8 Meanings
Add Yours
Follow
Share
Q&A
Herr Drosselmeyer's Doll Lyrics
Herr Drosselmeyer's Doll
There she is on the stage
Spinning as she sprawls
Thank God the curtains fall
Her spring is sprung
And dances done
Spinning as she sprawls
Thank God the curtains fall
In the morning, he twists the key quite hard
And ticking, she's brought to boil
"Relevé, my sweet, en pointe, en garde!"
Her innards twang as they uncoil
Herr Doktor's fingertips trace by
On craquelature from every fall
The daylight made to race right by
With paint and paste and stitch and awl
"Patient, patient, bumblebee,
Soon your audience admire
A shapely arabesque or three
I'll wind you up, you'll never tire."
Starry tutu, sullen moon
A frozen carmine mouth
Twinkles as she jerks and swoons
The ladies ushered out
<i>"Gentlemen, this fallen angel is the illegitimate daughter of art and science. A modern marvel of engineering, clockworks elevated to the very natural process which even now is in your blood, racing, your eyes flashing at such irreproachable beauty. Here is Gaia, here is Eve, here is Lilith, and I stand before you as her father. Sprung fully-formed from my brow, dewy and sweet; she can be yours and yours again, for her flesh is the incorruptible pale to be excused from the wages of sin."</i>
(winds her up)
And as the sack cloth, sodden, slumps
Beneath these chipped and china limbs
The sour flesh pines, grunts and thumps
"Step right up, boys, tuppence for a spin!"
There she is on the stage
Spinning as she sprawls
Thank God the curtains fall
Her spring is sprung
And dances done
Spinning as she sprawls
Thank God the curtains fall
And ticking, she's brought to boil
"Relevé, my sweet, en pointe, en garde!"
Her innards twang as they uncoil
On craquelature from every fall
The daylight made to race right by
With paint and paste and stitch and awl
Soon your audience admire
A shapely arabesque or three
I'll wind you up, you'll never tire."
A frozen carmine mouth
Twinkles as she jerks and swoons
The ladies ushered out
(winds her up)
Beneath these chipped and china limbs
The sour flesh pines, grunts and thumps
"Step right up, boys, tuppence for a spin!"
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
I think it's pretty obvious that the doll is, in actuality, a sort of mechanical prostitute. That "very natural process", "dewy and sweet", "fully formed", "can be yours and yours again", "flesh is incorruptible", and the obvious reference to sin are all pretty plain innuendos. Also the "sour flesh" beneath her "limbs" and the dirty, cheap clothing the doll was wearing opposed to the tutu from the dance. The lyrics don't even suggest the possibility so much as they almost come right out and say it. Beautiful song either way, though!
Is it just me or does this song give off the impression that his "doll" is a sex slave?
I didn't get that "impression," I KNOW it's what the song is about. There's nothing else it could be about!
I didn't get that "impression," I KNOW it's what the song is about. There's nothing else it could be about!
Yeah, dude, it's about a Steampunk Sex Doll. It's about as subtle as a rock to the face.
Yeah, dude, it's about a Steampunk Sex Doll. It's about as subtle as a rock to the face.
I'm pretty sure that's the idea. That man is tired of imperfect females and a man created a perfect girl that would never tire and never grow old and he could sell her to men and she'd never get and STD either.
I'm pretty sure that's the idea. That man is tired of imperfect females and a man created a perfect girl that would never tire and never grow old and he could sell her to men and she'd never get and STD either.
"her flesh is the incorruptible pale to be excused from the wages of sin" Is it just me or is this some kind of excuse for fulfilling your sexual needs without thinking you've committed any sins of lust?
That's exactly what it means. She's not a real person, like a prostitute. She's a realistic, robotic almost, sex doll. That's her main selling point. It's (supposedly) guilt free as well as dirt cheap.
That's exactly what it means. She's not a real person, like a prostitute. She's a realistic, robotic almost, sex doll. That's her main selling point. It's (supposedly) guilt free as well as dirt cheap.
I got something slightly different from that, the bible says the wages of sin is death, and the doll being a robot would not age or die so she would stay young and beautiful forever.
I got something slightly different from that, the bible says the wages of sin is death, and the doll being a robot would not age or die so she would stay young and beautiful forever.
Why is no one commenting any Abney Park songs?
This song is so damn theatrical and spooky! Brilliant!
No one's commenting because everyone already appears to know what it means.
No one's commenting because everyone already appears to know what it means.
This song reminds me a lot of a French comic book, Fée et tendres automates. I recommend it, lovely atmosphere and graphics.
Herr Drosselmeyer is the grandfather in The Nutcracker. His dolls are the dancing ballerinas. This is a suggestion of want he was actually doing with them.
I really find this to be very depressing. As a doll she has no say in what happens to her. She was simply made for this and I feel that the song shows how worn down she is. Despite the narration say how she "can be yours and yours again" she is slowly breaking and I like how they portrayed that in the song. It always gets to me.
I think one of the best parts is when the narrator refers to his doll as these Goddess Figures Gaia-mother earth, Eve-like adam and eve in the garden of eden, Lilith who was the first woman, created before eve, even the line "sprung fully formed from my brow" is refering to the Goddess Athena who when she was born was swollowed whole by Zeus only to be born as a full grown woman when she lept from Zeus' skull.