Well, sit right down my wicked son
And let me tell you a story
About the boy who fell from glory
And how he was a wicked son

This ain't no holiday
But it always turns out this way
Here I am with my hand

He took his sister from his head
And impregnated her on the sheets
And they rolled her up in grass and trees
And they kissed until they were dead

This ain't no holiday
But it always turns out this way
Here I am with my hand

Well, sit right down my evil son
And let me tell you a story
About the boy who fell from glory
And how he was a wicked son

This ain't no holiday right now
But it always turns out this way
Here I am with my hand

This ain't no holiday
But it always turns out this way
Here I am with my hand


Lyrics submitted by numb

Holiday Song Lyrics as written by Charles Thompson

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

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The Holiday Song song meanings
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  • +5
    General Comment"here i am with my hand"
    listening to the acoustic version, it feels like it could just be being alone with all the things you can do by your own hand, including creative work, as well as "self-abuse".
    McKeanon February 11, 2013   Link
  • +2
    General Comment"and upended her on the sheets" ?
    Deadcjunkieon July 12, 2009   Link
  • +2
    My InterpretationI just wanted say what I've always thought the song meant (mostly the same as you guys, my only fairly unique opinion is during the "painted her on the sheets" bit).

    "Well sit right down my wicked son
    And let me tell you a story
    About the boy who fell from glory
    And how he was a wicked son"

    Caught masturbating to his sister/pictures of his sister, and his father starts telling him a story about another boy who was sexually attracted to his sister.

    "This ain't no holiday
    But it always turns out this way
    Here I am with my hand"

    I've always seen this from the father's point of view as he's beating the son. But after reading some of the interpretations here, I am not sure. As "But it always turns out this way" does make it sound like it's from the son's PoV, feeling shame as he masturbates to his sister.

    "He took his sister from his head"

    Now I see this as the father continuing his story, and the story boy has gone past just fantasizing about her in his head. He's taken the incest out of his head and into real life.

    "And then painted her on the sheets"

    Always thought of this as a really cool way of saying "and then he threw her on to the bed." Sort of like how some artists will throw paint at a canvas to capture emotion.
    I always think of a top down view of her laying on the bed whenever I hear this bit.

    "and then rolled her up in grass and trees"

    More cool imagery, rolling around in the grass I assume.

    "And they kissed 'till they were dead"

    Someone spots them kissing outside in the grass, and either kills them (angry father/mother/townsfolk) or alerts someone who kills them.

    This is my first time posting here, so I'm really sorry if I did anything wrong.
    Lukanon November 23, 2009   Link
  • +2
    General Commentmy two cents:

    like alot of his songs there is biblical/religious undertones, however i dont think incest is the case. been a pixies fan for a very long time and from what i've read about charles he came from a pretty overzealous religious family (family approved records consisting of Peter Paul and Mary /Larry Norman etc...)

    i think this just him in mid masturbation thinking about the consequences of his sinning. he was told by a preacher or his father or mother or whoever that wicked boys have sex with their 'sisters' (not actual sisters but females) or they perform sexual acts (masturbation) and also are involved with deviant behaviour like smoking marijuana (rolled her up in grass and trees) and ultimately the wages of sin is death "they kissed til they were dead".

    but alas despite all the warnings "here he is with his hand..."

    bottomline just think its a very well written reflection about growing up feeling weird about your sexuality vs your religious upbringing and who knows "this aint know holiday" could refer to a bible camp or something where he is actually performing the masturbation.
    mr.von February 01, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General CommentHoly crap. Why don't we just calm the hell down? It's not good to get so worked up over something so trivial.
    CosmicWolfyon June 18, 2003   Link
  • +1
    General CommentDamn. For someone so convinced he's right, you're pretty wrong -- it *is* painted, not impregnated. If you'd stop looking for the painfully literal, you'd note that "he took his sister from his head", i.e, he's fantasizing about her.
    jjankechuon May 13, 2004   Link
  • +1
    General CommentSeriously though what the fuck was up with Frank Black's obsession with incest? He mentions it all the time.
    impacton January 12, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment"Sister" doesn't have to mean his actual sister. Some people use sister in the some way "brother" is used. So, "sister" could just mean "girl". Although, knowing what Frank Black's like lyrically, he probably is talking about his sister.

    To me "He took his sister from his head/And then painted her on the sheets/And then rolled her up in grass and trees/And they kissed 'till they were dead" means that he was imagining he was having sex with a girl in a grassy area - maybe a tropical forest? That's what I imagine - until they couldn't continue, and he ejaculated all over his sheets.
    Manchineon February 04, 2006   Link
  • +1
    General CommentRathatespeople, why do you think it is a weak connection?
    Abimelechon July 12, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General CommentDefinitely agree the whole thing is about incestuous fantasies, and the guild and frusteration they bring him.
    Surprised I've seen a bit of confusion in the chorus...

    This ain't no holiday
    But it always turns out this way
    Here I am, with my hand

    Here he's saying,
    "this is no rare/special occaision, he always resorts to this-masturbating"
    and his increasing volume and stress just seem to convey the narrator's guilt, shame, and inability to control himself-and the angst it brings him-very well.

    idk how people interpret my hand with getting beaten, idk what they think happens during abuse.
    Sanguiniphrenicon June 10, 2011   Link

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