Blister in the Sun

"Blister in the Sun" by the Violent Femmes, an American rock band, was released on their 1982 debut album, Violent Femmes. A popular song in the annals of indie rock and a modest hit when it was released, this insanely catchy tune has since passed into the canon of Western popular music and become a standard. It has also become a part of the Canon of many CTY sites.

Acording to lead singer Gordon Gano, this song is not about masturbation as popularly believed. Rather, he wrote this song about a girl he had a crush on in high school. Gordon was sensitive about his small hands, and on the first day of school a girl came up to him, held his hands in the air, and exclaimed "LOOK WHAT SMALL HANDS HE HAS!" So, he wrote the song from the perspective of a girl lusting after a boy with big hands. This would explain the line "Big hands I know you're the one."

In 2005, "Blister in the Sun" became the first English language track ever to be allowed on RnaG, the Republic of Ireland Irish language radio station. The song is also featured on the soundtrack of the 1997 film Grosse Pointe Blank.

In 2005, it was voted the Most Essential song of all time by radio station Triple M, in their massive 2005 Most Essential songs countdown.

Tradition

Blister in the Sun is part of the Canon at many sites.

At Lancaster, it is traditional to form a circle and kick to the beat. During the "soft" section, students get on their knees and move toward the center of the circle, and at the line "Let me go on," they spring up. Students clap at the drum riffs in the melody and wave their hands back and forth during the chorus. In 06.2, Rachel and Kai (the then-bearers of the Jesus and Satan positions) partook of various amiable movements in the center of the circle during the "soft" section. This has since become tradition.

At Siena, Saratoga, Baltimore, and LMU, during the "soft" section, dancers go lower and lower to the ground until they're lying down, then spring to their feet.

Lyrics

When I'm out walking I strut my stuff, yeah I'm so strung out
I'm high as a kite, I just might stop to check you out
Let me go on, like I blister in the sun
Let me go on, big hands I know you're the one

Body and beats, I stain my sheets, I don't even know why
My girlfriend, she's at the end, she is starting to cry
Let me go on, like I blister in the sun
Let me go on, big hands I know your the one...

"Whisper Section"
When I'm out walking I strut my stuff, yeah I'm so strung out
I'm high as a kite, I just might stop to check you out
When I'm out walking I strut my stuff, yeah I'm so strung out
I'm high as a kite, I just might stop to check you out
Body and beats, I stain my sheets, I don't even know why
My girlfriend, she's at the end, she is starting to cry
When I'm out walking I strut my stuff, yeah I'm so strung out
I'm high as a kite, I just might (yell this part) stop to check you out

Let me go on, like I blister in the sun
Let me go on, big hands I know your the one...