20,000 Deaths For Eidelyn Gonzales, 200,000 Deaths For Jamie Peterson

Xiu Xiu's song, "20,000 Deaths For Eidelyn Gonzales, 200,000 Deaths For Jamie Peterson," is a haunting exploration of tragedy, loss, and the human condition. The lyrics are stark and unsettling, painting a picture of a world filled with sorrow and confusion. The opening lines, "Awful is all, awful like cookie / Sour and ringing and lost to this world," set a tone of despair and disorientation. The comparison of something as mundane as a cookie to the overwhelming sense of awfulness suggests a world where even the simplest pleasures are tainted by grief and loss.

The repeated references to "Cherry" and the disturbing imagery of a friend killing her baby add layers of complexity to the song. Cherry seems to be a figure of authority or control, as the narrator repeatedly states, "I am at your command." This could symbolize a surrender to the overwhelming forces of tragedy and despair, or it could represent a more personal relationship where the narrator feels powerless. The juxtaposition of the innocent name "Cherry" with the horrific act of infanticide creates a jarring contrast that underscores the song's themes of innocence lost and the pervasiveness of suffering.

The song's title, referencing specific names and a staggering number of deaths, suggests a broader commentary on the scale of human suffering. Eidelyn Gonzales and Jamie Peterson could be symbolic representations of countless individuals whose lives have been marked by tragedy. By naming these individuals and quantifying the deaths, Xiu Xiu forces the listener to confront the reality of widespread suffering and the often-overlooked personal stories behind the statistics. The song becomes a meditation on the weight of grief and the ways in which we cope with the incomprehensible scale of human loss.