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.
@Hippocamp Just a quick addition. Kim sings backup. Just listen to her first "la la la la" and how much venom is lurking under the surface. It's as if she is saying, "I can't believe I'm in a f**ckin band where all I get to do is play bass and sing la la la la". Just heard Kim on a podcast with Marc Maron, and it was clear that she had no interest in talking about Pixies, because she saw Pixies as a Frank project that she didn't get to make much of a contribution to....
@Hippocamp Just a quick addition. Kim sings backup. Just listen to her first "la la la la" and how much venom is lurking under the surface. It's as if she is saying, "I can't believe I'm in a f**ckin band where all I get to do is play bass and sing la la la la". Just heard Kim on a podcast with Marc Maron, and it was clear that she had no interest in talking about Pixies, because she saw Pixies as a Frank project that she didn't get to make much of a contribution to.
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.
@Hippocamp Just a quick addition. Kim sings backup. Just listen to her first "la la la la" and how much venom is lurking under the surface. It's as if she is saying, "I can't believe I'm in a f**ckin band where all I get to do is play bass and sing la la la la". Just heard Kim on a podcast with Marc Maron, and it was clear that she had no interest in talking about Pixies, because she saw Pixies as a Frank project that she didn't get to make much of a contribution to....
@Hippocamp Just a quick addition. Kim sings backup. Just listen to her first "la la la la" and how much venom is lurking under the surface. It's as if she is saying, "I can't believe I'm in a f**ckin band where all I get to do is play bass and sing la la la la". Just heard Kim on a podcast with Marc Maron, and it was clear that she had no interest in talking about Pixies, because she saw Pixies as a Frank project that she didn't get to make much of a contribution to.