In her mourning
In her grave
Don't you miss the way
That she brushed her heavy hair
Oh la la la la la

Acid burned face clowny tear smile
She's the one who made you wild
She made you question all your answers
Made you beg for her forgiveness

Baby girl, don't cry
Momma's gonna buy you a glass eye
And it will glimmer like starlight

She's got no reservations
Ain't got no place to be
He graveyard's in the backyard
Where the meadows used to be

Lord knows my destination
Lord's heard my inner prayer
Mom'll find me by the river
Sunken with her party balloons

Flowers for the ones you loved
Flowers for the lost at sea
Flowers for the ones you loved
Flowers for the lost at sea



Lyrics submitted by mexicanpony, edited by arpadime

Track duration: 04:40

"R.I.P. Burn Face" as written by Sierra Rose Casady, Bianca Leilani Casady

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.

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R.I.P Burn Face song meanings
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13 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:how do you guys not hear sunken? why the fuck would someone being soaking with her party balloons....
    Flag krollisasexyhoeon November 03, 2012   Link
  • +2
    My Interpretation:I adore this song - but I hope my dark interpretation of it doesn't spoil it for anyone else.

    I take it to be about the terrible punishments and "honour killings" that take place in Islamic communities all over the world when women don't behave as the men around them would wish; when they show too much independence or date outside of Islam or just don't behave like Muslim doormats.(She's the one who made you wild/ She made you question all your answers) These women end up with acid thrown in their faces (Acid burnt face/Clowny tear smile) to destroy their looks, confidence and sight (Baby girl, don't cry/Mama's gonna buy you a glass eye) or else they 'disappear' altogether; presumably into a river or shallow grave. (The graveyard's in the backyard Where the meadow used to be... Mom'll find me by the river)

    The parts in Farsi talking about tears, about sight, about God etc. only bolster this meaning for me: (I swear to God I don't see my family anymore)It's an extremely controversial subject but one CocoRosie as women wanted to tackle somehow - how female power is feared and punished by Islam.




    In her mourning, in her grief
    Don't you miss the way
    That she brushed her heavy hair
    Oh and la la la la la

    So in this part the singer is addressing the man who mutilated and killed the woman, presumably his wife, or perhaps daughter, 'don't you miss the beautiful woman you destroyed?'

    Acid burnt face
    Clowny tear smile
    She's the one who made you wild
    She made you question all your answers
    Made you beg for her forgiveness

    So here is what he's done to her and the reasons for it - the acid has burned her face away leaving a melted, grotesque clowny-looking face - perhaps the lips are burned away so it looks like a crying, clowny smile (I told you this is a really dark, horrible interpretation - but I'm pretty certain it's correct - CocoRosie have a way of taking the most ugly things and taking them beautiful which I really admire.) And he did this to her because she made him question his beliefs - perhaps his faith - and basically she didn't behave right for him and it made him wild, angry, crazy - but now he is perhaps begging for her forgiveness inside because he has done this awful thing but realises it is wrong and misses the memory of her beautiful hair burned away.

    Baby girl, don't cry
    Mama's gonna buy you a glass eye
    And it will glimmer like starlight

    In these acid attacks the eyes are usually destroyed, hence needing glass eyes - I'm guessing perhaps she survived the acid and tried to live on but was too upset by her disfigurement to continue with life, although her mother is trying to comfort her here, I feel.

    She's got no reservations
    And got no place to be
    The graveyard's in the backyard
    Where the meadow used to be


    Now in this part I think either the burned girl is ready to die rather than live with her disfigurement or perhaps more likely the man who burned her is consumed with guilt when he looks at what he has done to her and decides to kill her (That earlier line,"Made you beg for her forgiveness" suggests he feels some kind of shame or remorse at what he's done).

    Because of her disfigurement or because of her lifelong oppression, "She's got no reservations/And got no place to be", no one will miss her so he can safely dispose of her, "The graveyard's in the backyard". I also think saying that she has no reservations also refers to what she is being punished for - not showing a proper degree of reservation in her behavior, in her modesty - perhaps she dared to go out with her beautiful hair uncovered?


    Lord knows my destination
    Lord hears my inner prayer
    Mom'll find me by the river
    Soaking with her party balloons


    Here are further references to religion, to God, and that this Mother figure who has been present in the background throughout this song knows where her daughter's body is - but will most likely not be telling anybody lest she meet the same kind of fate. These terrible events are hidden within the family and even other women are too scared or too conditioned to come out and protect or report the murders of their daughters, and in that sense are implicated in the crimes. If you are not part of the solution you are part of the problem.

    So, a nasty story but told beautifully - and in such a way that hopefully CocoRosie will not be kidnapped and murdered for speaking up. One has to be so careful these days!
    Flag shinealighton March 16, 2012   Link
  • +3
    Translation:Before the main verse begins, and throughout the song, you can hear the singer murmur seemingly unintelligible words, but they are indeed just lyrics in Farsi, the Persian language.

    I've included the translations in parentheses along with the lyrics where they are found in the song.




    (If we laugh, this laughter is a because I have stopped crying... I don't have tears anymore.)

    Baby girl don't cry
    Mama scared the boy who had cloud sigh
    And it will glimmer life's so alive

    (I swear to God I don't see my family anymore)

    She's got no reservations and got no place to be
    The graveyard's in the backyard where the meadow used to be
    Lord knows my destination
    Lord hears my inner prayer
    One will find me by the river
    Soaking with her party balloons

    (There is nothing that is left for me to do for her...)

    Flowers for the ones you loved
    Flowers for the lost I'd see

    (...I guess I just have to be alone)

    Flowers for the ones you loved
    Flowers for the lost I'd see
    Flowers for the ones you loved
    Flowers for the lost I'd see
    Flowers for the ones you loved
    Flowers for the lost I'd see

    (I will never see my family...
    There is nothing that is left for me to do for her...)




    I can't believe I just realized this after listening to the song, it really adds a cool element to it. For reference, the ellipses indicate that the words were truly untranslatable due to the volume of the instrumental track.
    Flag theadrianmanon February 15, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:who is the song about?? who is acid burnt face?
    Flag morrisgumpon November 15, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think it goes like this:

    Baby girl don't cry,
    Mama's gonna buy you a glass eye,
    And it will glimmer life so alive

    She definitely doesn't says "Glimmer like starlight", starlight is nowhere to hear
    Flag Grandmotheron October 04, 2010   Link
  • +1
    Lyric Correction:In her mourning, in her grief
    Don't you miss the way
    That she brushed her heavy hair
    Oh and la la la la la
    Acid burnt face
    Clowny tear smile
    She's the one who made you wild
    She made you question all your answers
    Made you beg for her forgiveness

    Baby girl, don't cry
    Mama's gonna buy you a glass eye
    And it will glimmer like starlight

    She's got no reservations
    And got no place to be
    The graveyard's in the backyard
    Where the meadow used to be
    Lord knows my destination
    Lord hears my inner prayer
    Mom'll find me by the river
    Soaking with her party balloons

    Flowers for the ones you loved
    Flowers for the lost at sea
    Flag museumon September 13, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:"Flowers for the lost at sea"?
    Whole album is a masterpiece, as usual.
    Flag waxskeletonon July 09, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:Baby girl don't cry
    Mama's gonna buy you a glass eye
    And it will shimmer like starlight

    She's got no reservations and got no place to be
    He graveyards in the backyard where the meadow used to be
    Lord knows my destination
    Lord hears my inner prayer
    Mom'll find me by the river
    Soaking with her party balloons

    ^^ those gotta be right. bought the CD and lyrics were in the cover
    Flag tbeavon June 27, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Mamas gonna buy you a glass eye
    Flag kimberlyOon May 12, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:the autotuned vocals in the beginning say, "crystal light...everyone," in reverse.
    samples from god has a voice she speaks through me.
    Flag ComparedPallidon May 08, 2010   Link

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