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Jennifer's Body (Hole song)

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"Jennifer's Body"
Song by Hole
from the album Live Through This
ReleasedApril 12, 1994
RecordedOctober 1993
StudioTriclops Studios in Atlanta, Georgia
Genre
Length3:42
LabelDGC
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)

"Jennifer's Body" is a song written and performed by American alternative rock band Hole, from their 1994 album Live Through This.

Origin and recording

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According to drummer Patty Schemel, she and Courtney Love came up with the idea for the song in 1992 while in San Francisco; at the time, Love's husband Kurt Cobain was working with Melvins on their album Lysol (1992).[1] The song was recorded at Triclops Studios in October 1993 during the recording sessions for Live Through This.[1] Schemel recalled that the song was recorded in two takes.[1]

Composition and lyrics

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The general theme of the lyrics deal with a woman's kidnapping and dismemberment.[2] According to Everett True, the song was thought to be inspired by Jennie Boddy, a music publicist.[3] Its lyrics appear to tell the narrative of a woman in captivity, being held "in a box by the bed", before eventually being murdered and dismembered.[4]

Interpretation

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The song has been interpreted by feminist scholars as being about literal violence against a woman's body, as well as using "corporeal fragmentation," representing a woman's body being enjoyed "piecemeal in objectified parts."[5] The song's ending with the repeated lines "Just relax, just relax, just go to sleep," have been interpreted by feminist scholars as assuming the role of a male aggressor speaking to his female victim who is either being lulled to sleep, or experiencing death.[6]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Hopper, Jessica (April 14, 2014). "You Will Ache Like I Ache: The Oral History of Hole's 'Live Through This'". Spin. Retrieved December 1, 2015.
  2. ^ Raha 2004, p. 179.
  3. ^ True 2006, p. 183.
  4. ^ Burns & Lafrance 2002, p. 116.
  5. ^ Burns & Lafrance 2002, pp. 114–15.
  6. ^ Burns & Lafrance 2002, p. 114.

Bibliography

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