Blood, by Juliana Hatfield (2024)

1.

falling upstairscursing my shoesbut it’s my instincts that are shotI got a clumsy heartit gets confusedwake up don’t know who you arethe shame of loveholding me againthe shame of lovenothing ever endsI head toward the stormmy bad directionsI crash another new caryou gather me upfeel where I’m brokenput pressure on those parts-chorus-don’t tell me it’s braveto show you the wayto total abjectionto open upat the weakest spotto abuses of affection-chorus-I suffer from the shame of loveholding me againI’m living with the shame of lovenothing ever ends

2.

honey I’m the one who sang the song about wanting to vanish into the airyeah I wanna go where no one knows me or my name or body and won’t claim me like propertyI never said I was an angelI never said I ever caredI never promised anyone anythingno enchanted fairytalesyou must have interpreted it wrongbecause I don’t sing love songsfingers everywhereyour snakes in my hairviolated my headyou were sullen and bluebecause I refused to die for you-chorus-

3.

I’m living in a nightmare and I can’t wake upthe whole world is controlled by fascist blood-sucking thugsI’m living in a nightmare and I can’t wake upI lost another friend to Jesusshe had nothing to believe in but the myth of redemption(we’re all damned, in her defense)I have to punch myself in the face to get myself out of bedhour after hour bombarded by liesit’s a desecration of your mind their deep wells of greed have no bottomsthey hoard resources and no one stops themI’m living in a waking nightmaremade to pay into a system that they steal fromlaws they’ve written don’t apply to themmoral authorities are defiling childrenwith no mercy and no conscienceI’m living in a nightmareI’m living in a nightmareI’m living in a nightmare and I can’t wake upI’m living in a nightmare and I can’t wake up

4.

I had a dream last nightand in my dream I had a knifeI stuck the knife into your neckthen I pulled it out and I stabbed you againyou staggered, screamingbloody and unbelievingthat anyone would ever punish youfor all of the traitorous things that you doit was a very American dreamthen it was a different sceneyou were alive in the beginningI was four horsesas you were quarteredthen I was a machineI was a rotating bladecoming to saw you in half as you lay strapped down on a table on your backthrough the boneand out the other sidethat was my dream last nightit was a very American dream

5.

my door has never been so openyou can take whatever isn’t brokenI’ll be driving around in circlesjust trying to get some tractionI’m trying to leavethere isn’t anything here for mewith an ear to the tracksall I hear is a ringing on a high b-flatI’m ready to finally pop this bubbleget myself in some kind of troubleI dream mostly of justiceI got a plan BI plan on winning the lotterymove to the oceanaway from all the monetization of every little thingdon’t wanna workdon’t wanna playI wanna blow the surviving son awaydon’t touch the innocent girlslet her hold on to what is hersI failed to compromise I took a powder I left the scenenow I’ve got nothing to loseall I possess is my sexy personalityand still I wonderhow anyone could believe in anybodyhow could you love meI stopped asking when you stopped answering

6.

I got assetsI got prospectspaid all my debtsbut I get no creditI gotta suck it upwe creativeswe always find a waywhen a door closeswe just open a veinany idiot can try his luck and make a pitchbut it has to be a traditional narrativeyou gotta fit the moldor the qualifying ratios are automatically programmed to tell you “no”I gotta suck it upcan’t I meet youor call you on the phonewon’t you talk to meyou’re so remotedon’t need a fur coatwon’t splurge on surgeryjust want a little spacebut it just seems so out of reachI’m climbing off my horsedon’t make me get down on my kneesjust tell the algorithm that I can prove that I am meI gotta suck it up

7.

why can’t you be nicewhy are you so rudeone of these days you’re gonna push somebody over the linesomeone’s gonna kick you in the headsomeone’s gonna choke you outsomeone’s gonna smash your teethsomeone’s gonna burn down your house-chorus-someone’s gonna take your handand break every fingershove a tube sock in your mouth to stop the sound from coming outsomeone’s gonna take a whipto your soft pink backscar you a hundred timesand then finish with a baseball batsomeone’s gonna chop you up into chunksput you into garbage bagsand take you to the dumpwhy can’t you be nice (someone’s gonna chop you up)why are you so rude (into chunks)one of these days you’re gonna push somebody (put them into garbage bags)over the line (and take you to the dump)

8.

if I say what I want to sayit might just get me killedthere’s no freedom in expressionand I don’t think I will let you in on my thoughtsI bite my tonguemy mouth’s full of bloodpressure from every sidegeneral consensusthey decide who is crucified for having wrong opinionshold on to what you’ve gotand smile for every camera-chorus-feelings want outI pray they make no sound-chorus-bite my tonguebite my tongue

9.

why do you love meyou must be madwhy do you love meyou must be crazyall I ever wanted was to revel in the lonelinessfind a private place to sit and tear off my skin in peacewhy do you love meyou must be daftwhy do you want mehas your brain been damagedyou take my handcan’t you feel it’s dead weightare you blinded by a stereotypethat history perpetuatestake my hand can’t you feel its dead weightI am just a tool for you to use to self-obliteratein the future it comes undoneall your desires are delusionsI am nothing to anyonenever will be and never was

10.

how long is this gonna takedon’t lie don’t sugarcoat itjust give it to me straightyou keep saying one more minute but it’s been at least eighthow long am I supposed to waitis it my pathology or is just my fateyou give me this gift and now you make me paywrest your soulout of controlhow much longer nowyou’re gonna make me latethis service is free to usebut not to operateit all goes smoothly until it gets to the endstrung alongI hit the wallit’s technicalwrest your soulout of control

Over the past four years, Juliana Hatfield has kept fans engaged and intrigued as she oscillates between impassioned original releases (puss*cat, Weird) and inspired covers collections (Juliana Hatfield Sings Olivia Newton-John, Juliana Hatfield Sings The Police). This year she returns with her latest album of originals, Blood, out May 14, 2021.

Her 19th solo studio album takes a deep dive into the dark side with a lens on modern human psychology and behaviour. “I think these songs are a reaction to how seriously and negatively a lot of people have been affected by the past four years,” says Juliana. “But it’s fun, musically. There’s a lot of playing around. I didn’t really have a plan when I started this project.”

With the pandemic limiting studio safety and availability, Juliana took the opportunity to learn to record at her Massachusetts home with recent collaborator Jed Davis assisting from Connecticut. “Usually I work in a studio,” explains Juliana. “I did more than half the work in my room—with Jed helping me to troubleshoot the technology, and helping with building and arranging some of the songs--and then I finished up with additional overdubs and mixing with engineer James Bridges at Q Division Studios in Somerville, MA.”

The first single, “Mouthful of Blood”, is gritty and abrasive yet groovy and melodic. That duality is represented throughout Blood. It is eminently hummable and thought-provoking. Sophisticated but catchy. Challenging but danceable.

“I always love coming up with melodies and then trying to fit words into them—it’s like doing a puzzle,” says Juliana. “And I always find places to use the Mellotron flutes and strings, on every album, because those sounds are so beautiful to me. They are a nice counterpoint to the damaged lyrical content.”