Girl Anachronism

An anachronism is the representation of someone as existing or something as happening in other than chronological, proper, or historical order, or one that is out of its proper or chronological order, especially a person or practice that belongs to an earlier time. This song was written by Amanda Palmer, who was half of The Dresden Dolls, and it relates to how she often feels out of place. In our interview with Amanda Palmer, she told us: "My mother had a superstition about numbers, so she wanted me to be born on an even day of an even month. And the surgery was slated for an odd day of an odd month, so she moved it back. Just a couple of days. I think the surgery was slated for May 1st, and she moved it to April 30th. And there was nothing unhealthy about it. The doctor was like, 'Yeah, sure.' Got a couple of days here or there, it really doesn't change anything. But I always thought that was a great poetic excuse for lopsidedness."

Regarding the lyrics, "Accidentally on purpose," Palmer explains: "that was an actual snarky remark that my parents used to make to me when I was a kid any time I hurt myself. Like if I fell down the stairs or if I came home with scrapes and bruises, they would roll their eyes and say, 'Oh, sure that was an accident – accidentally on purpose.' And I would go, 'No, really! I f--kin' ate it on the sidewalk!' And it bent my head in a strange way, because when you're a kid, your intuition is saying, Well, that's not true, that's not right. But then you're constantly second-guessing, because the adults know which way the wind's blowing. So I was really twisted about what my intentions were as I was growing up, and I never trusted myself. I never trusted my own instincts and my own intentions, especially when it came to attention-getting. Because I felt trapped in this strange narcissistic hole where I knew I liked attention, but I was taught that it was a very bad, naughty thing to want it. So I was coming out of a very warped space for a long time before I sorted out my own stuff, which was the better part of my teens and 20s. That line is a reference to all that stuff."