Sheela Na Gig - PJ Harvey

[AgapeSatori]

for our lady Babalon ♥

[glyph68]

This turned into a Celtic history argument?

[disagreeablesob]

Don't know what the guy in the song's problem was,personally I'm a big fan of ladies dirtypillows.

[gothiquespyder]

@Guardsman: The Celts came from Gaul which was a huge nation that contained what is now France, most of Germany, Spain, Portugal, and parts of Russia. The Celts enlarged their nation by intermarrying with the Picts and Scotts of what are now Ireland, Scottland, and England. They also founded "colonies" in America, traded and intermarryed with the Native Americans wich is why some Tribes have the genes for blond hair and blue eyes.

[joebloggs004]

I love this song lol. I'm surprised noone has posted this, but that marking is a representation of the grave - the earth mother waiting to take you back lol. I think it appears in monasteries around Ireland as a sort of celtic reminder of death, much like other monks etc. would have kept a skull on their desk for that purpose. I'm not sure, but I think it is called a memento mori - a reminder that death is ever present.

It seems to a purely Irish thing too. There is actually one close by me.

[roflcopterIII]

@joebloggs004 I think they also have some similar statues present in Wales and parts of Scotland, though I'm not sure. I'm amazed so many of those statues survived as long as they did.

[awakenlilrabbit]

i think of poor dorothy - who wants 5 guys in their bedroom while wearing ruby shoes

[hldjhl]

IN IRELAND,ITS A WARNING SIGHN FOR A LOOSE WOMAN,GOING BACK IN THE 9TH CENTURY,AND IT IS PRE NORMAN

[EltomeiroJackson]

"...you exhibitionist!..."



[tahliatreehugger]

i love the star of this song up until about the first 45 sec

i wish it would repeat the start more

[ConmanBenitez]

total shite

[soyneto]

I think Dirty Pillows means a womans breast, Stephen King also called them that in his novel Carrie . Love PJ forever !

[franklyspeaking]

This song is raw, raw power.

As far as I see it, it's not entirely on feminism.

I think this song also suggests how a woman's love can turn her into an 'exhibitionist'/ willingly sacrificial being.

[cswolford]

I just don't understand it when women say they are not feminists. It really is ridiculous. (Hate to turn this comment section a bit negative but I think it somewhat relates to the song and artist) Feminism is about gender equality. It's not about putting down the man. It's not about hating men or making women the rulers of the world. It's about equal pay, equal treatment, and thwarting sexual violence against women (which is more prevalent than violence against men). Wish PJ would support this

[sliver321123]

@cswolford

No, that's what some might say it should be.

What its known for being is its extremes, and that's just what happens with anything.

Christians are all bible pushing and prosthelytizing assholes.

Muslims are "terrorists"

and feminists are man-hating uber sexists.

Welcome to how everyone thinks and has thought about things for the entire existence of our species.

[hierba73]

@cswolford shut up and wash the dishes

[cswolford]

@hierba73 Try to think of something more original

[DeadWhiteButterflies]

"Look at these my child bearing hips,

look at these my ruby red, ruby lips"

My fave lines. There's just something brilliantly raw and about them, and maybe a little bit sexy. XD

I'm not so sure about it being focused on feminism or female empowerment. PJ's always said she's hated being called or labeled a feminist, as far as I can remember.

[maclennan73]

Always loved Ellis's drumming on this. Shame the trio only stuck for two albums, in my opinion they are her best though.

[KMdeRosa]

the first song of hers i ever heard...thanks dad!

[maclennan73]

@KMdeRosa What a good dad you have!!

[93naima]

@KMdeRosa same here ahahah

[redsquarenine]

Put money in your idle hole!

[gr8alongtail]

@redsquarenine THESE WORDS ARE SO POETIC

[moontanned1]

@pnkrk244 Nobody really knows what the sheela na gig statue is supposed to mean... some think feminine empowerment, some think she's a warning against sexually lose behavior in women, some think she's an image of an earth mother goddess, a symbol of fertility. Some have called her an exhibitionist...

A title that would understandably make pj harvey angry.

[gr8alongtail]

@moontanned1 WHAT ! THEY BUILD IN STONE A WARNING AGAINST LOOSE BEHAVIOUR .... IT THINK NOT

[debsgord]

each time is just as good as the first time, so may years ago.... Love you PJ!!!!

[Mackatax]

WOW...........

[Cookster5]

Dirty pillows!

[ashelt420]

and one the best

[definemaybe]

must it be oh so deep as all that? its a song see?

[hebesphenomegacorona]

@definemaybe it's also a song about her getting really mad 'cause her bf wanted her to shave her pubes a little haha

[koutshmarrrrria]

this Maria Mochnacz is pretty amazing. I love her work with Pj. lllllove her taste and point of view!

[ibasicallytotalyrule]

Turn up the volume

Louder

[pogospace]

Utterly bloody wonderful!

[maclennan73]

Totally impressed me as a teenager, she was so strong and sexy and I loved Ellis s pounding on the skins, especially around 1 30 for some reason.

[ladyvader139]

One of my VERY favourite songs!

[GovmentTookMaBaby]

I think it's about a guy that's taking the girl for granted, so she starts doing all this kinky stuff to try to get his attention but even that doesn't work, she decides to dump his ass.

[poeticjournalism]

really, guys? I think it's pretty damn straightforward. She's a sexually free woman, and this dude she's after has a stick up his ass, and she's chastising him for referring to her as a dirty whore, at least that's what I get from it. But it's all up to the listener, right? I'm on PJ's side, btw.

[milkeny]

i love this video and song. always made sense to me. when it was released i was 13, it was a very liberating moment for me. love the lyrics.

[GUARDSMAN24488]

A Sheela Na Gig is an ancient carving of a woman holding her virgina wide open to show everyone,one of the oldest is on a Church in Kilpeck Hereford UK .The church is so old it pre dates the norman conquest of 1066,and is one wired place fiull of ancient carvings so old they cannot be dated ,it is full of codes to be broken...anyway kids thats what a Sheela Na Gig is..The Guardsman..

[TheMadChild]

You're exactly right, but it's believed she chases away death by her brazen sexuality.

[TheMadChild]

Furthermore, the vid actually -shows- an image of Sheela Na Gig exposing herself. I think it's a vastly potent feminine symbol... and honestly, it expresses how weird it is that open feminine sexuality is considered somehow more offensive.

[TikTakSambo]

@TheMadChild reading way too much into it padre

[hldjhl]

@GUARDSMAN24488 THE OLD,EST SHEENA IS IN IRELAND,Y CANT U ANGLO SAXSONS FCUK OFF TRYING TO REWRITE HISTORY,WE CELTS INVENTD EVERYTHING,PATO

[andinoble]

@hldjhl There´s more than one in Vienna, Austria, where I lived for a while. Wikipedia, "As noted above, Ireland has the greatest number of known sheela na gigs (so much so that they are often mistakenly thought of as a uniquely Irish phenomenon). However, it became increasingly obvious[2][3] that the sheela na gig motif, far from being insular, can in fact be found all over Europe". And one is near my home in West Scotland too. But I know what you mean.

[andinoble]

@hldjhl A lot of Sheela na gigs were destroyed in the English reformation and the Scottish foundation of the Presbyterian church (which wanted to wipe out any form of pagan or pope idolatry whatsoever, positive or negative) because they were seen as devil/pagan symbols. Which is really sad because they´re really potent symbols.The Buncton/Wiston Sheela Na Gig in Southern England was destroyed in Nov 2004.Was on the BBC news. Really sad and idiotic to destroy it after over 900 years. Sigh...

[andinoble]

@hldjhl Anyway, rockin´song and really powerful.

[sichaar]

I wrote a paper on uni with this in repeat: no sweat!

[broadway520]

i like the lyric "gonna wash that man right out of my hair" from rodger and hammerstein's "south pacific"

[steve0281]

PJ Harvey rules.

[boofdahpoo]

As an addendum to my last comment, yeah, the song doesn't make a hell of a lot of sense, but it's still bitchin' good. :)

[thecrashed1]

dude yer so crazy! theres only two kinds of music good and bad, dont over analyze this please your hurting my head, why do people feel they have to proof thier worth to other youtubers with useless knowledge,

[boofdahpoo]

Who gives a crap, TikTak? Yeah, the song doesn't make a hell of a lot of sense (who the fuck comes up to someone and goes, "Get outta here, you...you...you...SHEE LA NA GIG!" I'd be like, rolling my eyes and going, What the fuuuuuck...).

But anyway, it's a catchy as hell song, and PJ Harvey is one helluva singer and musician, so, eh--Occam's Razor, dude. Keep it simple, stupid. End of story.

[BlackFoIiage]

Excellent song, and the first I've heard from her. Makes me want to hear more. :)

[gergatronic]

BlackFoliage: Welcome to PJ town...

[jimbojambojombo]

She rocks.

[ibasicallytotalyrule]

YOU EXHIBITIONIST YOU!

[Daphuhnuh]

She rules. She's so badass and feministic. Love her.

[spitndecay]

this is one of my favorite songs:)

[CaptainKubla]

Feisty!!!!

LOL Love a Lass With that.....Its Priceless....

[solonvideos]

Always thinking about "Met ze Mosta" as the best song of PJ & tonight I found this one. How I´d like hear it in a concert!!!!

[smithsfan92]

i love this song

[TheOpiumDistrict]

The opening :47 of this song is one of the best opening line/chorus in rock history.

[BynumCenter93]

Could someone explain me what this song is about? I try to get into this music

[Lanedude08]

I think it's about what most songs from "Dry" are about; feeling inadequacy for not being able to meet a man's expectations.

[pnkrk244]

Sheela na gig is a statue of a woman holding her vagina open. It's long thought to be a symbol of feminine empowerment.

[mynewid666]

oh wow.

16 years later it finally makes sense!

Thanks for that...

[TikTakSambo]

I mean not really... it's the sign of a total whore. the song is about feeling like a whore. She's just using it to show the degradation she feels.

[pnkrk244]

Tik Tak, argue as you will, in the societies that Sheela Na Gig was a cultural entity, it was about the empowered, unapologetic female, not "the total whore" as you state. If anything, perhaps P.J. is stating that something inside her is rid of shame at her femininity. You are barking up the wrong tree here for sure.

[TikTakSambo]

Haha, sorry I didn't realize I was arguing with someone above a kindergarten education on the internet. Now you seem to have some delusions about the Sheela-Na-Gig. Wikipedia states: "Weir and Jerman also argue in Images of Lust that their location on churches, and their ugliness by mediæval standards, suggests that they were used to represent female lust as hideous and sinfully corrupting."

[cyberteque]

Too much google can be bad for you!

Churches in medieval times were often built on pagan holy sites, Sheela-Na-Gig images were often put in by masons, probably in deference to the old gods.

Remember christianity is a patriarchal religion, most of the older "pagan" religions are a hell of a lot more female friendly and empowering!

Not only that, but the old gods had more of a connection with the earth, the seasons and day to day life than christianity ever did or will ever have.

[TikTakSambo]

You've no information to back this up.

[TikTakSambo]

You can read up on it more if you'd like, but the only positive way a sheela-na-gig would ever be considered would be as a "fertility" goddess in some perspectives. Now that we got out your confusions with the IDOL itself, lets move onto your basic misunderstanding of lyrics. This was the first PJ song i ever heard, and interestngly enough i think it actually carries the theme of nearly every single one of her songs.

[TikTakSambo]

Which is the dismissal of a vulnerable woman, who in her rejection becomes this angry and mad woman. There IS power in this concept, but PJ Harvey isn't representing a feministic symbol(she's shot the idea down herself tons of times in interviews). Your also ignoring the basic story of the song. Let me lay it down for you: Girl gets on her knees begging man to fuck her, telling him to admire her body so she can bear his children etc. And he calls her Sheela-Na-Gig, an exhibitionist.

[TikTakSambo]

That, no matter what the symbol be, is an INSULT. He is INSULTING her understood? PJ isn't DELCLARING herself a sheela-na-gig, the song is a retelling of this showing of mad she is about it all. Sorry you're wrong :3

P.S. I'll send this to you as a message so you can read it all together.

[TheMadChild]

It doesn't matter that HE's insulting her. She is who she is, just like the idol is what it is... Can't change it, it's set in stone. But is she really a whore for wanting the man, when clearly it takes two to tango and there has to be some reason why they're having this conversation. He is insulting her, but in doing so, he becomes a hypocrite. Just how the idol is interpreted as profane, also female sexuality is considered somehow more offensive.

[bobvillain]

@TheMadChild spot fucking on interupertation , you just won 50 Bob Villain cool points.....

they are re-deamable for NOTHING but you still win 50 points

[TheMadChild]

Haha. Thanks.

[cyberteque]

How do you figure that?

All my rabid feminist girlfriends think its about female empowerment!

[TikTakSambo]

All your rabid feminist girlfriends are rabid feminists: end of story. Being Myopic in on a topic like this doesn't equate to intelligence. I'd love to talk with them about it so they can't stop spreading lies.

[keo767p]

@pnkrk244 i think its also come to represent fertility in some cultures

[yamejanakaratoprak]

@pnkrk244 sure, a passive vagina really speaks for power.

And besides that blood comes out of it to remind you lot, that you are supposed to bear children.

Before femdom above castrated herself and became a man, I always liked this song b/c it spoke about the involuntariness of the male/female relationship and how PJ accepted this as a fact, with sadness and pride, but always aware of the inherent double-sided meaning of a womans destiny to give herself to a man.

[RussMoxham]

@yamejanakaratoprak A passive vagina in what sense? Because I'd say a vagina that isn't being used to please male chauvinist twats like--just a random guess here--you does have at least enough power to undermine your whole outdated fraction of a half of a view of the universe. Go have this argument with Greer. My money's on the Aussie.

[yamejanakaratoprak]

@RussMoxham Nothing funnier than a fawning dog posing as a man. Still drowning in your girlfriends vagina with Germaine Greer cheering you on, are you fairyfag? One can only doubt about your ability to ever have enough male ego to raise a staunch post and celebrate the joyful difference between man and woman, you servile lackey. Perhaps Greer will take you in, to do what dogs do to those who lack a male organ...

[RussMoxham]

@yamejanakaratoprak Oh, I 'celebrate the joyful difference' all right, only not by personally being an embodiment of the cock part. In my view, you're the lackey, because you're the one who's slavishly defending a gender politic Queen Victoria would probably have found backward.

P.S. Sorry you got hurt in love.

[yamejanakaratoprak]

@RusMx youre right,youre the perfect embodiment of a passive asshole;noway that awoman wouldgive herself toyou other than tohave pity with you and turn you even further into girlfriendmaterial.Nowoman would ever even give you the time ofday to find you worthy of being hurt,you cringing girlfriend. PS.Sorry you'll never get to taste the emotional independence of a real man Let alone thetouch of a woman that electrifies you forbeing a man andnot a miserable copy of a selfsame woman and girlfriend

[RussMoxham]

@yamejanakaratoprak A-ha: a woman would not 'give herself' to me. (Fine.) Your wording suggests you do have at least some inkling (wherever you may have left it) about women's position of power in sexual politics. Perhaps there is some hope for you yet and the whole Ted Bundy-esque tenor of your rhetoric is just so much hogwash. All the same, it's sad that all a woman need do to goad you to make such comments is play a guitar loud without worshipping cock.

[yamejanakaratoprak]

@RussMoxham Come loser, beat the drum of your inferiority in your own time. I am not responsible for your shortcomings as a man. You may take that up in your girlfriend-exchange with a woman; just about the only relation youre capable of. After and if you've finally succeeded to climb out of your mothers vulva without drowning in emotional servile helplessness , you might find that you conquer a woman, rather than be a bone of pity to a female on the rebound.

[RussMoxham]

@yamejanakaratoprak Actually it seems clear to me that I 'celebrate the joyful difference' more than you, since, rather than embracing the femininity that together with masculinity defines that difference, you attempt to distance yourself from it via misogynist rhetoric. It would be a strange coin collector who only appreciated one side of every coin, be it heads or tails.

[hebesphenomegacorona]

@yamejanakaratoprak wait are you high

[gutsgryphon]

@pnkrk244

qactually shella-na-gig is a symbol of fertility and its a pagan symbol, the church bastardised her and made her st bridget 

[gnatsnapper1945]

@pnkrk244 really !i wondered what it meant

[aldenTman]

@pnkrk244 I heard that it was the same thing except that she was actually ripping open her vulva....I could totally be wrong though, i am very curious to know your source.

[CBryanKing]

@pnkrk244

She's not just a statue, she's a Celtic Goddess.

[CloseTheClub]

I would have to say that this is her best song. Amazing.

[roundhousehwoarang]

So sexy...

[jaseywasey49]

still the best song

[glyph68]

I never get tired of watching her play guitar.

Miss Polly, you're a rock goddess. Truly. Up there on stage you rival the greats.

[capuc71]

pj PLAYS bas does she not??someone confirm

[Ukulitka]

not sure if in this song^^ but in general yes. i read somewhere she's played with captain beefheart&his magic band some time ago

[glyph68]

I was under the impression that the album "4 track demos" was her and a 4 track... I might be wrong. ;)

[missacerbic]

I love the bass on this - who is the bass player? Nice and choppy.

[celticninjadruid]

shenna na gig goddess far suppassing you lot??

[xgrrrl111]

DuDe it Sheela

[deviousloki666]

I'm a fucking exhibitionist. Gotta love Polly Jean by the way.

[mysteryspott]

Great song!

[snoopywoofbarkbark]

What other PJ H songs do any of you recommend?

[christy8907]

"who the fuck", and a "perfect day elise"

and i really like the "slow drug"

[snoopywoofbarkbark]

Thanks all for the suggestions -- much appreciated

[osliczka13]

She's perfect so absolutly all. :) Especially 'Shame', 'The Devil' and great duet with Nick Cave, 'Henry Lee'

[slickskillet123]

all of them!

[SkyHigh87]

Her 'Rid of Me' album is just pure gold. But any PJ song really.

[mostarik]

Hear her album "Dry" from 1991 with brilliant songs like "Dress", "Dry" and ... "Sheela'Na'Gig".

[churrybutt3r]

I love this song...

And Mostarik

I'm not trying to be a smart ass but the song dry wasn't on her "Dry" album it was on Rid Of me

[LunaSeaSane]

This is a song from DRY. Not RID OF ME.

And I know exactly what I'm talking about.

I own them both.

[LunaSeaSane]

You'll just have to excuse me, I'd heard that before so many times I ended up misreading your comment.

What you say is absolutely right.

[deviousloki666]

I recommend all of them.

[soNervig]

you should listen to "working for the man" <= very simple, but very cool. You can find a nice live-performance right here on youtube.

[Jnth007]

yeah...thats a good one!

[JoshSitar]

the whores hustle and the hustlers whore

[Opehelia]

The over-the-bar drum fills are so awesome.

[craniocean]

This is really cool. About to do a discussion and signing of book, TOUCH THE OCEAN: THE POWER OF OUR COLLECTIVE EMOTIONS, at "Sheelagh Na Gig" in Cloughjordan, CO Tip, IRE. I had no idea of this. Thanks & ow 'bout sm more?

[SkyHigh87]

Awesome! Go PJ Go!

[Yernar]

Perfect.

[twintonex]

PJ is brilliant period.

[phenomenalove13]

gotta love PJ!

fuckin awesome XD

[hoorayforBG]

I love these lyrics. A good songwriter is something to really really appreciate now since there aren't too many.

[ravedave69]

there are many, they just don't necessarily make it big

[sparta9000]

sound is wack.....

[drzookowsky777]

amazing songwritter! gotta crank this at max!

[nrobnas]

she rocks-much better than that whiny house suck ass singer amy winecastlehutcrib.

[anchoragemark]

What does that have to do with anything?

[louiecostello]

pj harvey = heav-en

[Mobyish]

Oldie , but GOODIE !!! ;-)

[lukeashmoore]

hmmmm quite good.. but i was promised better. :(

[HeadlandRoad]

"I'm gonna take my hips to a man who cares"

Me, Polly, me!

[master10734]

Where is all that force coming from?!!

[damnitnoel]

Only PJ could sing "Please take your dirty pillows away from away from me.." in such a rockin' song

[missilechicago]

LOVE PJ!!!

[Colourtelevision]

She should release a compilation of her videos on DVD

[zelathi]

I LOVE Sheela Na Gig! And PJ of course... she's an inspiration, her music can always make me feel better and get me going again...

[matywatts]

a talented woman, love her

[TeenageWildlife]

fuck off cunty.

[katbird62]

2 months ago you made this comment...maybe you're not such a hate pusher now.

[postmarkedobituary]

This is the song that got me hooked recently. I was still too young when this came out to take any of the music at the time seriously. Thanks for uploading this.

[colonicvillus]

i've been trying to show you over and over

[ZigZagWanderer]

Great song, fantastic performer !

[noggin73]

One of my fav songs. Check out on Google what Sheela Na Gig actually means.

[angryyoungwoman]

I think I actually knew about Sheela Na Gig (the fertility idol) before I heard this song. I'm such a nerd. There are a few views of the idol in the vid. I've loved this song for years.

[junkiego]

DRY its perfect!!!

[108mantis]

she's fantastic..great to listen to this again

[sweetymina2]

hey, i'm new to her works and i really like her! the first thing i heard of her was mansize, which is REALLY WEIRD.................but this is good!

[draganhinic]

You listen to PJ and just ask yourself, "Fuck, how can anyone be so good?" She's so good.

[pur69]

OK, video a bit iffy! But, if it exposes more people to the joys & talents of PJ here on Youtube, then all for the better, eh?

[Beaujolipple]

Not a great video by today's standards, but damn this is a great song.

[Joanneallan88]

I love this song. It was the first PJ Harvey song i ever heard

[PhLord666]

This is classic S...! (Shit or Star who know what i ment)

[GarbageForever]

I have this song, but she sings it different....

[raenmarlo]

my girl friend introduced me to PJ. I automatically loved this song!!! One day I was singing it around the house and she corrected me saying it was "you're so vicious". WHAT??!!!! Sheila-na-gig was is so an exihibitionist !!! Does she not listen to the music she listens to?

[GarbageForever]

i love this song!

[sweetymina2]

not nice are you...

[xpekktt]

Well I guess I am the only one who made love to her

[PhLord666]

I gues you are the only one who actualy wanted to do that! LOL!!!

[freddo27]

Ah, Polly Jean, from my home town here. I remember her and her band 'automatic dlamini' playing the pubs. (Giving my age away now). She always had that something, and nobody yet knows how to describe what it is. She's queen of indie/alt though, no question.

[meredumais]

The ONLY thing she doesn't have is 'child-bearing hips'. But I don't think she's headed kidward anyway. So she's perfect.

[goodhappythings]

oh Pj :)

[demonsdemon]

Thanx fer posting this!