Thirty licks with a belt - same old tricks on myself And I wonder does everyone else live this way A succession of tests a triumphant success Each time I'm still intact at the end of the day thirty drops in a glass - keep my temper and pass With my breath held you bastards you lucked out again! Its not really so bad, there's still mom there's still Damage to do before they wrest the axe from my hands its no mystery: you should obviously go Before I break everything You're always telling me that you're dying to know But you're not really listening how do I manage to station myself in harms way And only get hit with a ticket for loitering That I have no way to pay - and no strength to argue My personal demons can scheme with professional care Oh, god, they're after me If I could shut them out just for an second I swear I could stop this catastrophe thirty day guarantee But they can't have meant me After all I was born to a childproof world No sharp corners or glass, Small objects or plastic bags Please, these are death to a delicate girl its no mystery - you should obviously know That I'll destroy everything So don't go telling me that you're dying to know Cause you'll get what you're asking for and I still manage to station my self in harm's way And only get hit with a ticket for loitering Stating I came the wrong day Now all the demons are screaming their wages aren't fair I've left a secret kept If I could shut them up just for a second I swear It'll look like an accident I could be decent yet The magnificent end I could be president....



Lyrics submitted by okokayok

Track duration: 04:49

"Thirty Whacks" as written by Amanda Palmer

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.

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Thirty Whacks song meanings
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  • 0
    General Comment:am i the ONLY one who thinks lizzie was framed? that evidence was circumstantial and besides... ladies don't just off someone with an axe.. we're much cleverer than that! ;)
    Flagged madmannequin13on July 10, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Well, i recognise the Lizzie Borden reference. But im not really sure you can write a song without picking words from your own feelings.
    And interpriting with my own experiences this song is about a desire to hurt other people, as well as yourself. Just allowing things to happen to you that you know will cause damage but you just go the hell ahead and do it anyways. and then you dont get the punishment you wanted from people "only a ticket...", but it is still is too much. and you still hope things will work out even though you have damned yourself.
    and also the wanting to actually get people who you blame for your problems outve your life, like Lizzie, opression and whatnot. i enjoy this song during bouts of self-indulgent sadness hehe
    Flag blackskieslullabyon July 13, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Hi, has this song only been released in America? Cos i'm really struggling to find it here in the uk, it's not on ebay or itunes. Could anyone who ahs the song please please send it to me? I heard it on youtube and love it. Thanks, iz x
    Flag getupeatjellyon July 13, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:ok I love this song...it's about hopelessness, and wanting something more in life than what you've got or had. The end
    "I could be decent, yet. be magnificent. I could be president" seems to hold a little hope for the future, but it seems to me to be noted with wishing.

    these are the lyrics I got from the version I've listed to (I've only heard on version, and I think it's the on from "A is for accident")

    Thirty licks with a belt
    same old tricks on myself
    And I wonder, does everyone else live this way?
    A succession of tests,
    a triumphant success
    Each time I'm still intact at the end of the day

    Thirty drops in a glass
    keep my temper and pass
    With my breath held,
    you bastards, you've lucked out again
    It's not really so bad,
    there’s still mom there’s still
    damage to do before they wrest the axe from my hands

    It's no mystery
    you should obviously go
    Before I break everything
    You’re always telling me that you're dying to know
    But you’re not really listening

    How do I manage to station myself in harms way and only get hit with a ticket for loitering
    That I have no way to pay
    and no strength to argue?
    My personal demons can scheme with professional care (though "flair" may be right)
    Oh god, they're after me
    If I could shut them up just for a second, I swear...
    I could stop this catastrophe!

    Thirty day guarantee, but they can't have meant me
    After all I was born to a childproof world
    No sharp corners or glass, small objects or plastic bags
    Please, these are death to a delicate girl

    It's no mystery
    you should obviously know
    That I’ll destroy everything
    So don't keep telling me that you're dying to know
    'Cause you’ll get what you're asking for

    And I still manage to station myself in harm's way
    And only get hit with a ticket for loitering
    Stating I came the wrong... day...
    Now all the demons are screaming their wages aren't fair
    I've left a secret kept
    If I could shut them up just for a hour, I swear...
    It would look like an accident!
    I could be decent yet!
    Be magnifecent!
    I could be president!

    love love lovers...enjoy :)
    Flag peace_loser_girlon May 24, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:other people keep telling you they're there for you, but in practice, never seem to really care.
    "you're always telling me that you're dying to know, but you're not really listening."
    on the other hand, if you do confide in them, they begin to treat you like something fragile and unpredictable.

    i think this song is about the helpless, angry feeling that arises from being trapped in a cycle of depression. you know you're going to ruin your personal relationships, because nothing can stop someone who has loss interest in fixing his or her life--"it's no mystery, you should obviously go."
    and in the background, there's always the bitter knowledge that you technically could fix your life, even though in the everyday, you feel too overwhelmed to do it.
    Flag abuliaon November 04, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Yes, yes it seems to be about Lizzie Borden and probably is but as CoinXOperatedXGirl pointed out once before that Amanda, being the lovely girl she is, rarely lives her songs to be so superficial as to only have one meaning. As with most of her songs (i.e. Sex Changes & First Orgasm), it has a deeper meaning besides the obvious. Now what you believe that meaning is, is up to you. I personally believe it is probably inspired mainly by her relationship with her father along with other important people in her life that leave her feeling fragile and a bit unstable (like Lizzie).

    But again... just my opinion.
    Flag AmandaMichelleon July 08, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I get the whole Lizzie Borden thing- just one flaw: she killed her mother first and then her father. "There's still mom there's still damage to do..." could just be an oversight. Or I guess a lot of her songs have double meanings and not every line fits both meanings so that could be a reference to how she still has her mother even though her dad walked out...
    Flag SumerAir30304on March 15, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:seems to me like this song is about being in a mental hospital. a lot of it appears to me like a battle against the forces that put her there - her parents, the doctors, and her own "personal demons."
    the "You’re always telling me that you're dying to know
    But you’re not really listening" seems like a reference to the doctors asking her questions, but then ignoring her answers to enforce their own ideas of what's wrong.
    "If I could shut them up just for a second, I swear... I could stop this catastrophe!"
    people who hear voices often feel that if they can have one moment of silence in their heads, they could figure things out.
    mental illness seems especially applicable to the last lines - the idea that her illness is preventing her from all of the things she could be.
    Flag hmstaab06on March 04, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Thirty licks with a belt
    playing tricks on myself
    And I wonder, does everyone else live this way?
    A succession of tests,
    a triumphant success
    Each time I'm still intact at the end of the day

    Thirty drops in a glass
    keep my temper and pass
    With my breath held,
    you bastards, you've lucked out again (This line is occasionally played as "You bastards, I'll get you! but then...")
    It's not really so bad,
    there’s still mom there’s still da-
    mage to do before they wrest the axe from my hands

    It's no mystery
    you should obviously go
    Before I break everything
    You’re always telling me that you're dying to know
    But you’re not really listening

    How do I manage to station myself in harms way and only get hit with a ticket for loitering
    That I have no way to pay
    and no strength to argue?
    My personal demons can scheme with professional flair
    Oh god, they're after me
    If I could shut them up just for a second, I swear...
    I could stop this catastrophe!

    Thirty day guarantee, but they can't have meant me
    After all I was born to a childproof world
    No sharp corners or glass, small objects or plastic bags
    Please, these are death to a delicate girl

    It's no mystery
    you should obviously know
    That I’ll destroy everything
    So don't keep telling me that you're dying to know
    'Cause you’ll get what you're asking for

    And I still manage to station myself in harm's way
    And only get hit with a ticket for loitering
    Stating I came the wrong... day...
    (Occasionally, a lyric is also added here: "What kind of place is this?")
    Now all the demons are screaming their wages aren't fair
    I've got a secret kept
    If I could shut them up just for a hour, I swear...
    It would look like an accident!
    I could be decent yet!
    I could make up for everything!
    I COULD BE PRESIDENT!

    There... Those are what I use as vox when I play this song.
    Flag drewenon January 28, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:The Lizzie Borden explaination is one that I picked up right away. I think that was one idea especially in the line that follows.

    "its not really so bad, there’s still mom there’s still
    damage to do before they wrest the axe from my hands"

    I also got the impression of an insane asylum in this line.

    "no sharp corners or glass
    no small objects or plastic bags
    please, these are death to a delicate girl"

    It got me thinking because you aren't allowed to wear belts or sharp objects or anything that can be used as weapons in asylums for fear that the patient will hurt themself or someone else.
    Flag Glass_slipperon December 04, 2006   Link

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