In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
She spent twenty years in the Dakota
Every single day it was black in the Dakota
Riot grrrls think you can stop me
And you're forever in her debt
Well I know you haven't sent me
And you haven't sent her yet
She spent twenty years like a virus
They want to burn the witch who's inside us
Well you, you don't fuck with the fabulous four
Or you spend the rest of your life
Picking things up off the floor
She's still alive but I am sure
That all the stars belong to her
On California king-sized beds
She's wrapped in rags inside my head
This is the story, this is the story of someone who's wild
Big black rules, pearl, life
(I don't remember, I forget)
Oh, baby dry your dirty eyes
My water breaks like turpentine
The pee girl burns to be a bride
Your ever lovely suicide
Are they coming for me
Are they coming soon
Hey Jude, hey Jude
Are they coming for me
Judy, Judy
Are they coming soon
(I don't remember, I forget)
The pee girl burns to be a bride
Your ever lovely suicide
I don't remember, I forget
Every single day it was black in the Dakota
Riot grrrls think you can stop me
And you're forever in her debt
Well I know you haven't sent me
And you haven't sent her yet
She spent twenty years like a virus
They want to burn the witch who's inside us
Well you, you don't fuck with the fabulous four
Or you spend the rest of your life
Picking things up off the floor
She's still alive but I am sure
That all the stars belong to her
On California king-sized beds
She's wrapped in rags inside my head
This is the story, this is the story of someone who's wild
Big black rules, pearl, life
(I don't remember, I forget)
Oh, baby dry your dirty eyes
My water breaks like turpentine
The pee girl burns to be a bride
Your ever lovely suicide
Are they coming for me
Are they coming soon
Hey Jude, hey Jude
Are they coming for me
Judy, Judy
Are they coming soon
(I don't remember, I forget)
The pee girl burns to be a bride
Your ever lovely suicide
I don't remember, I forget
Lyrics submitted by ShiverForMe, edited by scottdoesntknow628
20 Years in the Dakota Lyrics as written by Eric T. Erlandson Courtney M Love
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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i think this song is about how courtney and kurt were like the john and yoko in that everyone thought she was destroying him and his musical career. And there are the beatles referances like fab 4 and the dakota apartment building were john and yoko lived. This is one of my fav hole songs its such a powerful analogy between two musical couples.
I'm new to this site and was checking out all of HOLE's lyrics and it is funny how alot of people really think that Courtney's lyrics are about Kurt or herself. Not every song is about him and her. Especially this song. It is clearly about Yoko Ono. Just listen to the words, it's apparent."vapid,"have2mints"and"eatmorefruitandnut" are the only ones who got it right.
P.S They named their daughter after frances from the Vastelines (a band kurt liked and coverd their songs) Not after frances farmer. Farmer was an actress and a mental drunk but i feel bad for her 'cause they locked her up and i think she got raped or something?
WRONG! In Courtney's journal in the 80s she wrote that her first daughter would be called Frances. The fact that they liked Frances Farmer and Frances from the Vaselines is coincidence.
This song is about Herself, Yoko Ono and Nancy Spungen.
"The Pee-Girl Burns To Be A Bride" - about her and her want to be loved. (Everyone's right about "Pee-Girl". Good job, kiddies.)
"You Dont F*Ck With The Fabulous Four" - about Yoko Ono (duh)
"Your Ever Lovely Suicide" Reference to Kurt and Nancy S (Sid and her had a suicide pact).
In the live version she says "This is the story, the story of someone's wife." Another reference to her and Yoko. Because everyone sees them as somebody's wife, not themselves. The song is also a semi-parody on all her other songs. Hey Jude is an obvious refference to John Lennon but it was also Kurt C's favourite song. She does a cover of it "Shut up!.. This is kurt's favourite song, ok? NA NA NA NA NA Hey Juuuude!! etc etc Do you think he heard us?"
emeraldsforeyes, no one is going take you seriously if your death date is out FOUR GODDAM YEARS. Loser. Yay!! Another "I hate Courtney Love because..." and "She killed Kurt because..." THAT'S what the world needs. We also need more Michael Jackson parodies and jokes. And theories on where all the "dead" rockstars are living, alive and happy. Ugh.
That is all.
Oh, machupicchu, you're lovely.
this is just a really nice song! courtney sings it nicely, which is a strange cos her old stuff's usually really grungey! it reminds me of summer!
pee girl is a referrence to her nickname as a kid. i think 20 years in the dakota might be somethin to do with kurt saying something similar to her before his suicide, about the beatles. its about her
kurt and courtney used to have a saying about john lennon(i think) spending 20 years in the dakota
She's comparing herself to Yoko Ono. She's asking how can Riot Grrrls even think they can stop her when they'd be nothing without Yoko Ono, who she's emulating.
Yes, this is a song about Yoko Ono. Courtney probably wrote it because she does have a lot in common with Yoko Ono, if you think about it.
1990? Ummm no - I believe it was 1994, and it was suicide (tell all your Kurt friends that too..). You think ur a Kurt Cobain fan but you have just shown how little you know about him or his wife. Thats what annoys me so much about all the Kurt fans - they are quick to diss Courtney (btw I enjoy both of their music - but prefer Courtney and Hole over Nirvana), when they haven't got the slightest clue about her life or what she has been through. She was not just a male, I have seen you write that on this site before - stop it before some people start to believe you... Courtney's mother was called Linda, though she doesn't have much to do with her (since her early childhood). Get your facts straight...
i hate when people think that all the things she wrote about were on kurt or kurt and herself or frances and kurt or frances, her, and kurt or her and frances. it MAKES ME SICK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!