Levitate Me (Review)

An early offering from The Pixies on their debut EP Come On Pilgrim, is the acrid and uncomfortable track Levitate Me. From the grinding guitars and thumping tom drums of the opening bars, this song wails like an upset child. Something is wrong, and this feeling of distress is reinforced by the repeated lyrics "Give me help...."

Surrealism meets head on with a punk rock aesthetic, that is somehow softened by an apathy prevalent in the grunge movement to follow. Francis is cryptic in his intent, but in a deliberate manner that allows for the distinct identity of The Pixies to carry through.

With an alluring intoxication, Levitate Me keeps the listener suspended in false belief. "Shaky shake, shaky. Levitate me...." Francis toys with perception, stability and everything that is known to be real. As soon as any certainty or structure manifests itself, an implosion of truth occurs and all sense of reason collapses in a heap. Percussive chants in the background are akin to those of rowdy pub-goers, as the lyrics "Elevator lady" are slurred repeatedly with a strained inebriation.

Utilizing The Pixies' trademark stop/start dynamics, Levitate Me unwinds and becomes tangled all over again, culminating in an intentional confusion over the unsavory solicitation, "Won't you please run over me?"

Sonically, Levitate Me has all the traits of a stomping, school hall classic, as dark and suggestive as an angst inspired teen anthem of the early to mid 90s. In typical form, The Pixies prove yet again that they are capable of revolutionizing entire genres of popular music. They accomplish this effortlessly; amidst choreographed bursts of confusion and disorientation. 
Levitate Me leaves the listener uncertain of where they are in relation to the physical world around them, and of whether they have any control over their senses at all. A tantalizing emotional numbness, and a twisted tantrum at once, one finds themselves willingly lost in the surrealism of another Pixies enigma.

The lyrics are very much about sex, with a likely secondary sublime anti-Catholic message.

Rating: 5 of 5 Stars

— MK

The Pixies are one of those bands that manage to appeal to an extremely diverse cross section of society. As time passes, they claim an even greater entitlement to their reputation as one of the coolest American indie/alternative bands in history. Referenced openly by contemporary acts such as Placebo and Nirvana, and featured in the soundtracks to groundbreaking films such as Fight Club, this Boston band formed in Massachusetts in 1986. Members Black Francis, Joey Santiago, Kim Deal, and David Lovering succumbed to a spiraling demise of post 80s excess in 1993. The group disbanded for a time, before reuniting in 2004.

Levitate Me (Lyrics)

Give me help 
Give me help 
You can, levitate me

Then take off them rings 
Off them hose 
Levitate me

Higher place 
Levitate me

Elevator lady 
Elevator lady 
Elevator lady 
Elevator lady lady levitate me

If all in all is true 
If all in all is true 
If all in all is true 
If all is true

Won't you please run over me? 
Won't you please run over me? 
Won't you please run over me? 
Won't you please run over me?

Shaky shake...shaky 
Levitate me

Come on Pilgrim 
You know he loves you 
Levitate me

Higher place 
He kicked a baby

Elevator lady 
Elevator lady 
Elevator lady 
Lady 
Elevator Lady 
Lady Lady, Levitate me

If all in all is true 
If all in all is true 
If all in all is true 
If all is true

Won't you please run over me? 
Won't you please run over me? 
Won't you please run over me? 
Won't you please run over me? 
Won't you please run over me? 
Won't you please run over me?

Me, me, me, me....

 

Contact Information:

The Pixies 
pixiesmusic.com 
facebook.com/pixiesofficial

Levitate Me (Studio)