Vtowndawg has it exactly right, at least insofar as clearly John the Baptist, Herod, and Salome is the story the lyrics reference. But I don't put Liz Phair at just retelling Bible stories, even with saltier language. I think her spin, which I do not recall being part of the Biblical story (am I wrong here?), is that Salome wanted John the Baptist romantically / sexually, and he rebuffed her, so she took her mother's suggestion to get him, albeit in less than whole and living form. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned and all that.
Or--alternate theory--she is using the Salome story to tell some guy who is leading a life that draws his interest away from her, that she'd just as soon seen him dead (physically or metaphorically)? Did she have a thing for some holy roller guy who told her he'd never date a fuck-and-runner? Or maybe he was just a guy who was too busy with other pursuits to notice her, and she's giving him the finger here?
Well, I hate to get too far afield on the interpretation, so I'll leave it at I dummo, but am somewhat intrigued.
Vtowndawg has it exactly right, at least insofar as clearly John the Baptist, Herod, and Salome is the story the lyrics reference. But I don't put Liz Phair at just retelling Bible stories, even with saltier language. I think her spin, which I do not recall being part of the Biblical story (am I wrong here?), is that Salome wanted John the Baptist romantically / sexually, and he rebuffed her, so she took her mother's suggestion to get him, albeit in less than whole and living form. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned and all that.
Or--alternate theory--she is using the Salome story to tell some guy who is leading a life that draws his interest away from her, that she'd just as soon seen him dead (physically or metaphorically)? Did she have a thing for some holy roller guy who told her he'd never date a fuck-and-runner? Or maybe he was just a guy who was too busy with other pursuits to notice her, and she's giving him the finger here?
Well, I hate to get too far afield on the interpretation, so I'll leave it at I dummo, but am somewhat intrigued.