The Childcatcher

[thechildcatcher]

i wasn't disusted, but the lyrics are strong, i was surprised, and amazed, you can't hide, and you can't run from them. Paediophilia is a bad thing obviously, but there's something almost attractive about absolute evil. It's amazing how he explores the darker side of human nature musically, the sounds are so harsh, yet so satisfying. Like swearing, you're not supposed to, but it's so satisfying. "I WROTE YOUR NAME IN MY SHIT ACCROSS THE TOWN". you know you can't run from the childcatcher's hands, he's in you!

I still have nightmares about the childcatcher, he's scarier than any horror character i've ever seen. But as bruce wane would say, if you become your fears, then no-one can destroy you.

you can't run from the bad things in life, nor can you run from the childcatcher and nor should music.

[obeseguy]

Hear hear!

Jx

[el alma]

this song is just another reason to respect and admire patrick wolf...wow.

[secretcircus]

this was the song that made me fall in love. ofcourse the lyrics are a little "creepy" , but i love it. the lyrics are so strong & beautiful.

[omgzboheme]

admin said:

I think it deals with the subject in a way which it hasn't been dealt with before, which can be jarring at first, if you're not prepared for it, but I much prefer Patrick's 'if you can't run to save yourself / you deserve to be had' stance than the wimmy-wammy victim mentality of a lot of money-grabbing 'survivors'.

Cheerio, Michael. xxx

yeah i think thats strange but i totally agree with you

and as another one mentioned: i first didnt feel comfortable with liking the song as it brings up memories.
but at the end. he is an artist, an amazing one. and the song is extremely beautiful (is this the right word? i dont know...)

[evangelion]

this is definately my favourite song by Patrick

it just has so much going for it, amazing subject matter, brilliantly executed and put across... the almost circus style interlude adds even more innocence to the victim, yet at the same time, with the 'i wrote your name in my shit across the town' shows that there is something deep inside that hates whats been done to them...

i also like how it's from bothn sides, some parts are from the childcatcher (the layered vocals are great) and some from the 'victim' for want of a better word.

the production is also genius

[BoyHeroine]

i always play this song to people when i first get them to listen to Wolf, cause its so Patrick - and if you get it i think you get he's music and metaphors. To me the song has always been about the loss of childhood innocence - having to grow up and those stages in your life when you begin to relaise things about the world - when you start worrying and experiencing and being forced into this independent state. Its a song that everyone can relate to.

[whatisscience]

This was one of the first Patrick Wolf songs that I heard, it means a lot to me and really moves me. I think its completely beautiful.

obsequy said:

Plus I think I've read in an interview that it's more metaphorical, something about him being emotionally younger than the "childcatcher" rather than actual paedophilia.

That makes sense, I didn't really think too much about what the song actually meant to be honest, I thought it might be metaphorical but now it all fits.

[lenina]

It could be metaphorical (and so I hope) in some way... I kinda feel the Childcatcher could be the music industry, isn't it? would make sense... at least I'd like to think about it that way, the other way 'round it's just too difficult for me to handle

[heidi]

umm, in paris he sings "what was it i ran from, what burnt away insiede, i had 400 schoolboys and a lawyer at my side".
and also thigs he said like this one:

What about "The Childcatcher" - a song that has lines like "you gave me shoes and pretty clothes and I gave you what I had between my legs"? There are surely elements of abuse in there.

"Yeah - it was a certain relationship, I was 15 at the time but I was still a child. It wasn't like I was 6-years-old, I was 15. I was still mentally a child and the person knew I was still mentally a child. It's hard to communicate at the time because it's like a complicated thing, but maybe put it into the context of a child being eight-years-old or seven-years-old; it was an easy way of communicating what was actually happening. But then there's also the other side that five years later, like [when I was] 19 I wrote the second part where it comes in with the voice of the person who did the abuse, and it turns out 'Oh come on, you know, it wasn't so much an abuse, maybe you just weren't ready for it. Maybe you enjoyed it?'"

You don't see yourself as a victim?

"I've got no time for victims. If you can't run to save yourself you deserve to be had. I think it's one of my philosophies now you know. I'm really anti-victim mentality. They want to make you a victim. They want to make you think you're a victim, but you've got to be a hero.
(from: www.playlouder.com/feature/%2Bpatrickwolf/ )

and this makes me think that is it not just metaphorical...

[salamandrina]

heidi said:

umm, in paris he sings "what was it i ran from, what burnt away insiede, i had 400 schoolboys and a lawyer at my side".
and also thigs he said like this one:

What about "The Childcatcher" - a song that has lines like "you gave me shoes and pretty clothes and I gave you what I had between my legs"? There are surely elements of abuse in there.

"Yeah - it was a certain relationship, I was 15 at the time but I was still a child. It wasn't like I was 6-years-old, I was 15. I was still mentally a child and the person knew I was still mentally a child. It's hard to communicate at the time because it's like a complicated thing, but maybe put it into the context of a child being eight-years-old or seven-years-old; it was an easy way of communicating what was actually happening. But then there's also the other side that five years later, like [when I was] 19 I wrote the second part where it comes in with the voice of the person who did the abuse, and it turns out 'Oh come on, you know, it wasn't so much an abuse, maybe you just weren't ready for it. Maybe you enjoyed it?'"

You don't see yourself as a victim?

"I've got no time for victims. If you can't run to save yourself you deserve to be had. I think it's one of my philosophies now you know. I'm really anti-victim mentality. They want to make you a victim. They want to make you think you're a victim, but you've got to be a hero.
(from: www.playlouder.com/feature/%2Bpatrickwolf/ )

and this makes me think that is it not just metaphorical...

that line from paris may have more to do with the bullying he had to deal with, i think. there was a lawsuit and yeah, he won.

[heidi]

bullying?!? it seems i miss something...

[salamandrina]

heidi said:

bullying?!? it seems i miss something...

yes. patrick had a pretty rough time at school and changed schools a few times. at some point (didn't say when) a school got sued and it was a right mess.

patrick was asked if he won and he answered "of course!" and that he wouldn't have gone through with it if he didn't feel there was anything substantial to it.

i'll have to see if i can find that interview again.

[heidi]

thanks...

[salamandrina]

heidi said:

thanks...

found it! here's the quote:
Fantastic. When you were growing up you said you had turbulent teenage years…You said that the bullying in your schools was so bad that you actually had to change schools. What was going on?

It was being 6'4 playing the violin. I think one summer I came back from a summer of playing with a group, kind of a very scary John Waters drag queen doing Yoko Ono covers and with um, I dyed my hair red or pink or something and then I don't know, it was just those crazy years. I came back from some holiday and everything, just kind of; I just realized that I was just total square peg in a round hole. Things just spun out of control really. We ended up suing the school for damages and all the rest, but you know it's sort of in the past is all. My turbulent years.

Did you win?
Yeah, Of course. I wouldn't go into that kind of bullshit if I thought I wouldn't get something out of it.

and here is the link to the full interview:
www.movementmagazine.com/0405/MUSIC_PatrickWolf.htm

[amy]

for some reason it reminds me of blackadder

[TheBoyLovesAWolf]

salamandrina said:

heidi said:

thanks...

It was being 6'4 playing the violin. I think one summer I came back from a summer of playing with a group, kind of a very scary John Waters drag queen doing Yoko Ono covers and with um, I dyed my hair red or pink or something and then I don't know, it was just those crazy years. I came back from some holiday and everything, just kind of; I just realized that I was just total square peg in a round hole. Things just spun out of control really. We ended up suing the school for damages and all the rest, but you know it's sort of in the past is all. My turbulent years.

Aw, poor patrick! honestly though... who couldn't appreciate patrick in all his loveliness? 6'4" with pink hair playing violin sounds pretty awesome to me...

oh well, he served whoever gave him problems since now he's got a message board with over 500 members!

[atrocityexhibition]

1. Someone who hates pink.


2. Take that you! 500 members. All mine. Forget those albums I made. I have a MESSAGEBOARD. Hah!

[amy]

atrocityexhibition said:

1. Someone who hates pink.


2. Take that you! 500 members. All mine. Forget those albums I made. I have a MESSAGEBOARD. Hah!

aha

[TheBoyLovesAWolf]

atrocityexhibition said:

1. Someone who hates pink.


2. Take that you! 500 members. All mine. Forget those albums I made. I have a MESSAGEBOARD. Hah!

teehee i bet they feel bad now
but how can you hate pink on patrick? lol

576 members! take that evil bullies!