Track 6 off
Bikini Kill's 1996 album
Reject All American.
I can't say everything about it
In just one single song
I can't put how I feel in a package
To sell it back to everyone
But wait
There's another boy genius
Who's fucking gone
I hope the food tastes better in heaven
I know there's lots of rad queer boys up there
And I hope that every time they talk to you
They know that they're lucky to be your friend
Cuz look
There's another boy genius
Who's fucking gone
And I wouldn't be so fucking mad
So fucking pissed off
If it wasn't so fucking wrong
It's all fucking wrong
It's not fair, it's not fair, it's not fair, it's not fair, it's not fair!
No one said life was easy
Yeah, but no one said
No one said that nothing's supposed to happen, right?
No, no one told me anything
To prepare me for fucking this
There's another boy genius
Who's fucking gone
Don't tell me it don't matter
Don't tell me it don't matter
Don't tell me I've had three days to get over it
It won't go away
It just won't go away
Pretty straightforward looking,
eh? No deep
metaphors, no complex
allegory, just a forthright emotional outburst.
Well, what really makes this song the fantastic, moving piece of work that it is is Kathleen Hanna's amazing vocals. She turns what looks like a decent bit of poetry into a passionate, emotional, and intense ballad. The first time I heard this song I just sat there, dumbstruck. You must hear this.
Kathleen wrote this song after a close friend of hers succumbed to AIDS. It's really a departure for Bikini Kill: a quiet, sad song coming from a band known for its "ass-kicking girl anthems" and furious, insightful social commentary. I wouldn't even call it punk. I'd just say it's amazing.
The title, by the way, stands for "Rest In Pissoff-ed ness".