I walk by, I fall down
For warm black tar forms balls
And black tar baby

I'm in a lime house *4

Fall..., stay for good
Oh live and live and live in the dark baby
Tar baby

I'm in a lime house *8


Lyrics submitted by thegreenquetzal

Lime House song meanings
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  • 0
    General Comment

    Well, it may sound stupid, but Kim might have been talking about Kelley's heroin addiction. Black Tar is a type of heroin and falling over and not getting up is like an OD.

    Thesmellyoneon June 05, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Simple but great song, its about an opium trip.

    Q_ELLIOTTon September 14, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    It was actually ballsy of her to write this because she so clearly says "tar baby" in a couple of lines. But, yeah, clearly a play on words and the song is about heroin use. No idea what a "lime house" is supposed to mean.

    bocmaximaon June 03, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Kim in the past confirmed that this songs is about heroin, Apparently the "lime" just describes the color of the house where she hooked up and tried smack for the first time.

    leamancon April 10, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Black Tar baby!

    vibrantlydeadon May 23, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    it is definitely about relapse and the tar is black tar heroin. as said before the lime house is probably the drug house she frequented. if you have been through recovery you are familiar with the story "Autobiography in 5 Short Chapters" by Portia Nelson. the first verse of this song is a play on that story. i walk down the street and fall down...in Portia's story she falls in a hole over and over symbolizing relapse(to an addict but can have a broader meaning as well) since for addicts the hole symbolizes relapse it is clear then the meaning in the song when she says "i walk by(probably the lime house), i fall down for for warm black tar forms balls and black tar baby"(the lime house and heroin is her hole)...next thing she knows she is back in the lime house using again. in portia's story this happens repeatedly until she realizes she needs to walk down a different street

    minty33on July 05, 2013   Link

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