Alkaline Trio: Queen Of Pain Meaning
Queen Of Pain Lyrics
Along the east coast maybe, it resides in you, my dear
Worn out on our courtesy, we've made our curtain calls
Like vampire bats deprived of blood, into the New York City night we crawl
And...
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I think the song is about a person who is addicted to some form of drug and the song is sang from the drugs point of view.
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The Miss vincent line is clearly about Van Gogh, I mean, Stars at night (stary night...duh) but his wife???... he never got married, he was fond of hookers, but no wife.
Anyway, weather the friend is a cutter, a heroin addict or just plain dangerous, it´s about a destructive relationship that sort of sucks you in and you need to leave. -
This song is about the writer being in love with a girl who shoots heroine. ("..bathroom surgery,..i've never met arms like yours.") He doesn't believe that they, "..have much time," He implies she uses him as an excuse to abuse opiates, "you said you were just cooling off from thoughts of leaving me. He has also realized that she never loved him, her habit has always come first, she loves IT, not him. "you told me once i made you smile, we both know damn well you didnt."
Most of the lyrical content and metaphors are vague enough so they can be applied to relationships in general. But he makes clear allusions to the problem specifically, this girl puts drugs before him...despite his devotion. His queen of pain causes pain to herself and everyone who loves her.
Skiba is destroying himself by staying with her, he is realizing he will never change her, "Can't put out the fire in you, my dear." His emotions are holding preventing him from doing what he knows what isn't working...or healthy. He is has grown accustomed to the pain she gives him.
He knows she is poison, but he doesn't seem ready to pull the splinter out. He is declaring his "loyalty" ...once more...to his queen of pain,
'Miss Vincent...."
idk if that is her real last name, or its a metaphor." 'Vincent, or Valentine,' is a common name writers of film, literature, videogames, use as names for their vampire characters. (well-known example: remember vincent valentine from final fantasy 7..?) Coupled with this fact, and his reference to "vampire bats depraved of blood," he may be comparing her to this. He feels like she sucks the life from him.
It's really also a love song. Part of him craves and accepts the pain she deals him...mainly because he is caught in a cycle. the pain may also be the only thing he feels anymore, he has become tired, numb...he relies on it, allows it to crush him, he continues to persue her, despite the constant disapointment.
He can't bring himself to forsake his love for her, as futile and destructive as its become. He could stop seeing her now, and save himself much pain. He wants to wait for her, help her. maybe someday she will realize that he would 'test poisoned food for her' ...basically, do anything to have her, even put his own life in peril. Analyzing his endeavors reveals a self-destructive pattern of behavior.
Truth is, He's alot like her.
I love this song soo much, esp the chorus. alk3 is literally the only music ive listened to for over a year straight. ive known they existed, and liked 1 or 2 songs since 8 years ago. but about a year ago i was listening to armageddon, and i thought, wow if these guys can write a song like this, they must have others like it. So, I looked up their discography, started with their 1st album, 'goddamnit,' and started looking up the tracks. I was amazed, i couldt get enough, no other punk band can compare anymore. skiba's lyrics are is essentially poetry, he loves using metaphors...often using dark, or gothic themed imagery. His songs are like the pages of his diary, his deepest angst and despondency (usually in reference to a girl.) Because of this, you are given way into his soul, and your relation and bond to his thoughts and words grows as you hear more and more. chronologically, from the 1st to last album, you can see how he has grown as a person, and how he has stayed the same. You, start to feel like you know him as a close friend. I feel like if i ever had the chance to talk to him, I'd feel like id known him for years
It's also notable that Matt Skiba said recently, "I used to think that being in a highly-emotional state of mind (like right after a bad breakup occured), allowed him to write better, passionate lyrics..when his heart was on fire. But, he has come to see the value in writing in a state of relaxation, and mediation. He just matured, he still remains very emo...very emo. but as an adult, his poetry is more refined, not so direct.
-Alkaline Trio, and Matt Skiba have granted me so much relief through some very dark times.
last 2 albums, eh. havent grown on me like the 1st 4 have. alk3 is the best "Melodic Punk,"band...lately, I feel like they are trying to do something that isnt them. There area few gems, but it largely feels really mainstream and studio-dubbed. Can't blame them for cashing in their chips, after years of hardwork, when a studio is paying you that much money, they deny you artistic licence...basically telling you what to write and how to play. they mold the sound to appeal to as many people as possible and make it more radio-friendly. This will generate more sales and popularity, but it lacks any soul.
-excuse the rant, live long AlkTrio! -
i think skiba wrote this about a friend who is depressed and its taking over.
" the fire forming... it resides in u my dear" the fire is her sadness spreading thru her.
and the girl hes singing about is obviously a cutter.shes in pain all the time either emmotionly or physically. maybe thats why he calls her Queen of Pain....
"And you've got a funny way of showing off your bathroom surgery" she probably does nothing to hide her arms.. and makes sure matt sees....
"You said you were just cooling down from plans of leaving me" people cut to calm themselves down sometimes...the physical pain is calming and distracting from the emotional pain...
"There's something I should tell you, for we may not have much time
I've never met arms like yours" theres not much time because she might give up and kill herself.
the "miss vincent" line and the "stars are big and bright" is about van gogh who painted starry night and his wife because she suffered from depression.
"You told me once I made you smile
But we both know damn well I didn't" she lies about him making her smile because shes too sad to ever smile and they both know it"
"I'm not much of a jester, but I'd test poisoned food for you" he knows he cant make her laugh.. but he would feel her pain so she didnt have to go thru it.
"Your majesty, you're royal blue
I'm loyalty, my king of pain"
he wants her to know he thinks of her as a queen... and hes loyal to her to become a king of pain instead of her. he just wants to save her from herself...
the rest of the song is about the same... flooding ur attic" is her being overwhelmed with trying to get better in her head. but she cant wash away her saddness.it cant put out the fire.
and again he needs to tell her about her scars because hewants her to stop suffering as soon as he can.
this song is beautiful and i feel like hes singing to me... -
Matt said he had written this song about a friend he had, which might be why the Queen/King of pain part might feel confusing, it´s not necessarily speaking of a relationship with a girl, it´s about maybe having to leave someone because of his/her lifestyle. This guy/girl is adventurous beyond the boundries of safety, which is exciting (I´ve never met arms like yours), but may also be really scary(I had never seen scars like yours), but becoming attached to that kind of person can make you act with a certain disregard for your own life, you go past the limits of regular relationships and an average life, this person offends you, hurts you and that becomes normality for you, it reaches the point where you need to get away, not because you´re bored or hating it, but maybe because you realize the danger it might cause you to stay, knowing how far you´re willing to go for this person "I´m not much of a jester, but I´d taste poisoned food for you...I´m loyalty my king of pain". You´re not THAT kind of person, but maybe you´re becoming so by admiring and loving a person who lives that kind of life, where passion and adventure surpass the importance of life itself.
Also It´s a beautiful metaphor of how great insanity can be from the outside, but living it can be pure suffering when he writes "The stars at night are big and bright deep in your eyes miss Vincent". That painting is a masterpiece, not only for the strength of the brush marks, but for what it represents, a night that does not really resembles a regular night, but a night in the eyes of his schizophrenic author.
I´m madly in love with this song. -
This song to me helps me understand that Skiba has got to the point in his realtionship where he has no more time to be nice to the girl he was so kind to start off with. They both have gotten sick of each other, and no longer wish to pretend to impress or make effort. They're ready to call it a day. The chorus tells us that Matt will do just about anything to prove he is in love with her even though she is only with him for the time being.
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