Tame

Album: Doolittle (1989)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • With lots of heavy breathing and a reference to a girl with "hips like Cinderella," this song is often interpreted as something erotic. Pixies frontman Frank Black had something else in mind when he wrote it. He explained: "That song is just about all these f--kin' stupid ass students that live around this neighborhood. Man, oh man, they are the rudest motherf--kers in the world. They're all f--kin' rich, which is fine, I don't care, I wish I was totally rich, but they supposedly come from an upper middle-class background, they're educated, and they're going to private universities, and they are the rudest, most uncouth, most disrespectful people I've ever met on the face of the Earth! Law students are the worst f--kin' vermin in the world! These girls around here, what's wrong with them? They keep perming their hair! And they wear awful clothing and act awful. I hate to put them down because I don't like putting people down, but they're awful! They could be sexy but they're not. They could be interesting people but they keep stuffing their faces with mozzarella sticks and buffalo wings and getting totally drunk every night and shaking their asses all over Commonwealth Avenue!"

    Black's rant is directed to the students in Boston, where he grew up. Black attended a public school outside of Boston for two years: the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
  • Pixes drummer David Lovering says that this is his favorite song on the Doolittle album to play. "It's full of angst, kind of punky," he told MusicRadar. "Even though it's in a slightly odd time, it's quick and moving, so I get to go all out on it."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Bill Withers

Bill WithersSongwriter Interviews

Soul music legend Bill Withers on how life experience and the company you keep leads to classic songs like "Lean On Me."

Dick Wagner (Alice Cooper/Lou Reed)

Dick Wagner (Alice Cooper/Lou Reed)Songwriter Interviews

The co-writer/guitarist on many Alice Cooper hits, Dick was also Lou Reed's axeman on the Rock n' Roll Animal album.

Women Who Rock

Women Who RockSong Writing

Evelyn McDonnell, editor of the book Women Who Rock, on why the Supremes are just as important as Bob Dylan.

Tom Johnston from The Doobie Brothers

Tom Johnston from The Doobie BrothersSongwriter Interviews

The Doobies guitarist and lead singer, Tom wrote the classics "Listen To The Music," "Long Train Runnin'" and "China Grove."

Evolution Of The Prince Symbol

Evolution Of The Prince SymbolSong Writing

The evolution of the symbol that was Prince's name from 1993-2000.

Pete Anderson

Pete AndersonSongwriter Interviews

Pete produced Dwight Yoakam, Michelle Shocked, Meat Puppets, and a very memorable track for Roy Orbison.