Your little hoodrat friend makes me sick
But after I get sick I just get sad
'Cause it burns being broke, hurts to be heartbroken
And 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
Says "Damn right, He'll rise again"
Yeah, damn right, she'll rise again

Damn right, you'll rise again

And I've been dusted in the dark up in penetration park
And I've been plastered
I've been shaking hard and searching in a dirty storefront church
And I've been plowed

But I ain't never been with your little hoodrat friend
I ain't never been with your little hoodrat friend
I ain't never 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 up in Osseo
She said it's funny how 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 came to me in dreams
She said I ain't gonna do anything sexual with you
I'm kinda saving myself for the scene

And I've been dusted in the dark up in penetration park
And I've been plastered
I've been shaking hard and searching in a dirty storefront church
And I've been plowed

But I ain't never been with your little hoodrat friend
I ain't never been with your little hoodrat friend
I ain't never 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 our scene
Now city center's over, no one really goes there
Back then we used to drink beneath this railroad bridge
Some nights the bus wouldn't even stop, there were just too many kids

I was waiting for my ride and I got jumped from behind
I got punctured
I got stopped by the cops and they found it in my socks
And I got probed

But I ain't never been with your little hoodrat friend
I ain't never been with your little hoodrat friend
I ain't never 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 Lyrics as written by Tad Kubler Craig Finn

Lyrics © 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 Comment

    This 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
    My Interpretation

    This 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
  • +1
    General Comment

    This song brings a smile to my face every time. I love it

    Cherub Rockon May 17, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    one 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 21, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Stillwater 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
  • +1
    General Comment

    Also literally 'still water', as in not flowing or waves or anything, no excitement, stuck in a standstill.

    spaceron October 06, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Great 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
  • +1
    General Comment

    Mentioning 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
  • 0
    General Comment

    Looking 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
  • 0
    General Comment

    "I think the line about Stillwater (still water) represents a double entendre"

    Yea I'd be very surprised if Craig Finn included "still water" without intending it to be, at least on one level, a reference to the city. The St. Croix (which Stillwater is right on) and the Mississippi merge down around Hastings, so the "washed up in the Mississippi river" reference makes sense. Mr. Finn you are a clever dude

    grampa69on October 16, 2007   Link

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