Tragic Girl

From Weezerpedia
"Tragic Girl"
Tragic Girl cover
Album track by Weezer
Album Pinkerton (Deluxe Edition)
Released November 2, 2010
Recorded 1996
Length 5:26
Label Geffen
Writer(s) Rivers Cuomo
Status Officially released
Live debut January 20, 2012 on the Weezer Cruise
Last played January 21, 2012 on the Weezer Cruise
Pinkerton (Deluxe Edition) track listing
36 tracks
Disc 1
  1. "Tired of Sex"
  2. "Getchoo"
  3. "No Other One"
  4. "Why Bother?"
  5. "Across the Sea"
  6. "The Good Life"
  7. "El Scorcho"
  8. "Pink Triangle"
  9. "Falling for You"
  10. "Butterfly"
  11. "You Gave Your Love to Me Softly"
  12. "Devotion"
  13. "The Good Life" (Radio Remix)
  14. "Waiting on You"
  15. "I Just Threw Out the Love of My Dreams"
  16. "The Good Life" (Live Acoustic)
  17. "Pink Triangle" (Radio Remix)
  18. "I Swear It's True"
  19. "Pink Triangle" (Live Acoustic)
  20. "Interview - 107.7 The End - Blue VS Pinkerton"
Disc 2
  1. "You Won't Get with Me Tonight"
  2. "The Good Life" (Live Acoustic)
  3. "El Scorcho" (Live Acoustic)
  4. "Pink Triangle" (Live Acoustic)
  5. "Why Bother?" (Live)
  6. "El Scorcho" (Live)
  7. "Pink Triangle" (Live)
  8. "The Good Life" (Live Acoustic)
  9. "El Scorcho" (Live Acoustic)
  10. "Across the Sea" (Piano Noodles)
  11. "Butterfly" (Alternate Take)
  12. "Long Time Sunshine"
  13. "Getting Up and Leaving"
  14. "Tired of Sex" (Tracking Rough)
  15. "Getchoo" (Tracking Rough)
  16. "Tragic Girl"

"Tragic Girl" (previously titled "Cry and Cry") is the sixteenth track from the second disc of the deluxe edition of Pinkerton.

Appearances

Overview

Songs from the Black Hole

"Tragic Girl" as a song title existed as early as 1995. The song underwent numerous lyrical revisions,[1] though it's not known how much the song evolved melodically. The song title is first known to have been written in Cuomo's notes in early drafts for the aborted Weezer concept album Songs from the Black Hole. An early, handwritten, potential track list lists the song at the end of Act I, between the songs "I Thought You Should Know" and "Good News!", with the accompanying lyric notes "I beg you don't tell a soul, she'll never know / Stay away from me 'n I'll stay away from her". Cuomo's draft of the lyrics from this period don't indicate which character (Maria or Laurel) is the eponymous "tragic girl", but the song is presumably sung from the point of view of the character Jonas. It is not known if this iteration shares any attributes with the final song aside from the title.

Pinkerton

An early iteration of "Tragic Girl" is documented in The Pinkerton Diaries (under the title "Cry and Cry"). The book features more than eight pages of lyric drafts. This lyrics from this iteration more closely resembles the lyrics that appear in the final song. "Tragic Girl" was recorded during a last-minute recording session at Rumbo Recorders in Canoga Park, Los Angeles during the Pinkerton sessions:[2]

By this time, Matt had gone overseas to work on his own album, under the impression that Pinkerton was in the can. But Rivers had written another song and needed to try it to see if it belonged on the record. Adam Orth was called in for the session, and "Tragic Girl" was worked on. And then it was promptly packed up, unlabeled and undocumented. Not even a rough mix was made that day, so no one could listen back or in many cases even remember they had worked on it. While it was a bit rough around the edges it was still 6 stunning minutes of Weezer glory, inexplicably unheard (by anyone) till now. I returned to Los Angeles shortly thereafter, totally unaware there had even been another session.

—Karl Koch, Pinkerton (Deluxe Edition) liner notes[2][3]


"Tragic Girl" received additional recording work in 2010,[4] including adding missing guitar work and re-recording unintelligible lyrics.[5] Prior to release, Cuomo also tweeted that the song would be like Nirvana's "You Know You're Right" for Pinkerton fans.[6] "Tragic Girl" has been performed live only twice, both times on the Weezer Cruise in 2012. Recordings of both of these performances appeared on live albums released as part of Weezer's Official Bootleg series.

Live performances

Personnel

Audio

Lyrics

When you kiss me and say you love me
It makes me feel so good
I want to break down and give in to you
I want to believe that you’re the one

You give me my pills and sing a strange song
And all my hurting goes away
Start to drift off with you beside me
I want to believe that you’re the one

Cry and cry and let it out
We have to face that it’s over now
Even as I anoint your door
I’m looking out for something more
Cry and cry, I’m crying, too
'Cause no one touches me like you do
I don’t want my mom to know
That I’ve been a dirty boy

I try my darndest to be a bastard
I want you to think that I don’t care
But I feel sorry and you’re so pretty
You start to cry and I kiss your mouth

Cry and cry and let it out
We have to face that it’s over now
Even as I anoint your door
I’m looking out for something more
Cry and cry, I’m crying, too
'Cause no one touches me like you do
I don’t want my mom to know
That I’ve been a dirty boy

You’re a tragic girl
You lead a tragic life
I’m just meant to be
Your latest tragedy
Ain’t no butterfly girl
This ain’t no butterfly love
I’m just meant to be
Your latest tragedy

I try my darndest to be a bastard
I want you to think that I don’t care
You’re so pretty, and I feel sorry
You start to cry and I kiss your mouth

I don’t want my mom to know
That I’ve been a dirty boy

You’re a tragic girl
You lead a tragic life
I’m just meant to be
Your latest tragedy
This ain’t no butterfly girl
This ain’t no butterfly love
I’m gonna have to be
Your latest tragedy

I want you so bad
Your touch is magic

I love you so much
You sad, sad girl
You're just killin' yourself
and I can't be a partner to that
You dear, dear, girl
Vulnerable helpless soul

You're lost to me
You're so beautiful
When you're drunk and pukin'
I want to care for you
You dear lost soul
lipstick smeared across your face
your breath is barf
I've got to let you go

But you're a 1000 times alive
a 1000 times the girl
You're just killing yourself
and I can't go with you
I can't tie(?) myself to that
I have to let you go
and watch you sink before my eyes
I can't bring myself to say the words
but you know... you know
You're falling apart before my eyes

I can't go on with you

You're a tragic girl
You lead a tragic life (I'm your sober boy)
I'm just meant to be
You're latest tragedy
Goodbye tragic girl
goodbye tragic life
I need to be alone
and live inside myself
You make me want to cry
You make me want to run
to or away from
That I never know

You're so beautiful when you're dying

I just can't do it

Known recordings

Performer(s) Title Filename Date of recording Recording location Length Appeared on Notes
Weezer Tragic Girl 1996, 2010 Rumbo Recorders, Los Angeles, CA 5:26 Pinkerton (Deluxe Edition)
Weezer Tragic Girl January 20, 2012 Palladium Lounge, Carnival Destiny 5:20 Live on the Weezer Cruise - Palladium Lounge (The Blue Album) Live performance
Weezer Tragic Girl January 21, 2012 Palladium Lounge, Carnival Destiny 5:19 Live on the Weezer Cruise - Palladium Lounge (Pinkerton) Live performance
about this table

See also

References

  1. ↑ Cuomo, Rivers. The Pinkerton Diaries. Self-published. 2011
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Pinkerton (Deluxe Edition) liner notes
  3. ↑ Weezer Recording History - Page 8
  4. ↑ Gormely, Ian. "Weezer's Rivers Cuomo Talks Pinkterton Reissue: "I Think It's a Brilliant Album"" Exclaim! 15 September 2010. https://exclaim.ca/music/article/weezers_rivers_cuomo_talks_pinkterton_reissue_i_think_its_brilliant_album
  5. ↑ Weezerpedia Discord Q&A with Karl Koch - August 2022
  6. ↑ @RiversCuomo ""Tragic Girl" is going to be like "You Know You're Right" for Pinkerton fans." Twitter. 12 November 2009. https://twitter.com/RiversCuomo/status/5663540251 Screenshot
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