Dirty Hole Lyrics
Actually, I'm not so sure this song is about the obvious. I think it's more about and abstract idea of a woman he's dating. I think when he speaks about men dying in her dirty hole, he's actually asking rhetorically how many men have had their hearts broken by her. Having a broken heart could be compared to dying, especially since the very essence of living depends on the beating of one's heart. Her dirty hole still remains to be the obvious 'm sure, but on a gentler note, he's just saying he feels better when he's inside of her, even though he knows it's really not safe for him in the long wrong, not with her heartbreaking track record. Unfortunately, he can't resist the thought of her.
And here I thought it was about a former gf of mine. But really, this is such a unique song. The chain gang background is a perfect touch. Considering that the album is about Jon's struggles with faith and life I am inclined to believe it must reflect the joy/happiness/pleasure of the Lord's grace on believers but Jon can't look past the "dirty" things that have happened in the name of Christ. He feels both desire and disgust to enter into the Lord's presence.
I think indeed that this is not about the obvious.
Actually, I think it is not even about a woman. I think when he says Sacred/Dirty/Killing hole he means Heaven, and with 'you' God.
The muttering in the background is god, and the other voices are men that have died. What do you think?
Actually, Saga_Lahn is on the right track. But, it's a little deeper and multi-dimensional. It has the double meaning of sex and coming to terms with death. And at the same time, it shows two perspectives (one in each verse).
I'll explain the death issue first. There are two ways to view death. One is that you believe in a supreme being and part of you longs for death because you've come to terms with your mortality through belief in a life after death. The other is a fear of death because it is the ultimate end of your existence. In the first verse, the 9-year-old boys are jealous because Jon is still alive. But, Jon (because of his faith in a better life after this one) longs to be where they are. Hence the term "sacred hole" to end the first verse. In contrast, the second verse expresses the fear of death when a person believes it to be THE end of being. This would be the point-of-view someone who has, for some reason, UNDERSTANDING of their mortality yet will not accept that there is a good creator to go to after death. Therefore, this person feels "soothed, disturbed and intoxicated with fear" of death. Therefore, this verse ends in the description of a "dirty hole".
Then, there's the other dimension... sex. Jon feels that the 9-year-old boys, who've never had the chance at sex, are jealous of his having the chance to have sex. But, Jon sees both sides (life before and after virginity) and shows his desire to be where they are, the sacredness of virginity. It's kind of a "grass is always greener" scenario. Note to virgins: Who has experienced both and which side of the fence he would rather be on? Then, in the second verse, he goes into the reality of losing virginity and how it's "soothing, disturbing" and evokes a feeling of "intoxicating fear" of the unknown. The "dirty hole" depicts what we fall into once we have lost our virginity. We become slaves to our urges for it, like a primal addiction. Not to mention it's not as great as we expect it to be... for most of us, anyway.
Well, that's how I see it. Although, being a Christian myself and realizing that Jon (at the least) has previously sung about the faith, I do like mad_meerkat's interpretation as well.
I see Crosby equating a "dirty hole" (I.E., a grave) to a woman's, er... "dirty hole." Whoever this woman is, anyone that apparently sleeps with her "dies" of a broken heart, or is poisoned by her. Whether it's STD's or not is irrelevant, it's about the almost suicidal act of giving in to her, and having sex with her.
I think the whole Sex/STD thing is too obvious and I like to think that the meaning is more abstract.
To me this song is about Drug Addiction.
He is singing about being in the hole of living a life purely for the drug and choosing that over really living.
Drug addicts often don't dream and or it could be taken as no dreams of achievements.
The spread her thighs is the bit the sounds obviously about sex but it could just be a metaphor for preparing drugs and then thinking he could take these drugs or not and change his life.
Anyway, to me this song is more powerful when I take that perspective and I listened to it a lot when trying to quit marijuana but it probably suits something like heroin more, that is really a dirty hole to die in.
I think this song is about STD or maybe a hooker. But what the hell do I know...
This is a great example of good song writing. He is obviously talking about what hookers of simply stupid sex does to you. It destroys you. Much like the Animals' "House of the Rising Sun", I think Jon Crosby is telling us the woes of wrong sex.
Keep in mind that many artists have a very strange view of life, the universe, and everything, so chances are if the lyrics aren't obviously about the artist's experiences, you have to dig deeper. Personally, I believe that this is about a woman who uses sex to drain her partners (you can live as long as you want to live) and to feel powerful. Then again, it may also be about the destructive female aspect, the kali thing, sex and death bundled together, closer to the whore idea, but more to do with the sacred prostitutes of babylon than your modern-day redlight girl.
Does anyone know what is being muttered/chanted in the background?