The Hold Steady – Your Little Hoodrat Friend

"Your Little Hoodrat Friend" as written by Craig Finn and Tad Kubler....
Your little hoodrat friend makes me sick but after I get sick I just get sad.
Because it burns being broke and it hurts to be heartbroken but always being both must be a drag. she's been calling me again. she's been calling me again.
Your little hoodrat friend's been calling me again.
And I can't stand all the things that she sticks into her skin.
Like sharpened ballpoint pens and steel guitar strings.
She says it hurts. But it's worth it.
Tiny little text etched into her neck it said "Jesus lived and died for all your sins."
She's got blue black ink and it's scratched into her lower back.
It said: "damn right I'll rise again." Yeah, damn right you'll rise again.

I've been dusted in the dark up in penetration park.
I've been plastered. I've been shaking hard and searching in a dirty storefront church.
I've been plowed. but I ain't ever been with your little hoodrat friend.
What makes you think I'm getting with your little hoodrat friend?

Your little hoodrat friend got me high though.
We were seventeen and stuck up in Osseo.
She said it's funny even true love gets troubled by still water and washed up in the Mississippi river.
Her claddagh ring was pointed at the people.
She said "St. Theresa comes to me in dreams."
She said "I ain't gonna do anything sexual with you.
I'm kinda saving myself for the scene."

I've been dusted in the dark up in penetration park.
I've been plastered. I've been shaking hard and searching in a dirty storefront church.
I've been plowed. But I ain't ever been with your little hoodrat friend.
What makes you think I'm getting with your little hoodrat friend?
She said: City Center used to be the center of the scene. now City Center's over.
No one really goes there.
Then we used to drink beneath this railroad bridge.
Some nights the bus wouldn't even stop. There were just way too many kids.
I was waiting for my ride and I got jumped from behind. I got punctured.
I got stopped by the cops. They found it in my socks and I got probed.
But I ain't ever been with your little hoodrat friend.
What makes you think I'm getting with your little hoodrat friend?


Lyrics submitted by Cherub Rock

"Your Little Hoodrat Friend" as written by Tad Kubler Craig Finn

Lyrics © Reservoir One Music, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC

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Your Little Hoodrat Friend song meanings
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17 Comments

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  • +2
    General CommentThis entire album is incredibly lyrically dense. This particular song has a few ambiguous, problematic occurances that refer to other songs as well as other albums entirely.
    The first major problem is identifying which of the three major characters (if any) is the persona adopted by Finn in the song. In the song "Multitude of Casualties" we find that "he was getting with HER little hoodrat friend." So it is likely that the persona is being questioned by a female, which leaves us wondering whether or not the hoodrat friend is Halleluiah or a friend of hers.
    The song "How a Resurrection Really Feels," tells us that "Halleluiah was a hoodrat." Thus, it's probable that Hallelujah is the hoodrat being mentioned in the song. We also find in "Banging Camp," that Hallelujah has some connection to 'penetration park,' which points to her being the female in question. So, most likely the person being addressed by the persona is a friend of Hallelujah's.
    Now, going out on a limb here- in "Cattle and the Creeping things" Gideon is said to have seen someone (probably Holly) in Denver and he notes that "she was contagious"("i heard gideon did you in denver.") so it's possible that it is Gideon who has gotten with Holly; pointing to his existence as the insincere persona in this song.
    Of course, it's also entirely possible that the speaker is NOT one of the three main characters and that the song stands alone apart from Holly. But, Finn loves to entertwine his songs and weave seemingly simple stories that are actually quite complex so I would wager that Gideon is involved. If someone has other ideas, let me know, I'm very curious as to how other people believe this song fits into the continuity.
    The Profon March 12, 2007   Link
    • 2 Replies
  • +1
    General CommentMentioning Osseo, City Center, Prospect Park (my wife (ex hoodrat) says Penetration Park is that neighborhood with the witches hat tower), I'm inclined to believe that still water is Stillwater.
    cerebralon July 25, 2007   Link
  • +1
    My InterpretationThis song is about direct interaction between the storyteller (most likely craig) and Holly the hoodrat. In most of the songs, Craig only talks about seeing Holly or tells storys he's heard about her. In this song, he's speaking about what Holly is like in person. He is repulsed by her, but at the same time, pities her, and in the end, we find that he has feelings for her but she turns him down, claiming to be "saving herself for the scene" He then is taken aback and denies ever wanting to have sex with her (i.e. "what makes you think i'm gettin' withy our little hoodrat friend?") but secretly does. Him and Holly get high and she tells him about the old days with all of her friends. And she tells him about how true love gets troubled by trivial things (still water) by the missisippi river. Which is where Holly got high for the first (and last) time. So true love may be just a metaphor for a simpler, cleaner life.
    modestcoryon December 01, 2008   Link
    • 2 Replies
  • 0
    General CommentThis song brings a smile to my face every time. I love it
    Cherub Rockon May 17, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Commentone question: is the "it's funny even true love gets troubled by still water / and washed up in the Mississippi River" line a reference to jeff buckley?
    RayMonkey42on June 20, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General CommentStillwater is a city in Minnesota (where band members have roots). It is most well known for holding the prison so i am thinking it might have to do with that
    beastiefreak00on June 24, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General CommentAlso literally 'still water', as in not flowing or waves or anything, no excitement, stuck in a standstill.
    spaceron October 06, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General CommentGreat song, very entertaining and well written. I think the line about Stillwater (still water) represents a double entendre where it can most easily be interpreted as still water, but some may regonize it as Stillwater a town in the Twin Cities, which happens to be located on the St. Croix River which flows into the Mississippi River.
    cstockneon October 11, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General CommentIn my opinion the part about still water is saying that love cannot be still and lack luster or it becomes troubled "and washed up in the mississippi river" or the relationship ends
    bensend7on January 20, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General CommentLooking at multitude of casualties where gideon gets with holly's hoodrat friend makes me think that this song is about gideon lying to holly about never being with her hoodrat friend (holly and her friend both being hoodrats)
    hswon October 15, 2007   Link

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