How could that happen?
How could that happen again?
Where the fuck was I looking
When all his horses came in?
And he built an army
Of kamikaze
Ten thousand willing
Pilots flying
Interfacing
Space and beyond
Built an army
To come and find me
Beyond all reason
Beyond all my hopes
The call of duty
Another war zone
(Makes me moan)
Kamikaze
Kamikaze
You can't touch me
Kamikaze
Eight miles high
He walks his path
And I follow mine
One truth for one eye
He's come to find me
Ten thousand willing
Pilots flying
Interfacing
Space and beyond
Here is his army
Space and here we come
Kamikaze
Kamikaze
You don't touch me
Kamikaze
Kamikaze
You don't touch me
Kamikaze
You don't touch me
Space here we come
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Well, Polly Jean, you are amazing. This song, this album, simply incredible. Arguably the most underrated song on 'Stories from..' (hence no-one yet commenting), the power, passion and that voice would make a very worthy addition to Ms PJ Harvey's 'Best Of' in years to come..
A point of interest: the word kamikaze actually wasn't used by the Japanese in WWII, shinpu was. Rumour has it the Americans adopted it after wrongly translating the Japanese characters although the literal transaction is the same for both: 'Divine wind'.
Or rather one interpretation... I couldn't find any sources that made an explicit link except somehow I got onto the concept of "kamikaze sperm" and boom -- there is a narrative here! That panicky but "i can handle this" pace in music and lyrics (how could this happen, they found me with an army (the egg), you don't touch me.. beyond all reason, time etc etc). It all makes sense. I love this song regardless and I'm not saying this has to be about a condom breaking or the guy stealthing, or the morning after pill or abortion or anything else super specific. Maybe it has nothing to do with kamikaze sperm and fertilization (one eye, one tooth - need one sperm to "bite in" and penetrate out of an army of thousands). It does fit well though, better than 9/11 (which had not happened yet) or actual kamikaze pilots and is no worse than psychological analogies to the latter. I'm not even saying this is the intended meaning - but it works at multiple levels and even if it's relatable only to some (or just me!) I'm excited, after so many years of listening and loving this song, to have uncovered a new narrative that fits the lyrics and the music both!! :))
@blackaliss could be also perspective of sperm of one man who gets there to find all these other "kamikaze" sperms there blocking its way. Less likely considering the perspective the narrative takes (found me, you can't touch me etc) fits the egg better.. I don't think it's necessary to take the part about kamikaze sperm so literally anyway - might've been a way to veil the nature of the army being mentioned , whilst making an indirect reference.
@blackaliss could be also perspective of sperm of one man who gets there to find all these other "kamikaze" sperms there blocking its way. Less likely considering the perspective the narrative takes (found me, you can't touch me etc) fits the egg better.. I don't think it's necessary to take the part about kamikaze sperm so literally anyway - might've been a way to veil the nature of the army being mentioned , whilst making an indirect reference.
This is such a POWER song. But then again, pretty much all of PJ's songs are like that. One thing...I always thought the line was "One TOOTH for one eye," because of the whole "Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth" theory. It just makes a little more sense.
My god!
I can't believe no-one has yet commented on this song!
My favorite song off the album. I love it.
KAMIKAZE!! YOU DON'T TOUCH ME!
When 911 happened I immediately thought of this song...eerily foreshadowing...especially since she was in NYC while working on this album...
This seems like PJ Harvey's version of a song by Heart called, Barracuda. It's as if she's recalling an incident between a man in the music industry (there are hints as to who it was in the snatches of old song lyrics) and something he said that knocked her sideways, badly. This song is both her calling him out, raging and punching him in the mouth (one tooth, for an eye), and her escaping into her safe place.