This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
A young maiden with a demon in her soul,
A twisted mind with secrets to unfold.
An innocent face, a deceiving smile,
Under no suspicion, servant to Belial.
The axe came down...Blood all around...
She lurks possessed, without a sound,
Butchers her Dam when no one is around.
The next day her Sire feels her wrath,
She has no remorse in her merciless bloodbath.
[CHORUS]
She's Miss Lizzy, she feels no pain
The axe came down
She's Miss Lizzy, she strikes again,
The axe came down...Blood all around
[REFRAIN]
Lizzy Borden took an axe, gave her mother forty whacks,
When she saw what she had done, she gave her father forty-one.
[REPEAT REFRAIN]
[REPEAT REFRAIN]
Now before the jury with a solemn face,
These legendary murders...she left not a trace.
Lizzy found it so simple to take their lives,
Today she walks free...Axe by her side...
[CHORUS]
She took an axe.
A twisted mind with secrets to unfold.
An innocent face, a deceiving smile,
Under no suspicion, servant to Belial.
The axe came down...Blood all around...
She lurks possessed, without a sound,
Butchers her Dam when no one is around.
The next day her Sire feels her wrath,
She has no remorse in her merciless bloodbath.
[CHORUS]
She's Miss Lizzy, she feels no pain
The axe came down
She's Miss Lizzy, she strikes again,
The axe came down...Blood all around
[REFRAIN]
Lizzy Borden took an axe, gave her mother forty whacks,
When she saw what she had done, she gave her father forty-one.
[REPEAT REFRAIN]
[REPEAT REFRAIN]
Now before the jury with a solemn face,
These legendary murders...she left not a trace.
Lizzy found it so simple to take their lives,
Today she walks free...Axe by her side...
[CHORUS]
She took an axe.
Lyrics submitted by KrudeDuse
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This song is about real killings that happened about 80 years ago. Lizzy Borden's parents were killed with an axe and lizzy was put on trial for the murders.
she was let off because the court was convinced that she was too nice to have killed her parents. The case was seen by the public in much the same was that OJ Simpson's trail was in the 90s.
Everyone knew Lizzy killed her parents and got away with it. this songs refrain: " Lizzy Borden took an axe, gave her mother forty whacks, When she saw what she had done, she gave her father forty-one. "
became a popular saying after the trail.