Juliana Hatfield

Juliana Hatfield (b. Wiscasset, Maine, July 27, 1967), is a guitarist/songwriter from the Boston area, formerly of the indie rock band Blake Babies.

Lyrics

Although Hatfield's lyrics are often autobiographical, some listeners have sometimes mistakenly interpreted fictional songs as representing her own experience. Her "My Sister"--one of her best known songs--is not about a real sister; Hatfield does not, in fact, have one. The song, however, comes across as convincing because other details (including the mention of her first rock concert, featuring the Violent Femmes and the Del Fuegos) are real events from her life. A recurrent theme in her songs has been a skewering of figures in society that she finds ridiculous: self-important men ("I'm Not Your Mother"), groupies ("Rider"), fashion models ("Supermodel"), and men who make tragic fashion choices ("Leather Pants"). Other songs have dealt with more serious issues such as body image ("Ugly" and "Feed Me") as well as the failure to connect fully with other people or achieve meaningful and lasting relationships. A few songs ("Let's Blow it All," "Give Me Some of That") are more lighthearted in tone. Since the mid-1990s several songs have dealt in a more or less overtly sarcastic way with the demands the music industry places on artists (particularly female ones) in order to ensure their "success."

Related Topics:
Violent Femmes - Del Fuegos

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Although much of Hatfield's output is exuberant and hard-rocking, Hatfield nonetheless describes herself as very shy and somewhat of a loner http://www.julianahatfield.com/MICdiatribe.html, and has said that "happy lyrics don't come naturally to me" http://www.blakebabies.com/archive/jul_aquarian.htm. She has also described her music and songwriting as a form of therapy, an outlet that helps her to overcome rough periods and depression http://www.blakebabies.com/archive/jul_globe0793.htm.

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