Gouge Away

the song is very enigmatic, but I suspect it refers to the biblical story of Samson, who had his eyes gouged out by his enemies, and eventually killed them all when he was chained to two pillars in their stronghold: he pulled the pillars down, bringing the building down and killing himself and his enemies.

The secret of his strength was his hair: as long as it remained uncut he was stronger than ay other man. He was betrayed by Delilah the woman he loved, who shaved his head and handed him over to his enemies, but when his hair grew back he pulled the house down on them as described above. This explains the lyrics about "missy aggravation" (Delilah, who got the secret of his hair out of him by annoying him) and the reference to stroking his locks (of hair)

Many of the Pixies early songs had references to old testament stories in them. Black Francis was just into the weirdness and violence of the old testament apparently...

Zot's on the money with everything.

"missy aggravation some sacred questions you stroke my locks some marijuana if you got some "

although they probably didn't smoke weed back then, Frank Black was trying to say that Delihah got the hair secret out of him by giving him drugs along with having sex with him and bothering him.

The bible stuff's a given but i think there's other things in there . Gouge is allso slang for injecting heroin and what do most junkies cook their heroin on ? A: a spoon , allso , people are allways banging on about how marijuana is a gateway drug to other harder drugs like heroin . I think this song is Frank Black talking about a relationship with someone (doesn't have to be a lover ) that allso involved drugs and using the story of sampson as a metaphor for how the situation made him feel and maybe how he dealt with it . Junkies do tend to stay all day once they've had a fix .

We know that Frank Black and bassist Kim Deal had a rocky relationship. They were at each other's throats from the early days of the band. Kim always pushed to contribute more to the music. Frank wanted complete artistic control.

So, in Gouge Away, Frank casts himself as Samson and Kim as Delilah. Her "gouging" clouds his artistic vision. She "cuts his locks," undermining his power to take the band in the direction he wants it to go. He says in this song, "OK, keep on gouging away, Kim, day by by, hour by hour. But you know what? At some point not long from now, I'll rise up and bring this whole temple crashing the ground, killing us all." In other words, he is threatening to break up the band.

Is this the "correct" interpretation? I don't know. But thinking of the song this way make it the very best Pixies song for me.

yeah, black francis was very interested in Old Testament stories. 'Dead' is based on King David and Bathsheba

this is the first Pixies song i heard and one of the best. Doolittle is such a great album

HAVE ANY OF YOU HEARD OF A GODDAM METAPHOR?

Its not "A samson and delilah story and requires no further interpretation". You simplify the song by saying such a ridiculous thing to the point it insults the songwrite. The samson and delilah story is a metaphor/allegory for fucks sake. Thompson obviously felt that it paralleled something in his personal life, most likely relating to stoner sessions with some company (delilah) that was not entirely wanted.

Everyone here is saying either that its smason story or pot stoyy. ITS BOTH AND SO MUCH MORE. CLue that its obviously not just a samson story...the mention of marijuana, "a bad charm with holy fingers" - HE'S ROLLING A JOINT, and why would he write a song about an old testament story that bore no resemblance to his own reality?

And its not just about POT.

A full analysis of this song would take an essay, and even so you could never achieve complete certainty. GREAT LYRICS HAVE LAYERS... and a lot of subtley, people seem to want to wrap it up in a quick and easy explanation... accept that the full meaning is abstract and elusive and all depends how deep u want to go.

Ok I agree that the songs structure is derived from the Samson story. Of course its not about Samson, but himself. I think he may be using the story to describe his relationship between him and his ex girl friend... but it could be more general than that...

it was Samons weakness for women and not listing to god that would eventually lead to his "warrior suicide"

He fell in love and gave his heart to what would prove to be an evil manipulating woman and she betrayed him. (been rubbing bad charm with holly fingers.. Great Line)

Maybe the marijuana reference was what he thought to be the solution? lol or maybe it was something to cope with the pain... marijuana can be an enjoyable distraction from your problems or it can make you think and sort out your problems... so i really don't know what he means by that its too vague.. but it sounds cool.. its a great line lol

In the story of Samson he told a riddle to the philistines and he bet them 30 pairs of clothes that they couldn't solve it. for 3 days they could not solve it and on the forth day they black mailed his wife to pry the information out of him or they would burn down her fathers house and kill them. (a three day party)

After being captured, eyes gouge out with swords, imprisoned, enslaved, they degrade him by putting him on display when then he ask god for the strength to get his vengeance for taking his eyes by killing them all. and god being the vengeful "eye for an eye" guy that he is (lol) he grants him his strength.

i break the walls and kill us all with holy fingers

I believe these lines have a double meaning.. the literal interpretation of it is that god granted Samson the power because he was righteous. i belive Francis felt righteous as well since it was the girl who done him wrong. and the walls are the boundary that he broke that killed the relationship.

i think that zot is right due to another line ssin this song which involes biblical reference "sleeping on your belly " in biblical timews snakes were thought to be on the belly so to speak and slither along.

some marijuana if you got some

What exactly does this mean? Does it have anything to do with the testament?