You crazy baby bathsheba, I wancha
You're suffocating you need a good shed
I'm tired of living, shebe, so gimme
Dead
Dead

We're apin' rapin' tapin' catharsis
You get torn down and get erected
My blood is working but my, my heart is
Dead
Dead
Dead

Hey
Whaddyah know?
You're lovely
Tanned belly
Is starting to grow

Uriah hit the crapper, the crapper
Uriah hit the crapper, the crapper
Uriah hit the crapper, the crapper
Dead
Dead
Dead
Dead
Dead


Lyrics submitted by riffic, edited by hickeryhickery

Dead Lyrics as written by Charles Thompson

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Dead song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

25 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +8
    General Comment

    Here's some more details.

    The song is taken from 2 Samuel, Chapter 11.

    After Bathsheba tells King David that he has impregnated her, David sends for her husband Uriah the Hittite who is fighting in David's army. David tells Uriah to "Go down to your house and wash your feet". But Uriah, being the faithful servant refuses and sleeps outside the entrance to the King's palace.

    The reason David was telling Uriah to go wash his feet is so that he would go home, sleep with his wife, and cover up the pregnancy. That's where the "hit the crapper" part comes from... it's King David telling Uriah to go home to his bathroom and wash his feet.

    I believe that the whole reference to "Dead" is the fact that starting with these evil deeds, King David's life starts to go downhill, leading to his death.

    P.S. Frank Black confirms that this song is indeed about David and Bathsheba in a recent SPIN article, (Summer 2004).

    9ignon November 06, 2004   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    as far as I can tell, black francis wrote this song from the perspective of king david. i vaguely remember a biblical story in which king david sees bathsheba bathing and has her sent to his palace. meanwhile, he sends bathsheba's husband, uriah, off to the front line of battle, where he dies.

    zooeyon August 11, 2002   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    Suitably filthy song for the unsuitable and filthy deeds of King David.

    As an epilogue to Bathsheba getting pregnant and Uriah getting sent to the front line and topped by the opposing army, David & Bathsheba's baby dies. Never say the Bible's light reading.

    _ellieon March 09, 2005   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    One question I have: any idea what the line "you're suffocating you need a good shed" means?

    Shed is an easy rhyme with dead.

    I think it's David telling her, "You're place is pretty small, baby. You can hardly breathe there. Come on over and live at my place."

    drosson December 12, 2006   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    zooey, yep that's correct, he sees her bathing and brings her over, impregnates her, and then he asks uriah to go over and have sex with his wife, so it seems as if he impregnated her, but uriah didn't agree, he sayed that it isn't fair for him to rest while other soldiers are dying, so david sent him to die in battle. (corrupt lil' bastard) and other than that, this song rules

    Speedy Marieon March 15, 2003   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    This song is just another brilliant Pixies creation. And it's "I can't think of nothing/ I'd like to do a nursery rhyme" like melonforecstasy said.

    ArrrtStarrron July 15, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    9ign, I think "Uriah hit the crapper" is just a rude way of saying that he died. Frank Black said in some interview that the word "dead" in the song is a metaphor for lustful sex.

    The song has depressing lyrics, but it makes me bob my head everytime I hear it.

    (Sorry if this is a triple post, hope it's not)

    lactosefreemanon December 26, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Absolutely love this and all of Frank's biblical songs.

    One question I have: any idea what the line "you're suffocating you need a good shed" means?

    KobayashiJTon October 15, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    what an excellent song this is. I hear the distorted guitar as a clear inspiration for Nirvana's Radio Friendly Unit Shifter, among others. and the change of the funk riff from a major interval to a minor interval the second time it is played is absolutely genious!

    r_bloodworthon May 30, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Of course we all know the French refer to orgasm as "the little death," and this song makes the connection between sex and death just as explicit. David's lustful demands morph suddenly into suicidal urges. And of course in the story death does result from David's actions, though not his own.

    tommythecat42on August 19, 2007   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Holiday
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday". I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
Album art
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version. Great version of a great song,
Album art
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example: "'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Album art
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
Album art
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it. “I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.