This has always been one of my favourite bright eyes songs so I feel I have to post my thoughts on the lyrics, even if it’s been 10 years since the most recent comment on this song, So a bit of a back story, after falling in love with this song at age 14/15, I decided to purchase and read (then unintentionally become besotted with) Valley of the Dolls, I’d forgotten how much I loved both the book and this song until very recently and I then came across this thread so here is my interpretation…
Neely O’Hara is one of the main characters in Valley of the Dolls, she does have what we would now class as “mental health issues” (personally I’d say EUPD but I’m not a Dr or Jacqueline Susann) and an eating disorder (she takes Dexedrine or “pep pills” which are amphetamines aka stimulants and used incorrectly decrease a persons appetite) along with alcohol, “in the morning when you throw up water” - bulimia/anorexia (and from personal experience I can say this does occur the day after a person drinks after consuming little/no food.)
The three main characters, Anne, Neely and Jennifer abuse “dolls” (amphetamines and barbiturates) so Neely does “swallow her sleep” by abusing barbiturates (sedatives). The book follows these three characters and their rise to fame (model/singer/actress).
So Neely does “wake up in the morning to find out you are not who you used to be” she started out as a nobody and becomes extremely famous. “You are not who you used to be”. The story starts in 1945 and follows the characters until 1965 which actually coincides with “America’s First Amphetamine Epidemic” which is recorded to have been from 1929–1971. This is why I think the song is based on the character from the book and not a person.
Also to the person who commented about Conor bringing out “Neely” at a concert I’d take an educated guess and say that was Neely Jenkins (lead singer of Tilly and the wall) who is also from Nebraska… and who was a member of park ave (Conor’s old band/ she also sang on a few bright eyes tracks if I remember correctly).
This has always been one of my favourite bright eyes songs so I feel I have to post my thoughts on the lyrics, even if it’s been 10 years since the most recent comment on this song, So a bit of a back story, after falling in love with this song at age 14/15, I decided to purchase and read (then unintentionally become besotted with) Valley of the Dolls, I’d forgotten how much I loved both the book and this song until very recently and I then came across this thread so here is my interpretation…
Neely O’Hara is one of the main characters in Valley of the Dolls, she does have what we would now class as “mental health issues” (personally I’d say EUPD but I’m not a Dr or Jacqueline Susann) and an eating disorder (she takes Dexedrine or “pep pills” which are amphetamines aka stimulants and used incorrectly decrease a persons appetite) along with alcohol, “in the morning when you throw up water” - bulimia/anorexia (and from personal experience I can say this does occur the day after a person drinks after consuming little/no food.)
The three main characters, Anne, Neely and Jennifer abuse “dolls” (amphetamines and barbiturates) so Neely does “swallow her sleep” by abusing barbiturates (sedatives). The book follows these three characters and their rise to fame (model/singer/actress).
So Neely does “wake up in the morning to find out you are not who you used to be” she started out as a nobody and becomes extremely famous. “You are not who you used to be”. The story starts in 1945 and follows the characters until 1965 which actually coincides with “America’s First Amphetamine Epidemic” which is recorded to have been from 1929–1971. This is why I think the song is based on the character from the book and not a person.
Also to the person who commented about Conor bringing out “Neely” at a concert I’d take an educated guess and say that was Neely Jenkins (lead singer of Tilly and the wall) who is also from Nebraska… and who was a member of park ave (Conor’s old band/ she also sang on a few bright eyes tracks if I remember correctly).