Frankie teardrop
Twenty year old Frankie
He's married he's got a kid
And he's working in a factory

He's working from seven to five
He's just trying to survive
Well lets hear it for Frankie
Frankie Frankie

Well Frankie can't make it
'Cause things are just too hard
Frankie can't make enough money
Frankie can't buy enough food

And Frankie's getting evicted
Oh let's hear it for Frankie
Oh Frankie Frankie
Oh Frankie Frankie

Frankie is so desperate
He's gonna kill his wife and kids
Frankie's gonna kill his kid
Frankie picked up a gun

Pointed at the six month old in the crib
Oh Frankie
Frankie looked at his wife

Shot her
"Oh what have I done?"
Let's hear it for Frankie

Frankie teardrop
Frankie put the gun to his head
Frankie's dead

Frankie's lying in hell

We're all Frankies
We're all lying in hell


Lyrics submitted by saturnine

Frankie Teardrop Lyrics as written by Martin Reverby Alan Vega

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

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Frankie Teardrop song meanings
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13 Comments

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  • +10
    General Comment

    My God, is this not the most chilling song you've ever heard? It shows a typical industrialized life; the incessent, chugging drum machine shows how it's constantly moving and how some people fall behind it and can't catch up. It continues long after Frankie kills himself. It just keeps going; Frankie Teardrop's disturbing mercy killings have no effect on the stoic, emotionless charge of human exsistence. The screams are bright flashes of white light in a bleakly gray landscape. They poke holes through the fabric of the brain, reach the soul, and rattle you. I think they show stark realizations on the pointlessness of everything: a failed life, a ruined family, three dead people. None of these things matter. It fades away quickly. This is the quintessential song about nihilism.

    Mirvinon June 03, 2008   Link
  • +4
    General Comment

    This is probably the only song that I don't care for because the realization is all too real. It's so disturbing, But I do like the fact that this depiction was told because America is living this way everyday and no one seems to give a shit. This song disturbs me and makes me sad; About the killing of his family part. So frigging sad.

    The Withered Graveon October 16, 2010   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    GREAT SONG

    harrowing doesn't do this fever dream justice. 'Suicide' have a real knack for inhabiting urban rot so completly you can practically feel the paint chipped walls closing in around you, heroin withdrawal racking your clammy undernourished frame

    the epileptical screams are bloodcurdling, truly the screeches of a caged animal chewing off its own leg

    Suicide didn't need to adress specifics here just the depth of the number communicates rage & disgust of the down & out

    wish more punks would go this route rather than preaching even the brutal simplicity of the lyrics works in the context of the peice about a thousand times better than i intially thought they would its soooo much more effective

    god i HATE the wallpaper music of today @#&7% try blasting this at the mall and see if people still lurch about in a daze

    Hungryforalynchinon April 05, 2008   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    Try listening to this song on acid. Give you a bad trip so fast.

    AskAliceon May 27, 2009   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

    fatheron March 14, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    If your listing to this song now STOP!! Wait till it gets dark, and just lie in bed with the stero cranked, or better yet head phones cranked, just lie down and tune out, and just listin to the song... itll freak the poop out of you, i curled up into a ball i was becasue i was so afraid...

    rfmxon August 31, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Whoa, this is one quite freaky and disturbing track, especially when Alan starts screaming....!!!!

    It depicts the utter desperation and despair of a vietnam vet (and family man) quite effectively...

    misternuvistoron April 04, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    scary, scary shit. That has got to be the most harrowing ten minutes in music, as well as the most under-noticed anti-war message ever.

    aniymon August 13, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    the only song ever to have sent a chill down my spine. I don't spook easy. The only other audio that has ever spooked me was the Jamestown tape.

    Mark Crombieon September 25, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This song is one of my all time favorites. While I am an artist, not a critic, I was the DJ for the Night Owl show at MITs radio station, WMBR and I played it as often as allowed. This was in 1980 and being only a teen this song made my problems not seem so important to "Frankie" in the song. I also remember somewhere in this song, or another one by this band where the singer is in a telephone booth so he screams into an anwsering machine, but you can help me on this one.

    vampfoxon September 05, 2009   Link

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