This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
Got hair in a girl, that flows to her bones
And a comb in her pocket, if the winds get blown
Stripes on her eyes when she walks slow
But her face falls down, when she go, go, go
Black tear falling on my lazy queen
Gotta tattooed tit say number 13
Viva, don't want no blue eyes
La loma, I want brown eyes
Rica, I'm in a state, I'm in a state
I'm in a state, I'm in a state
I'm in a state, I'm in
Choir in the yard, in the house next door
Where a grandma brought, some songs from the shore
Six foot girl gonna, sweat when she dig
Stand close to the fire, when they light the pig
Standing in her chinos shirt pulled off clean
Gotta tattooed tit say number 13
Viva, don't want no blue eyes
La loma, I want brown eyes
Rica, I'm in a state, I'm in a state
I'm in a state, I'm in a state, I'm in a state
Viva, don't want no blue eyes
La loma, I want brown eyes
Rica, I'm in a state
And a comb in her pocket, if the winds get blown
Stripes on her eyes when she walks slow
But her face falls down, when she go, go, go
Black tear falling on my lazy queen
Gotta tattooed tit say number 13
Viva, don't want no blue eyes
La loma, I want brown eyes
Rica, I'm in a state, I'm in a state
I'm in a state, I'm in a state
I'm in a state, I'm in
Choir in the yard, in the house next door
Where a grandma brought, some songs from the shore
Six foot girl gonna, sweat when she dig
Stand close to the fire, when they light the pig
Standing in her chinos shirt pulled off clean
Gotta tattooed tit say number 13
Viva, don't want no blue eyes
La loma, I want brown eyes
Rica, I'm in a state, I'm in a state
I'm in a state, I'm in a state, I'm in a state
Viva, don't want no blue eyes
La loma, I want brown eyes
Rica, I'm in a state
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Ed Sheeran
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Here's FB on "No. 13 Baby" from NME in 1989:
"This is a collage of images of when I was growing up in Los Angeles. Number 13 traditionally means bad luck, but in America, especially in the 60’s among bikers and chicanos, the number 13 is the thirteenth letter of the alphabet: M for marijuana. It’s a really goofy sub culture, but it’s kinda funny, and even today you can see it spray-painted on walls ‘The Meter Boys Number 13’. So it is about a Mexican girl or a Samoan girl, a boyish, sexual, adolescent collage of Southern California living."
I always wondered what the whole number 13 was about.
Hahaha, love it, So it's pretty obvious, He's got the Brown Feva! He's in a state of desiring a Hispanic girl, the "sweat when she dig, gonna lite that pig," part, is how we Hispanic cook carnitas REAL good, we dig a hole and let em steam cook. I bet NOONE got that pig part.
Whatever it's about, I think that this is the Pixies' greatest song, and that's saying a lot when talking about a band whose other works include "Debaser," "Hey," "Gouge Away," "Where Is My Mind?," etc. The outro alone is insane and totally hypnotic. Every time I hear it, I just want it to go on forever. The "I'm in a state" part is fantastic as well.
Thanks, Bully. May I suggest Van Morrison's Brown Eyed Girl. It's a very popular song...played daily for years on end by some :D Us blue-eyed women have to dig and scratch and beg and plead to find takers. But we survive!
It's definitely my favorite of theirs. And I figured I was the only one!
I totally agree with you. I saw them in 2009 and when they did this song the outro went on for what seemed like forever. They just jammed that chord progression over and over, silhouetted by the smoke and like all moving to the beat together.<br /> <br /> It was fucking magic. MAGIC.
It's awesome isn't? The outro is so sublime it really makes discussion of the lyric seem superfluous. I am a longtime Pixies fan and have every album but this song remains my favourite, mainly because of the ending. One of those things that it's hard to put into words but I can see from the other comments here that I'm not the only one. The entire lyric might as well be nonsense (not saying it is, I'm just ignorant) but as far as I'm concerned the emotional content is well captured by the line "I'm in a state"
this song meant so much to me that i actually went and got " number 13" tatoo'ed on the side of my breast. no lie.
Frank's obsession with Latino Girl
Hmm, I agree with gilbag but I think it's about Frank's love for Polynesian or Hawaiian girls. There is imagery of a luau: "stand close to the fire when they light the pig." I think the Spanish thrown in is just typical Frank Black lyrics. I don't think it has any significance. There are many Pixies songs where Spanish or Spanish-type lyrics are thrown in without real significance. Take Debaser: Un Chien Andalusia is take from the film Un Chien Andalou, but changed and pronounced phonetically in Spanish. Also Crackity Jones: "la muneca," etc. Also some songs from Come On Pilgrim, and I'm sure that there are many more with Spanish thrown in randomly.
gonna sound like a pedant but Debaser uses French, not Spanish: it's taken from Un Chien Andalou (an Andalusian Dog), a surrealist film infamous for an eyeball cutting scene. I think I remember reading somewhere that FB was trying to sound wanky and pretentious deliberately.<br /> <br /> Love this song, the outro is better than sex.
Yeah man I think that guy knows 'Un Chien Andalou' is French; that's why he says it's 'changed and pronounced phonetically in Spanish'.
It's actually the tasty HILL, which I assume is refering to teh tit.
I just found out that Black Francis studied Spanish in Puerto Rico...an island ("songs from the shore") which isn't really...a state...ok, my theory died.
Hell's Angels also often had "13" tattoos, or stitched on the back of their jackets. 13 = M for Marijuana. It was just a sign to other like minded people.
Best song they ever made. Black Francis is a legend for writing such a wicked song and that outro almost brings me to tears. Beautiful!