An analysis of Bikini Kill's RIP

- Laia B

The year is 1990. You live in Olympia, Washington. Your name is Kathleen Hanna and you’ve just returned from seeing the punk-rock band Babes in Toyland live. Why not start a band yourself? Thus, Bikini Kill was born, pioneering the riot grrrl movement and leaving a lasting impact on grrrls worldwide.

Their heart-wrenching song R.I.P. shows a more vulnerable side to this usually punk rock, “man-hating”, fierce group. The song manages to be deeply saddening while staying true to the punk rock genre. When we think of a sad song, our minds tend to go to indie or folk artists, like Phoebe Bridgers or Elliot Smith, but Kathleen Hanna manages to make us cry without straying from her rock roots. In the song, she discusses the heartbreak she experiences after a friend of hers dies from an AIDS-related illness in an utterly devastating manner.

Verse 1:

I can't say everything about it In just one single song I can't put how I feel in a package To sell it back to everyone

Chorus:

But wait There's another boy genius Who's f***ing gone

Verse 2:

I hope the food tastes better in heaven I know there's lots of rad queer boys up there I hope that every time they talk to you They know that they're lucky to be your friend

Chorus:

'Cause look There's another boy genius Who's f***ing gone

Bridge:

And I wouldn't be so f***ing mad So f***ing p*ssed off If it wasn't so f***ing wrong It's all f***ing wrong It's not fair It's not fair It's not fair It's not fair

From the beginning, we deeply understand Hanna’s heartbreak. She finds herself unable to put her thoughts into words, unable to express her grief, unable to show her feelings to the people and world around her.

She starts this first chorus off with the interjection “but wait”, articulating the real and powerful disbelief and shock she is going through. These “boy genius[es]” are a complete loss to society, and through the use of this phrase to qualify her deceased loved ones, she references the huge cultural impact gay men (and transfemmes) had, an impact that often goes unmentioned and forgotten. Furthermore, the use of a curse word in the third line illustrates just how great her pain is.

At this point in the song, Hanna begins to accept the fact that her friend has died. She contemplates the life he now has in heaven, and mentions how many others have unjustly died the same way.

In the song’s second chorus, the message stays the same. However, by using “‘Cause look” to start the verse, she is trying to get the people around her, society, and even the government, to notice and care about her queer friends dying directly due to societal and governmental neglect.

Here, Kathleen Hanna is screaming and shouting for her life. She is experiencing unbridled anger and pain, breaking down. The repetition of the phrase “It’s not fair”, alludes to a small child throwing a tantrum, conveying this idea of total emotional shutdown.

Bridge:

But no one said life was easy Yeah but no one said No one said that nothing’s supposed to happen, right? No, no one told me anything To prepare me for fucking this

Chorus:

There's another boy genius Who's f***g gone

Outro:

Don't tell me it don't matter Don't tell me it don't matter Don't tell me I've had three days to get over it It won't go away It just won't go away

Some say that the song is about Kurt Cobain, but I wholeheartedly disagree. The song is clearly and indisputably about the plethora of gay men close to the band members being lost because of the government’s reluctance to provide aid to the queer community.

All inall, this song is not only heartbreaking, but also extraordinarily raw and nude. Bikini Kill is not only a very feminist band, but also a very queer band. They mention their queerness and love for women in numerous songs, notably in ‘Rebel Girl’ and, arguably, in ‘For Tammy Rae’. This, and knowing the help lesbians provided during the AIDS crisis, makes the song even more melancholic. Some even suggest that, here, R.I.P. stand for “rest in p*ssed offed-ness”, further pushing that political statement Bikini Kill and riot grrrl bands, in general, strive to make through their songs.

If you haven’t already listened to Bikini Kill, particularly this song, I cannot urge you enough to open the music streaming app of your choice and search them up immediately. If you’re unfamiliar with the riot grrrl genre you’re in for a real treat!

There is no introductory line for this final chorus. She has somewhat accepted it, she is no longer in this state of confusion and disbelief and can finally focus on her pure anger and rage.

In the final verse of this song, Kathleen Hannah breaks down: the voice cracks, the screams, the tears we can almost hear; all of which shatter the listener’s heart. We can picture her in her room yelling at a wall, going through deep grief and melancholy in a way she had clearly not dealt with before. Her built-up feelings have led to this explosion of emotion.

Bikini Kill, from wegow.com