Debaser

@epochblue You're right, but I think I can actually provide a bit more context. The film was not just made by Dali, but also by famous surrealist director Luis Bunuel. Both were at the time considered themselves to be "Surrealists". In the works of many surrealist artists, there is an element of "debasing" the female body for a variety of complicated reasons I won't go into. The other thing you have to know about Boston in the 80's is that, being a college town, an interest in history, the arts and film was common amongst college...

@epochblue You're right, but I think I can actually provide a bit more context. The film was not just made by Dali, but also by famous surrealist director Luis Bunuel. Both were at the time considered themselves to be "Surrealists". In the works of many surrealist artists, there is an element of "debasing" the female body for a variety of complicated reasons I won't go into. The other thing you have to know about Boston in the 80's is that, being a college town, an interest in history, the arts and film was common amongst college students. Black Francis grew up in Boston and for a time was a student at U.Mass Amherst before moving into the city when he formed the band with his former college roommate Joey Santiago. Just to give you an idea of how common it was, pretty much every college in Boston had film study classes, and any number of film schools, and it was common in these classes for people to see Bunuel movies and Un Chien Andalou, and to have to write papers about them. Around this same period one of the popular night clubs in Cambridge was named "Man Ray" after the surrealist artist who was friends with Dali and Bunuel, and is best known for his "Rayographs" that involved manipulating photosensitive paper, or later experimenting with exposure and film development to create various effects. I don't think it's a coincidence at all that when the Pixies got their record contract and made those records, the distinctive album covers were a modern reflection of art history, and famous artists like Man Ray. Bunuel wrote his autobiography title "My last sigh" that talks about his career and the history of the surrealists and their philosophy as it pertained to what was happening politically and in the world of art, literature and film. Black Francis was probably also familiar with Bunuel's feature film (co written by Dali prior to a falling out between he and Bunuel) which involves the "Debasing of symbols" which is one of the things surrealists employed. While this is all very interesting, I think what the song is really about, is the way so many young college students would become enamoured with philosophies and artistic movements in the past, despite not really understanding them. They get excited and try them on like trying on a style of dress, because it's fashionable. The guy has seen this crazy old surrealist film, and it's exciting and has a "groovy chick" and from what he's seen, just seems cool. He doesn't have any idea of what lead to surrealism, or what the surrealists were trying to say with their art.