration causes her to become


Like it's stupid
To believe it is irrelevant or foolish


A dream whose coming true
A vision which materializing


Is a must, a must
Is necessary, absolutely


It would be so much easier
It would be less arduous


If she was a real girl
If she were an authentic person


The preschool students ask her
Young children at school inquire of her


What she is
What kind of being she is


She thinks, "I don't know"
She ponders, "I am uncertain"


She say, "What do you think?"
She asks, "What do you believe?"


Listen to On Fire and pretend someone could love you
Hear the track called On Fire and feign as if somebody could have affection for oneself


Listen to Lady Day and pretend they knew the half of it
Listen to the melody named Lady Day and act as if they had an understanding of only part of it


Listen to Birthday and pretend someone could love you
Hear the song called Birthday and simulate as though somebody could cherish thee


Listen to Nick Drake and pretend they knew the half of it
Listen to Nick Drake and act as if they had an understanding of only part of it




Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING

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