Bloody Motherfucking Asshole

Martha Wainwright

Poetry is no place for a heart that's a whore
And I'm young and I'm strong
But I feel old and tired
Over fired

And I've been poked and stoked
It's all smoke, there's no more fire
Only desire
For you, whoever you are
For you, whoever you are

You say my time here has been some sort of joke
That I've been messing around
Some sort of incubating period
For when I really come around
I'm cracking up
And you have no idea

No idea how it feels to be on your own
In your own home
With the fucking phone
And the mother of gloom
In your bedroom
Standing over your head
With her hand in your head
With her hand in your head

I will not pretend
I will not put on a smile
I will not say I'm all right for you
When all I wanted was to be good
To do everything in truth
To do everything in truth

Oh I wish I wish I wish I was born a man
So I could learn how to stand up for myself
Like those guys with guitars
I've been watching in bars
Who've been stamping their feet to a different beat
To a different beat
To a different beat

I will not pretend
I will not put on a smile
I will not say I'm all right for you
When all I wanted was to be good
To do everything in truth
To do everything in truth

You bloody mother fucking asshole
Oh you bloody mother fucking asshole
Oh you bloody mother fucking asshole

I will not pretend
I will not put on a smile
I will not say I'm all right for you
For you, whoever you are


Lyrics submitted by _ellie

Bloody Mother Fucking Asshole Lyrics as written by Martha Wainwright

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.

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Bloody Motherfucking Asshole song meanings
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13 Comments

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  • +6
    General CommentI think it's fascinating how this song has grown into something much bigger than it started out as (and I mean that in the best way possible).

    BMFA is an epic, hymn-like song for every woman who's ever been trampled on or questioned, or who had to constantly prove herself.
    It's an anthem for every woman scorned and cheated on, without being about sacrificing yourself. It's about getting rid of the things that hold you back and hurt you.

    It's about rising from the ashes. And after 4 years, it still affects me every single time I hear it.
    Katzenjammeron December 14, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Commentthis is a song directed at her father loudon wainwright III and in my opinion it's her best by far. she really rips into him and you can just tell he deserves it. he left the family when she and brother rufus were really young and they have both written songs confronting him( rufus' is called dinner at eight).
    badgeon August 28, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General CommentThis is my favorite martha song by far-- the line about the mother of gloom sitting in her bedroom hits me at so many levels it almost makes me and probally other people feel as though she is singing about them and not just her self. This song addresses so many things, loneliness, depression, insecurity, not fitting in or being good enough. to me this song is all about trying to reach someones expectations but always falling short, then realizing how depressed they are making them wish that they could be someone else to make everything better. but no matter how hard they wish they are still stuck as themselves hoping that someday they'll be good enough for someone.
    martha knows how to strike raw emotion.
    inhaleslowlyon January 11, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General CommentI connect strongly with this song, not because I think the sweary chorus is the most important thing, but because of the lines 'I will not pretend
    I will not put on a smile
    I will not say I'm all right for you
    When all I wanted was to be good
    To do everything in truth
    To do everything in truth'

    She is basically saying - just because you are my father it doesn't mean I haveto pretend everything is alright. I read it was written most directly about her experience of discovering a song her father had written was about her. In the song (The name escapes me) he basically sings about her being a pain and wishing she would go away.
    donnason December 08, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General CommentI thought this song is about how someone tries to be whatever they are and not mistreated by the society. The swear is like the anger for those how treat and look at her differently.

    and this is a pretty good song for those who's being leftout.
    Dak83on December 22, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General CommentI absolutely adore this song. Everytime I hear it I get jerks inside, it's just so passionate the way she sings it...and the fact it's about her dad means I can relate to it a lot, too...
    missmeon April 02, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General CommentI get that this song is about her dad but it's always meant something different to me - the lines"only desire/for you/whoever you are" especially suggest to me the kind of feeling you get when you've had a really bad date or something and you're sitting there wondering where your soulmate it, angry at them for your being miserable in the meantime. :) Perhaps that's a twisted reading, but still.
    Beautiful song, beautifully sung.
    justholdstillon October 01, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Commentwell. i didnt know it was about her dad till i read these comments. it made amazing sense to me when I was breaking up with someone. I guess everthing makes amazing sense on such occassions.
    midsummermuseon April 10, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General CommentI think just in general if you're angry at someone it works, definitely.

    "I will not pretend
    I will not put on a smile
    I will not say I'm all right for you
    When all I wanted was to be good
    To do everything in truth"

    I really love those lines 'cause when someone treats you badly, a lot of the time they can't see it. And so she's saying, 'why should I pretend everything is okay when it's not?'
    missmeon April 19, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Commentlove the vitriol. this surely has to be one of the most raw examples of heartbreak conveyed by song.

    (even as a guy) nearly everything in this track resonates with me...

    been the arsehole, but also been arsehole-d. while probably more of the former, the latter has definitely cut me deep and i still derive a strong sense of catharsis from this song every time i hear martha wailing over her guitar, to this day, several years after my first listen.
    dirk callowayon January 23, 2013   Link

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