Title: Die Kicking
Artist: Nichole Shade
Length: 4:10
Writers: Nichole Shade, Reza Vranitzky
Producer: Nichole Shade, Reza Vranitzky
Label: Independent
Die Kicking is Nichole Shade’s first release as a solo artist. After sharing many years in the spotlight with her bandmate, Castor Drake, the two have split up their band, Vile Hour, and Nichole has gone on to apparently write a song about it. Or is the song about her ex-girlfriend, Erica Hess, which whom Nichole had a very tumultuous and off-and-on relationship with? Who knows? It’s probably a little bit a both. But it’s definitely a new start with Nichole, both musically and spiritually. The tone of the music, first off, is much different than anything Vile Hour ever released. Nichole Shade is definitely heading in more of a pop direction with this new first single, produced by long-time producer for Vile Hour, Reza Vranitzky.
The chorus of the song is the heart of the song, proclaiming that whichever relationship Nichole is talking about in the song, she’s not going to let it die peacefully. She doesn’t want a clean break, she wants them to end their relationship wanting, and hurting, and especially kicking and screaming. Throughout the song, there is no definite clue as to who the song is about, but there are many clues that it could be about either Nichole and Castor’s friendship and band falling apart, or Erica Hess and Nichole Shade’s relationship. Earlier on Twitter, after Erica posted that she wanted a song about one of her breakups, Nichole Shade responded, “On it,” which could be a clue in itself as to what this song is about. It definitely wouldn’t be the first time Nichole Shade wrote a song about Erica Hess.
The first verse sings about a relationship between two volatile people, claiming that the two “destroy each other / Just the way friends are meant to break one another.” Nichole is showing that she doesn’t have much faith in interpersonal relationships in these lines, further breaking it down by explaining that her moral compass has never worked, something that many people probably already know about Nichole from her very public image. The second verse takes on a slightly different tone, giving us more hints as to who the song could be about. Again, she sets up the volatile relationship, singing that the two “leave a trail of burned things in [their] wake.” She also ties in a clever Kill Bill reference, claiming that it is forgiveness she lacks, a tie back to The Bride’s line to Vernita Green, “It’s mercy, compassion, and forgiveness I lack. Not rationality.” The also refers to her money flow, claiming that it was because of the person she’s singing about that she’s made a profit off of music. This could be a reference to either Castor Drake, who helped co-write many of Vile Hour’s songs and was half of their two-piece band, or it be to Erica Hess, whom which their public relationship is what originally made Nichole Shade a memorable star, starting with their encounters on Celebrity Big Brother, their friendship while Nichole was married to metal singer Sam Fischer, and then later after her divorce, Nichole and Erica’s relationship.
In the bridge, Nichole sings that she will make sure whoever the song is about will hear the song by any means necessary. This feels more like a reference to Castor Drake, who seems to have disappeared many years ago. It was only fairly recently that Nichole Shade reappeared in the celebrity spotlight, with her second appearance on Celebrity Big Brother. But then again, Nichole is a narcissist, and making sure somebody hears her song is not the worst thing she’s done by any means necessary.We destroy each other
Just the way friends are meant to break one another
Everyone is talking like they know, oh, we’re over
The compass that I came into this world with never worked
‘Cause I’m gonna let us die kicking
And I’m gonna let us die screaming
And I’m gonna let us die hurting
‘Cause I’m gonna let us die kicking
I know what you want
We leave a trail of burned things in our wake
Can’t take it back, it’s forgiveness I lack
‘Cause of you that I profit
Making money off it
And now we’re just hypocrites
I’m gonna let us die kicking
And I’m gonna let us die screaming
And I’m gonna let us die hurting
‘Cause I’m gonna let us die kicking
‘Cause I’m gonna let us die kicking
And I’m gonna let us die screaming
And I’m gonna let us die hurting
‘Cause I’m gonna let us die kicking
Oh, no apologies, we could be just two broken machines
Oh, and honestly, I will make sure you hear this song by any means
Oh, no apologies, we could be just two broken machines
Oh, and honestly
I’m gonna let us die kicking
And I’m gonna let us die screaming
And I’m gonna let us die hurting
‘Cause I’m gonna let us die kicking
‘Cause I’m gonna let us die kicking
And I’m gonna let us die screaming
And I’m gonna let us die hurting
‘Cause I’m gonna let us die kicking
Oh, we’ll die kicking
(I will make sure you hear this song by any means)
Let us die kicking
(Do-do-do)
Die kicking
(I will make sure you hear this song by any means)
Oh, let us die kicking, oh
(I will make sure you hear this song by any means)
‘Cause I’m gonna let us die kicking
(I will make sure you hear this song by any means)
Oh, I’m gonna let us die kicking, yeah
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