The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Hitler and
Napoleon
Fought thirty years
To have her hand
Bitter ends
Thy will be damned
Disney magic
Kingdom come
After all we've won, is this
The state we are reduced to?
It might make you sick at first
It takes some getting used to
Her nails are polished
But her hands are tied
You make us thrive
Court
Is on
The secret show
The ?
And when we bomb
The foreign towns
Will she smile
Upside down?
Walk her through an aisle soon
With cigarettes and needles
In the face of this devotion
We are merely equals
Take her in your
Arm like cyanide
A long black car
Is parked outside
To take away the bride
A tisket, a tasket
A green and yellow basket
A tisket, a tasket
A green and yellow basket
Attract it, attack it
Strike first and ask it after
Attract it, attack it
Strike first and ask it after
In the ruins
Of this brave new
World we have
Uncovered
Remains the vestige
Of the bride
Who stared aghast
And wondered
Who'd have thought
We'd lose this easy fight
It seems she's sleeping
But her eyes are wide
Won't someone wake the bride?
Goth!
Napoleon
Fought thirty years
To have her hand
Bitter ends
Thy will be damned
Disney magic
Kingdom come
After all we've won, is this
The state we are reduced to?
It might make you sick at first
It takes some getting used to
Her nails are polished
But her hands are tied
You make us thrive
Court
Is on
The secret show
The ?
And when we bomb
The foreign towns
Will she smile
Upside down?
Walk her through an aisle soon
With cigarettes and needles
In the face of this devotion
We are merely equals
Take her in your
Arm like cyanide
A long black car
Is parked outside
To take away the bride
A tisket, a tasket
A green and yellow basket
A tisket, a tasket
A green and yellow basket
Attract it, attack it
Strike first and ask it after
Attract it, attack it
Strike first and ask it after
In the ruins
Of this brave new
World we have
Uncovered
Remains the vestige
Of the bride
Who stared aghast
And wondered
Who'd have thought
We'd lose this easy fight
It seems she's sleeping
But her eyes are wide
Won't someone wake the bride?
Goth!
Lyrics submitted by Echooo7
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the "A tisket, a tasket A green and yellow basket" part is from a children's song. "A tisket, a tasket, a green and yellow basket, I wrote a letter to my love, and on the way I dropped it. I dropped it, I dropped it, The green and yellow basket A little child picked it up and Put it in his pocket."
hitler and napoleon fought thirty years to have her hand
bitter ends thy will be done disney magic kingdom come
after all we've won is this the state we are reduced to it might make you sick at first it takes some getting used to
her nails are polished but her hands are tied
you may kiss the bride
court is on the secret show the liver time
and when we bomb the foreign town will she smile upside down
walk her through an isle strewn with cigarettes and needles in the face of this devotion we are merely equals
take her in your arm like cyanide a long black car is parked outside
to take away the bride
a tisket a tasket a green and yellow basket a tisket a tasket a green and yellow basket
attract it attack it strike first and ask it after attract it attack it strike first and ask it after
in the ruins of this brave new world we have uncovered
remains the vestige of the bride who stared agahst and wondered
who'd've thought we'd lose this easy fight it seems she's sleeping but her eyes are wide
won't someone wake the bride
The line is
"Cold, his hand The secret show The little dame"
From what I can hear. It makes the most sense given the title.
I think the Bride is representative of the pride of a country in the aftermath of a terrible war. An abundance of words associated with war and destruction is present, as well as an uneasy alliance with another country.
My first thought was that the country is France or Russia. The whole whatnot with the Fatherland (Germany) and Mother Russia.
I think this song is about how women, throughout history, have been victims of sexist ideals and sexist social structures.
On her website she posted other song demos in which she originally wanted to use on WKAP with a little description as to the meaning, memory, or other tidbit about it. This is what she said about it:
can you hear me saying "goth!" at the end of this song? you can? i can. i left that in there on purpose. sorry. i had to. ben really liked this tune because it was very different in structure to the rest of them, but i squirmed at the gothiness of it. i wrote this one when i was about 18 or 19 and though i liked the melody, the lyrics were just too gloom and doom to put on the record. so there you have it. it does, aside from it's gothiness, contain some of my favorite lyrics, so i don't mind having it out in the world.
You can find this song and direct quote at : amandapalmer.bandcamp.com/track/you-may-kiss-the-bride