 - - - - - - - - - - - - - By Sherri Mannen Use Once & Destroy - I didn't quite know what to make of this song until I saw Hole in concert and Courtney explained that it was about oral sex. Then I listened to the lyrics again and it all made sense, especially the "I went down to rescue you" part. Let's not be too blunt now, Courtney :) - - - - - - - - - - - - - By kortney Use Once & Destroy - We can tell there are a hole lot of little "wanna be's" checking this site out. Have any of you ever even seen a syringe????? Right on the package of every fit it says "Use Once and Destroy". Now do you people get it?????? - - - - - - - - - - - - - By Kate Use Once & Destroy - kortney is full of venom but right. I am certainly not proud to know what reads on a pack of syringes, but this song is loaded (no pun intended) with drug refrences as well as allusions of fucking and fucking up. I remember at the show Courtney said that Melissa wrote this song. I am sure she meant that M. wrote the music, because the lyrics have tell-tale signs of Miss Love. This song seems to be a good example of how cLove writes about three or four things at once; layering metaphors in a cool way. J Joyce did it, but with ten or more meanings at a time. Not that I can understand Finnegan's Wake. Suffice to say cLove is super great at masking and revealing at the same time. Love this song. - - - - - - - - - - - - - By Muckhead Use Once & Destroy - This song obviously refers to the line in Nirvana's Radio Friendly Unit Shifter: "use just once and destroy.." Courtney writes an angry song about how she felt like a drug. As if Kurt used her like a drug. She tried to help him, to erase his pain, but like a drug, he used her up so much that nothing could be done. It's like she's telling him that she never gave up on him, and she felt destroyed in the end. I hope I'm not too confusing. - - - - - - - - - - - - - By Hannah Northern Star - This is one of the songs on Celebrity Skin that is most definitly about Kurt. It reflects the period after his death, when she had many lovers. "Bring the pitiful to me" refers to the fact that she only wanted these men because they reminded her of kurt. they always left her alone with memories of kurt. "Its cold in here, theres no one left. and i want you and nothing stops it happening. and i knew i'd cherish all my misery alone" i heard a live version of the song with extra lyrics that say "all those who've died, i will see you on the other side" this is like a final acceptance. she then sings "no loneliness, no misery is worth you". She realizes that she has to move on because memories of kurt are to painful and not worth it. the line about running to the pines could be a reference to her transformation and the fact that she ran away from her old life. The northern star is kurt and he can't give her anyhting anymore and as Courtney has said in many interviews all she can do is pray for him. "And I wait, praying to the NOrthern Star, I'm afraid it won't lead me anywhere". - - - - - - - - - - - - - By Lauren Northern Star - Look, I'm only 13 and I don't expect it to be correct or glorified for that matter. Anyway, I think this song is about the pain and agony of loosing the one you really felt safe to. The one you can trust and tell absoulutly anything. Kurt. I lost my Best Friend, and i can't see her anymore, so i listened to this song I think it was all night or I dosed off in my crying and don't remember. But if you don't listen to the LYRIC but the VOICE in "And I want you, Well blessed are the broken, and I beg you, no lonliness no misery is worth you, oh tear this heart out cold as Ice it's mine." It is the best vocal display I've heard ever. The Pain she can display in her voice is incridible and I don't think she was trying to show something but (I'll take a quote from her 98' SPIN interview ) "It's not suppossed piss people off It's suppossed to provoke thought." And do I not only Admire her for that but what she is saying is up for Interpritation, and is very thought provoking. - - - - - - - - - - - - - By ? Northern Star - (Referring to Hanna's interpretation) hannah says that the line about running to the pines is about courtney moving on to her life after kurt. i don't think that this is true seeing as their house in the pines is where kurt shot himself. i think it's more like him escaping from hospital or rehabor wherever it was she sent him, and running back to their house in the pines. - - - - - - - - - - - - - By Dave Northern Star - This is a timeless ballad, in which all the imagery is universal and not tied to any particular time or place - unlike the other songs on the album, which (aside from 'Petals') mostly contain contemporary or Hollywood references. The line 'No loneliness, no misery is worth you' does not seem to mean 'you aren't worth this misery'. If you look, it's a complete inversion of that idea. I think it suggests something along the lines of 'You are better than my misery/My misery is not equal to you'. The song is not so much about someone putting pain behind her as it is about her living in awe of it. - - - - - - - - - - - - - By Tracy Northern Star - When you listen to the song before you read the lyrics you hear 'in hell' instead of inhale; She cries for Kurt and he can't hear her. She's waiting for him but he's already gone; There was a search going on before they discovered his body, so it's reasonable that the "I wait for you" is a reference to this. "I knew the fire and the ashes of his grace..." how many others really did. - - - - - - - - - - - - - By *Amy* Northern Star - This song has to be about Kurt and the loss that Courtney feels. I think she's talking about coping with his death and how they will be re-united someday. In a live version from the Big Day Out Courtney sings "We are terrified were all naked, we are wall eyes, we have all of us, all died, i will see you. i will see you. i will see you on the other side." This proves my point. - - - - - - - - - - - - - By Rebecca Northern Star - This song is about Kurt Cobain. To Courtney it is. To other Hole listeners it could be about someone they've lost in a horrible and painful way. When my grandmother died I thought about this song. When the cat Sid died I thought about this. So it's definetely about death. - - - - - - - - - - - - - By Sarah Northern Star - Alot of people like to say "northern star" is about Kurt Cobain. I don't agree completely. I think it is just Courtney is really depressed about alot of things maybe one being Kurt. I'd also like to add it is a good song live!!!! - - - - - - - - - - - - - By CA Northern Star - Many people think that this song is about death. But personally, I just see it as a metaphor for being lost... if you think about it, what are you soposed to look for when your lost at nite? the northern star... it's kind of cheesy, i know, but it's just my way of interpreting it. it sounds like Courtney wrote the song when she was at a point in her life when she didn't know where to go/what to do next, and she expressed it through this song. })i({. - - - - - - - - - - - - - By Jamie Northern Star - As you will see from my other posts on this board, i relate best to courtney's songs about death, having lost my fiance less than a year ago. From this point of view, Northern Star is definetly about death and crying out in the night in the cold for someone. she seems to be seeing a lot of people but they just remind her of him and leave her alone in the end. From a more asthetic standpoint, it also seems to be a bit of an answer to the ledbelly song "where did you sleep last night?" which was a favorite song of both kurt and courtney. the pines part is the most obvious reference. in WDYSLN the lyrics are "my girl where did you sleep last night/in the pines in the pines/where the sun dont ever shine/i will shiver the whole night through" and then courtney in northern star responds with "run to the pines, it's black in here blot out the sun and run to the pines" it seems to have the same theme running through it. also it shares a couple similar chord progressions. so sometimes i see this song as a woman's response to a very old song. another thing about the pines, and i think i might be reading a bit to much into things like i'm interrpreting joyce or something over here, but pine is the wood traditionally used to make caskets. and in there it's dark and cold, i'm sure..... - - - - - - - - - - - - - By sweetie pie Northern Star - Shit this songs emotional isnt it... when i listened to it for the first few times i thought it was about a love that she cant have.. a love that is no longer with her but is somehow still there.. this is what is making her feel so sad... but when seeing it performed live.. courtney started crying and that made me think it could be someone close to her.. of course the first person we tihnk of is kurt and this song quite possibly is about him.. but the music and lyrics are unimaginably beautiful and shoot an arrow straight through your heart... the black, darkness she feels without the one she desires... sad but true.. im sure well all feel this way sometime in our lives... - - - - - - - - - - - - - By Allie Northern Star - The most emotional song on Celebrity Skin, and as we all know was written for Kurt. The live version is very, very chilling... especially when Courtney adds in the lines 'And we are terrified/we are naked/we are wall-eyed/when all of us/all die/i will see you/i will see you/i will see you on the other side' I think the song is about Kurt and Seattle, and how Courtney felt after Kurt died. Weird, I'll have to write down what I feel and post it later b/c now I've just lost it all. - - - - - - - - - - - - - By stephanie Northern Star - I read all your interprations with admiration and they are all really inspiring. But I don`t thing this fantastic song is mainfully about Kurt. I think Courtney just want to show that there is nothing that can lead you. The Northern Star stands for leading to the right direction. But even this symbol can`t lead her anywhere. So the point is we shouln`t relay on anything, but find our own direction. - - - - - - - - - - - - - By Abby Northern Star - I think this song is about Kurt. She knows he is gone, but she still waits. And if he ever came back she would always be there. Its about the emptiness and lonlieness you feel after death, and she thinks maybe if she follows him they could be together. Like sherealized he was gone before his death, but she still waits. And 'all the angels kneel into the northern lights' its like everything she really loves in going into the light... like maybe going away would stop your pain. 'he's so cold, he will rule the world tonight' like Kurt did rule the world in a way, she hates him for leaving but 'oh i want you, and blessed are the broken, i beg you, no lonliness no misery is worth you' its like she is fighting with herself. the broken (kurt, it could be a little about kristan too) are the blessed ones, and she wants them back, but hates them for leaving. 'tear his heart out cold as ice its mine' is like, i own his heart, but its as cold as ice because he isn't here! anymore. and the first part, its like she cries, but no one knows, and all the people that think she killed kurt, because that is all she can see bring the pain to her even more so. it really is one of the saddest and most beautiful songs i have ever heard. - - - - - - - - - - - - - By Chelsey Boys On The Radio - i remember courtney saying that this song is dedicated to anyone who had ever drowned, and if you listen to the chorus when she begins to sing "in your endless summer nite..." and the song gets loud, it really does sound like someone is struggling underwater(or at least it does to me). but overall i interpret this song being about something she had that she let go, but she wants it back (a lover maybe?) but they don't want to come back (the lyrics: "i know that you are rotten to the core/i know that you don't love me anymore.." and "i know what you are running to/please come back.." show this). the lines "he said he'd never ever ever go/..well baby you've gone away" might be about how kurt said he'd outlive everybody, and he didn't. also i think this song is just about getting caught up in something and not being able to see what is going on until it's too late, not noticing until "the water gets too deep" and you drown. - - - - - - - - - - - - - By Heatherpoo Boys On The Radio - This is my favorite Hole song ever. It has helped me through someones death. first.. about the chorus.. all the boys on the radio.. they crash and burn so slow.. like nirvana and all the other boy rock bands.. or even the radio dj's for that matter.. they just fold.. and fade.. so slow.. and still stay legends.. yet.. what does courtney get?... a slap in the face and blamed for everything. And its quite obvious why. This song is about dying. Its also about fading away behind the secret lines of faith and courage. "DO WHAT YOU WANT.. CUZ ILL DO ANYTHING" brings Kurt to my mind.. through out the whole song really.. but its quite obvious. she is saying.. Kurt.. do what you want.. but ill do anything.. ill take the pain, blame, and i will learn to beg. Just please.. stay is what she is screaming... In his endless summer nights.. courtney will be on the other side... heaven/earth... when he is beautiful and dying.. and all the world that Kurt denied.. he hated fame.... courtney didnt. Then it goes on to say "if i let.. you in.. under.. my skin.. and risen every angel slain" saying she wants to rise kurt from dead.. rise him.. he is an angel.. all her friends who died.. are now angels.. and they were not killed, they were not sick.. they did not kill themselves.. they were slain.. kurt was slain.. the world corrupted him.. and thats not the worlds fault.. but Kurt was weark when it came to! being an idol." he said he never ever ever go and heaven heavens heavens no and never ever ever go away.. baby im gone forever" is so beautiful.. and it means so much to me because it shows that people break their promises.. they do.. they say they will.. but they dont.. and now..she is gone forever because now he is.. he died.. and when he went away.. so did courntey. "when the glitter fades in morning turn away and you will fine my empty eyes.. your beauty blinds"... when everything turns sour.. even if your a fan.. and the glitter fades.. turn around.. and courtney is there.. her eyes are empty because they are waiting for you.. she needs you just like we all need her.. "I will ease your suffering"... she will ease your pain.. because she loves us just as though i love her... "I know that you are rotten to the core.. and i know that you dont love me anymore".. this is her way of saying goodbye to him.. and her friends who died... they are now gone.. and they arent around to love her anymore.. and she! wants that back. - - - - - - - - - - - - - By abby Boys On The Radio - I think this song is the most absolutely amazing song. It has helped me through so much. I think it is about doing anything to be witht he one you love, before they fade away, or keeping them from fading away. How you will always be there, and you will always help, even with all the suffering "in your endless summer night, i'll be on the otherside" she will always be there "when the water is too deep, i will ease your suffering" when things get to hard, remember she's there "when the glitter fades in the morning, turn away and you will find my empty eyes, your beauty blinds" she'll always be there. forget about the fading and remember how you have blinded her "he said he'd never ever, ever go, never till the heavens "heavens no", never ever, ever go away (baby i've gone)" basically "you promised me you'd never go, but now i've gone". - - - - - - - - - - - - - By Hannah Heaven Tonight - This song was written immediately after Northern Star and is radically different. The first verse refers to Frances, which is all she has left of Kurt and it is her that gives her the most happiness. The song also refers to Edward Norton. "i love you for what you are" this means that she loves him because he is totally different to Kurt and doesn't remind her of him in any way, unlike the men referred to in northern star, who just brought her down even more. she then says that she can't believe that she's happy but "baby you make me happy" the summer rain is also mentioned in the song, opposite to Northern Star which is about winter, cold and rain. - - - - - - - - - - - - - By Danyelle Heaven Tonight - i'm just writing on complete instinct-but after it all i think she actually thought about dying and being with kurt again being with kurt tonight and she will be happy again but then again maybe no. - - - - - - - - - - - - - By donna Heaven Tonight - i think this song is about finaly finding herself after all the shit shes been through...eventually putting the peices back together and being with edward and having a beautiful daughter that reflects kurt who she still loves...and being able to finally be happy... - - - - - - - - - - - - - By RiotGrrl Heaven Tonight - I think that there are two ways to interpret this song. I think that there are the ways that have been discussed... about Frances... dealing with her past. But I also, personally like to hear it as a love song to another woman. The possiblity of happiness and love with a woman. At least I hope so! - - - - - - - - - - - - - By KayViolet Heaven Tonight - well eric wrote this song, at least that is what courtney said, so i dont think its about kurt, or frances. it was FOR frances tho I think it's about dying but especially suicide: 'i coulndt wait oh baby i was afraid heading for heaven tonite' and 'oh stop your crying y6ou could be happy, oh go to heaven where yu could be happy'. - - - - - - - - - - - - - By Kori Playing Your Song - Personally i think this song is about Kurt (like everyone says) cause a bunch of the things she says i feel she thinks Nirvana sold out (like they did) and how he knew hole was gonna be big but he never belived it but by the way she said some of the line i feel she really misses kurt but dosent want to admit it... and i definatially know that she thinks that Nirvana wasnt all everyone made them out to be cause she knew everyone inside and out and everyone saw their t.v. life and loved them but its a different story when you really know them. - - - - - - - - - - - - - By Lilly Playing Your Song - I think this song is about Courtney Love late husband. Some of the lines such as... "hey you, now when they call it cool /it's just so mean and cruel, they sold you out /and, oh, they bought and sold it all it's gone /and every note of it is wrong /and now they're playing your song" And some of the anger in Clove's voice leads me to beleave that this is the topic for the song. It is a very sad, and emotional song. About a love or friend who says they would never doing something (sell out) but did anyway and a person looking back on it think emotionaly "it's fucking woderful they sold you out" then changing and saying "every note of it is wrong" the part about selling for millons now, I believe is love's way of telling Kurt that he should have stayed around to see hole's success and that she was angey also in the fact that she had to tell everyone that he was gone. just my opinion! - - - - - - - - - - - - - By nelle Playing Your Song - I think this song is about how the media practically worships Kurt now that he's dead, and there's so many new things out there about him, the muddy banks cd, and when she hears his songs on the radio (and every note of it was wrong). - - - - - - - - - - - - - By ? Playing Your Song - "and now they're playin your song" well this part was sorta remindin me of that barbra walters interview... how courtney was saying that nirvana/kurt whatever and they were writing and playing _against_ some ppl, like the ones who didnt inderstand and they hated, but now nirvanas sold out without knowing it or kurt not trying whatever but now these despised people have bought "nevermind" and how they dont deserve to listen to it look "now theyre playin your song" and the songs were never ever even meant for them to hear, like it totally sells them out that ppl [like barbra walters] have heard of them and knows their songs, but its suppossed to be the punks or whatever and not ever mainstream america... courtney also lets on like she is so pissed that he killed himself why did he leave her and franny alone in the world that hated courtney? and that he could have stayed around a while longer it wasnt so bad... imho. - - - - - - - - - - - - - By Rebecca Playing Your Song - This song is about the fall of grunge and how it's no longer here. "And oh, they bought and sold it, it's gone." It has some references to Kurt's death and is one of the only good songs on CELEBRITY SKIN. Without "Playing your Song", the Hole album would suck. - - - - - - - - - - - - - By Mistica Playing Your Song - "Northern Star" expresses Courtney's sadness over Kurt's death, and this song expresses her anger. In the beginning she she makes somewhat of a reference to his suicide notesaying "You burned right out." Then she goes onto say "We sell for millions now," meaning Hole. They're not the raw band Kurt knew them as anymore. They're Nirvana's equal. Then she sings, "I had to tell them you were gone, I had tell them you were wrong, Now they're playing your song," At the vigil held for Kurt she had to set it in the minds of his fans that he was gone, and that he was wrong to do it. As she finished reading the last line of his note ('It's betterto burn out than to fade away' *above*) she said, "And don't listen to this 'cause it's not fucking true!" Kurt was wrong, hence "I had to tell them you were wrong." And then the fans go home and play his songs, and the radio sations play his songs. It was nosecret that Kurt hated being famous. He states in his note that he doesn't have the drive anymore (ie. "You're bored of everything... You're bored and cynical") Courtney sings, "Oh don't you dare blame me, you trusted everything." She tried to warn him and give him advice on his fame, but he was too trusting of a lot of the money-hungery people around him. Now, probably the most important line in the song, "They sold you out." Kurt died and his record label and the rest of the world started cashing in. More records being sold, more money to his label. They sold him out completely, and "took it in and built a mall" yet they're still playing Kurt's song. - - - - - - - - - - - - - By Dawn Playing Your Song - The last grunge song ever written has Courtney said. Is an awesome song. I think it's about Nirvana's shot to fame. I also think it's how people sold kurt out and used him as a pawn like David Geffen & Gold Mountain. How they used Nirvana to play lollapolloza & the Mtv awards for the beastie boys & how mtv threatened not to play hole & other bands if nirvana didnt play their stupid award show. I think this is a pretty easy song to interpurt. Of course the lines"they bought & sold it all is gone" i think is a reference to kurt & the whole seattle craze. And the lines "and every note of it is wrong. and now they're playing your song" i think is how these people that used kurt are playing his songs & saying what a tradegy it is that he's gone and are holding him up as some kind of demi-god. - - - - - - - - - - - - - By Lilly Petals - A long lost love song. Innocence being what they were drivin by.. talking about those who will make young people cynical and old. "she's the grace of this world, she's too pure" this line right here is in opion about Courtney Love's Daughter Frances Bean. A very sad song.. singing about what is lost and forgotten. and making someone take off their mask and be themselves as in "Tear the petals off of you and make you tell the truth" last but not least I see the following showing Courtney's Vurnablitiy and powerlessness over things "all the lilies bloomed and blossomed, wilted and their shivering i can't stop their withering" - - - - - - - - - - - - - By michelle Petals - i think this song is about the loss of innocence, maybe in the celebrity world. there are so many lies in hollywood, and you should tell the truth. "she's too pure" maybe refers to idealistic actresses who come to hollywood to make it big because they believe its all glamour, when it really is rotten. "for the likes of this world" maybe world means the world of celebrity. the actress is the "lilies bloomed and blossomed" but after she went to hollywood, "wilted adn withered". when her career went down, "she fell with no sound" no one cared about her now that she wasn't famous. i love the reference in the chorous, "tear the petals off of you" to "asking for it" another songabout loss of innocence. i think the whole album represents hollywood/music industry. the songs are musically and lyrically beautiful, but listen very closely they reveal the truth about the glamour. it is pretty on the outside, but it is not pretty on theinside. - - - - - - - - - - - - - By Emily Petals - Courtney is the flower. The "Petals"in this song represent all of Courtney's beauty, talent and good things about her, beauty that shows the person that she is. When she has her "petals", she is a beautiful person that many people respect. "They" are every person who trash her, accuse her, and make her look bad (i.e. the media, Tom Grant, ect). "THEY carry you down" means exactly what it sounds. These people "tear the petals off" of her, and expose ugly little things about her, carrying her down. Everybody had ugly little things about them, but also many beautiful things too. Just like every flower has an ugly little thing deep down inside of it, with all the seeds and everything, and then colorful, lovely petals. But when the petals are torn off, the flower isn't much to look at. - - - - - - - - - - - - - By Dave Petals - A poignant ending to the album. A melancholic elegy for all the withered petals cast into the night. The way the sad strings 'fade up' at the beginning suggests something being dredged up from the distant past - a memory, or an emotion you've become so accustomed to that it takes an effort of will to really feel again. So maybe it's appropriate that Courtney recycles that line from Asking For It. The themes, obviously, are loss of innocence and horror of physical decay. I get the sense that when Courtney sings 'They will make you so cynical', she's addressing not only young teen listeners, but also her daughter - 'She's the grace of this world, she's too pure'. Like Northern Star, this is a plaintive, timeless song. You don't need to read the album cover to see that Billy Corgan worked on it. Northern Star was about a loved one's death. I think Petals is about your own. About Courtney's. It's majesterial, sang by someone who tries to transcend her own mortality, her life. Like she once told her persecutors on her AOL post, 'there's nothing left of me'. Petals is like advice from beyond the grave, dispensed by the still living. If you think I'm exaggerating, compare it to it's 'sister' tracks on Pretty on the Inside and Live Through This (Clouds and Rock Star). The former feels like a kind of breaking free at the end of a tough, grinding, punishing album. It looks to the future. The latter is jokey, and in retrospect, points the way forward to Celebrity Skin. 'Petals' looks to the future too, but, older and wiser, it sees only the disappointments and disillusionments of the past waiting to happen again. But in a way you can beat them by recognising them, and learning. People WILL hurt you. You WILL become old and ugly. You will be dead one day. These are truths that no amount of glitter, makeup or creativity (the petals) can hide for long. You have to have the strength of personality to face them when all else is gone. But there's more than one way to interpret the metaphor. First you probably hear 'stop your lies and bullshit, reveal your true ugliness'. However,'tear the petals off' can also be understood in the Nirvana sense - Nirvana being the spiritual state of being rather than the band! The idea of Nirvana, as I understand it, is that you cast off your ego to become one with the universe. The 'petals' that are superficially pretty in this world mean nothing in the next (if you ever see Hitchcock's Vertigo, look at the scene in which the woman tears the petals from a bunch of flowers and throws them into the sea. It always reminds me of this song, and vice versa). So 'Petals' does have some optimism too. You have to have optimism to be disillusioned in the first place! Tear the petals off. Tell the truth. It's a powerful, stoic song. And from someone who's took as much shit as Courtney Love, it brings a tear to the eye. - - - - - - - - - - - - - Page 1 - Page 2 - Page 3 - Page 4 - Page 5 - Page 6 - Page 7 - Page 9 - - - - - - - - - - - - - |