Holocaust

Wow, I'm surprised no one has commented on this song. It's amazing. This is one of the most emotional songs I've ever heard. It's such a perfect portrait of someone sad and broken.

Could be someone who's strung out on his or her (probably her) own drug habit, impudence, narcisissm, fear, social retardation, laziness, or even corrosive influence of a crazy stuck-up mom who isn't around anymore.

Then she looks in the mirror and sees it's too late, while everybody else is going as far as they can, as people instinctively do.

Damn right it's disturbing, even cruel .... unless maybe Alex was describing himself?

This is a depressing song, but in a different way than Chris Bell was depressing. 'Holocaust' is more like being dulled by the world, no emotions left, hollow...empty...jaded. Chris Bell's songs are more like, wallowing in emotion, too much emotion that you can't handle it and your heart's gonna break. I find Chris Bell's stuff more overwhelmingly depressing and sad but 'Holocaust' is definitely one bleak, sad, emotionally draining song.

very rarely am I honestly grateful I discovered a band...

I definitely feel like this is a self-reflection on Chilton. Mrpieeater explained this song well in comparison to Chris Bell's self-reflection songs.

"This is a depressing song, but in a different way than Chris Bell was depressing. 'Holocaust' is more like being dulled by the world, no emotions left, hollow...empty...jaded. Chris Bell's songs are more like, wallowing in emotion, too much emotion that you can't handle it and your heart's gonna break."

This song is very void and stark. It does feel like the song is Alex Chilton singing to himself in a mirror, but, because it uses second person, the song can easily become one of a third party commenting on your own life. It speaks to Chilton's depression (or is it apathy since it is so void?) as well as your own. Honestly, this is the saddest song I have ever heard. Compare it to Chris Bell's "I Am The Cosmos." Bell's song has indications of being sad, feeling sadness. "Holocaust" seems to be about a lack of emotions and that is much more depressing that feeling depressed itself. At least to me.

Okay, i was thinking the meaning to this song was quite simple.......I thought it was literally someone talking about the death of their mother and how they almost feel like they have died too....

"Your mother's dead, she said Don't be afraid

Your mother's dead, you're on your own She's in her bed"

From my point of view he is describing how his mother looks in death and talking about how it mirrors his own emotional state, as in the first lines....

"Your eyes are almost dead, can't get out of bed And you can't sleep

You're sitting down to dress, and you're a mess You look in the mirror

You look in your eyes Say you realize

Everybody goes, leaving those Who fall behind

Everybody goes, as far as they can They don't just care"

a kind of shock this is why the song is so empty and why he references the holocaust....emaciated....mindless....he's also referencing how he understands that death is necessary and how perhaps he is trying to learn that love existed....i don't know i think its difficult because some of the lines could suggest it is the feelings of someone else, or himself....?

According to a posting on another web site, this song is about the mother of his, then girlfriend, Lesa Aldridge, who Alex Chilton didn't really get along with very well. According to the site http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node=Holocaust, "This song is about Lesa Aldredge's mother. At the time it was written and recorded, Alex was dating Lesa...... Lesa's mom was an alcoholic and prescription drug addict at the time, and Alex didn't get along with her very well."

I agree. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that this is the most disturbing song I have ever heard. Very sad and very, very eerie. Brilliant.

Perhaps this song is actually about the Holocaust. I mean I know that seems to forward and is unlikely but there is a lot of lines that seem to resemble events that happened during the holocaust.

Such as "Your eyes are almost dead, can't get out of bed And you can't sleep " maybe talking about how the people in the camps probably werent able to sleep because of all the people in thier beds and various other reasons

and

"Everybody goes, leaving those Who fall behind " perhaps referring to how all of the jews in the camps who were not fit to work or had become to weak were gassed - They 'fell behind'

I dunno. jUst some thoughts.

many years ago, when i first heard this, i thought he was saying "everybody goes, even those who fall behind." i liked it that way, too.