Liz Phair, A True Star

Liz Phair Frequently Asked Questions

last revised October 19, 1998

Please send corrections and/or comments to lazlo@visi.com

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Biography
    1. The Early Years
    2. After College
    3. Recent
  3. Personal Questions
    1. Was Liz really pregnant?
    2. Does Liz have any kids?
    3. Is Liz Phair married?
    4. How tall is Liz?
    5. When is Liz's birthday?
  4. New Album Questions
    1. What's the title of the new album?
    2. Why all the delays?
    3. When is the new album coming out?
    4. When will the first single be released?
    5. What songs will be on the new album?
    6. Can you tell me anything else about the new album?
  5. Lyric/Song Questions
    1. What's that line from Fuck and Run "Feathers and Yodas?"
    2. What's that line from Turning Japanese, "Cyclone Ranger"?
    3. What is the phrase Turning Japanese supposed to mean anyway?
    4. Did Liz write Supernova about anyone in particular?
    5. Is the music from Fuck Or Die taken from another song?
    6. How come I hear the end of Led Zeppelin's "When The Levee Breaks" at the end of Jealousy?
    7. What is the meaning of all these jump rope rythms in Liz's songs?
    8. In Flower, what exactly is "a perfect suck me size"?
    9. What is the meaning behind the song "Dance of the Seven Veils?"
    10. Did Liz really have a song in the movie Chasing Amy?
  6. Album Art Questions
    1. What is the image on the Guyville CD itself?
    2. Is that Liz on the inside sleeve of Guyville naked?!
    3. Where did that star come from on the Whip-Smart cover?
    4. Okay, what are those black and white designs on the back then?
    5. What's the cover of the Juvenilia EP supposed to be?
    6. Who is that with Liz inside the cover of the Secretly Timid bootleg?
  7. Bootleg Questions
    1. What Liz Phair bootlegs are out there?
    2. Are there any bootlegs available on CD?
    3. Where can I get some?
  8. Other Questions
    1. Where can I find a complete discography of Liz's material?
    2. How can I reach Matador/write to Liz?
    3. How can I obtain the girlysounds?
    4. What is the term "Guyville" supposed to mean?
    5. What videos has she done so far?
    6. Has anyone else done covers of Liz Phair tunes?
    7. How can I get a copy of that Zip Code Rapists single with the cover of "Never Said" on it?
    8. Are there any set lists of Liz Phair concerts?
    9. Did Liz really go to summer camp with Julia Roberts?
    10. How do you access a Liz WWW Site?
    11. Why can't I unsubscribe, HELP!!
    12. When will Liz be touring/Why doesn't Liz tour?
    13. What else does Liz sing/appear on?
    14. Will Liz really be playing at Lilith Fair?
    15. Does Liz have any gold albums?
    16. Does Liz sing the theme song to Daria?
    17. Who is in Liz's band for the 1998 tour?
  9. Other tidbits
  10. Websites

Introduction

After Liz Phair's debut album "Exile in Guyville" was released in 1993, Ross Jeffcoat decided to set up a Liz Phair mailing list. For about two years he ran this list on AOL *manually* with over 200 subscribers, until it was thankfully moved over to an automated listprocessor run by Tee. With close to 400 subscribers and heavy traffic it seemed the list was more than ready for a FAQ. So Ross put the first version together.

In February, 1996, I decided to take the existing FAQ, update it some and reformat it. It then lingered for about nine months, until I finally reorganized it and added some much needed new information in November 1996. It was regularly updated for a while, then lingered for another while. I made some more major updates in April of 1998 (in honor of Liz's birthday). This is the result. I hope you enjoy it, and please let me know if you have any suggestions/corrections.

Biography

The Early Years

Elizabeth Clark Phair was born on April 17, 1967. She was adopted as an infant in New Haven, Connecticut. Her family later moved to Cincinatti, and she grew up along with her older brother (who was also adopted) in Winnetka, Illinois. In some interviews Liz has compared Winnetka, and the school she went to (New Trier High School) as a cross between "Ferris Beuler's Day off" and "the Breakfast Club." Her father, John Phair, is an AIDS researcher and Chief of Infectious diseases at Northwestern Hospital. Her mother, Nancy Phair, is an Art Instructor at the Art Institute of Chicago. Liz went on to Oberlin College in Ohio, where she majored in Art History/Studio in Art.

After College

It was after College where a friend of Liz, the guitarist for the band "come", became impressed when he heard her play and persuaded her to make a demo. What came out was the "girlysound" tapes, a series of over 30 songs Liz recorded in her bedroom on a 4-track machine. After much circulation in the indie music scene Matador got ahold of the tapes in '92 and signed her on.

Recent

Sometime in 1995, Liz married Jim Staskausas, a film editor who worked on Liz's first video "Stratford-on-guy." Staskausas has a 15/16yr. old son named Aidan. They all still live in Illinois.

In early 1996, Liz got pregnant. She had her child on December 21st, 1996, and named him James Nicholas Staskauskas (he'll be called "Nick"). He weighed 8.5 pounds.

Liz is currently working on her new album, with a tentative release date of sometime in 1997.

Personal Questions

Was Liz really pregnant?

Yep. You can find more info in the Does Liz have any kids section

Does Liz have any kids?

Yep again. Liz had her child on December 21st, 1996, and named him James Nicholas Staskauskas (he'll be called "Nick"). He weighed 8.5 pounds.

She also has a step son named Aidan.

Is Liz Phair married?

Yes. In the Spring of 1995 she and Jim Staskausas, a film editor who worked on Liz's first video "Stratford-on-guy" got married. Reportedly, Liz wrote the song Supernova for Staskausas. Staskausas has a 15/16yr. old son named Aidan. They all still live in Il, and are expecting a child in late December.

How tall is Liz?

Liz is 5' 2"

When is Liz's birthday?

April 17, 1967. She shares her birthday with professional wrestler and actor Rowdy Roddy Piper.

New Album Questions

When is the new album coming out?

After numerous delays, the most recent promised release date is August 11. It was scheduled for late June, but got pushed back due to other album's release dates.

When will the first single be released?

The first single was due May 5th, but was pushed back to May 19th. It may get pushed back again since the album was delayed yet again.

Why all the delays?

Liz worked for a while with Scott Litt on the new album, but she wasn't really happy with how things were progressing so she decided to just pick everything up and go to Chicago alone to work on things. She felt that the sessions were getting too organized for her, and she wanted to be able to experiment with new things more. More detail be found in Part One, Part Two and Part Three of a report on this at the Addicted to Noise site.

Also, Liz's pregnancy delayed things for a while.

What's the title of the new album?

The current working title is whitechocolatespaceegg. Other potential titles mentioned have been Rocketgirl and Far Away Look.

What songs will be on the new album?

Reportedly, the new album was going to have the following tracks (this is a somewhat old list):

Can you tell me anything else about the new album?

Apparently, someone from the band Loud Lucy will be playing on the album. Loud Lucy is a 3-piece Chicago band who have previously recorded an album Breathe. They were featured in a big fashion layout in Rolling Stone last year.

Lyric/Song Questions

What's that line from "Fuck and Run," "Feathers and Yodas?"

The line is "I want all that stupid old shit like letters and sodas," referring to quainter times, when love letters and buying your sweetheart a soda were part of the whole courtship ritual.

What's that line from Turning Japanese, "Cyclone Ranger"?

The original version of Turning Japanese, recorded by The Vapors, contained the line, "everyone avoids me liked a psyched Lone Ranger." Lots of people think Liz's version sounds more like Cyclone Ranger, but it's hard to tell.

What is the phrase Turning Japanese supposed to mean anyway?

"Turning Japanese" is supposedly a euphemism for masturbation, coming from the narrowing of the eyes at orgasm. (No, it's not particularly PC, but that's what the Vapors supposedly intended.)

Did Liz write Supernova about anyone in particular?

Liz reportedly wrote Supernova about Jim Staskausas. For more info, check out the Is Liz Phair married? question.

Is the music from Fuck Or Die taken from another song?

The music for "Fuck Or Die" is reportedly borrowed from a Johnny Cash song called "I Walk The Line."

Here's a comparison:
Liz, Fuck Or Die Johnny Cash, I Walk The Line
I keep a close watch on this twat of mine I keep a close watch on this heart of mine
I keep my eyes wide open all the time I keep my eyes wide open all the time
And the condom on your dick's the tie that binds I keep the ends out for the tie that binds
Because you're mine Because you're mine, I walk the line.

How come I hear that noise (the end of Led Zeppelin's "When The Levee Breaks") at the end of Jealousy?

You hear it on the Whip-Smart album right before "Crater Lake" as "Jealousy" is ending, and on "Juvenilia" it's heard right before "Turning Japanese" starts. Liz credits the idea of its use to Casey Rice, who was a member of Liz's band at that time. Some of the last lyrics in the song are "I'm going to Chicago".

What is the meaning of all these jump rope rythms in Liz's songs?

Liz got the idea from some of Malcomb Mclauren's old CD's where he at one point tried to popularize old jump rope style tunes.

In Flower, what exactly is "a perfect suck me size"?

Well, some people claim that the line is "Your tip's a perfect suck me size" while others claim it's "Your lips a perfect suck me size". In the majority of her bootlegs, it's clear that she is saying Lips, and it also fits better in the song. In that verse, she's describing how "Your face reminds me of a flower" so it makes more sense that she would be talking about his lips than his tip (tip referring to part of the male anatomy).

What is the meaning behind the song "Dance of the Seven Veils?"

Dance of the 7 veils is Oscar Wilde's play "Salome" put to music...for those who aren't famliar with the play its a pretty nasty version of the John the Babtist story. Salome is King Herods daughter who is so enthralled with John that the only way she can have him is to have his head on a platter. So, "johnny" is John the Baptist. "the business" is preaching about Jesus. The title "dance of the 7 veils" is a dance Salome performs for the King before she asks him for John's head.

Did Liz really have a song in the movie Chasing Amy?

Yep. The song "California" could be heard during the scene in the playground.

Album Art Questions

What is the image on the Guyville CD itself?

It's believed to be Ken and a couple Barbies, um, uh, celebrating Liz's debut album. (Just use your imagination. It's a little distorted by a fire effect)

Is that Liz on the inside sleeve of Guyville naked?!

NO! It's just a model named Kristi Nelson. Liz is only in the bottom far right, save for the childhood shots.

Where did that star come from on the Whip-Smart cover?

It's Russian art, check out the inside of the sleeve bottom left.

Okay, what are those black and white designs on the back then?

They were originally believed to be Physics/Biology type gene cells/chromosomes. Actually, they are electron cloud diagrams, used by particle physicists to represent the probability that an electron will be found within the space of the shape. It is impossible to know both the position and the energy/direction of movement of a particle; therefore the cloud must be used to indicate the likelihood of the electron's presence at any given point within its orbit.

Special thanks to Jim Kelly, for providing this information.

What's the cover of the Juvenilia EP supposed to be?

The cover shot and the other photos seen in the artwork for the CD are taken from the "Jealousy" video. The front cover has some kind of "negative" effect on it, reversing the colours.

Who is that with Liz inside the cover of the Secretly Timid bootleg?

That's Lou Barlow from the groups Sebadoh, Folk implosion, and Deluxx Folk Implosion. The picture is from some magazine in which both were interviewed.

Bootleg Questions

What Liz Phair bootlegs are out there?

A list of boots:
Audio:

*also shows from DC and Denver

Video:

Are there any bootlegs available on CD?

Yes there are. They are:
  1. Secretly Timid The Girlysound Recordings Length: 68:58
    This is a bootleg released on Empire Records containing some of the songs from the original Girlysound tapes. It's missing the following songs:
    1. Shane
    2. Give Me My Boyfriend Back
    3. Divorce Song
    4. Go West
    5. If I Ever Pay You Back
    6. In Love With Yourself
    7. It's Not That Easy
    8. I Know It's Not Easy
    9. Miss Lucy
    10. Dead Shark
    11. One Less Thing
    12. Money

  2. Fuck and Run Length: 69:39
    This is a bootleg which was allegedly recorded live at Toad's Place, New Haven, CT. on April 25, 1994. It turns out it was actually recorded at the March 18, 1994 show at The Warfield Theater, San Francisco, CA. It was released by Alley Kat records, code number AK065.

  3. Pottymouth Girl Length: 73:08
    Tracks 1-15 were recorded at the Warfield Theater, San Francisco CA 12-1-93. Tracks 16-22 were recorded at La Luna, Portland OR, 4-11-95. (Actually, it looks like tracks 16-22 were really recorded at the Alladin Theatre on 4/8/95) This disc features a 15 track soundboard (albeit a soundboard that favors vocals and drums over guitar and bass, i.e., it is not an excellent soundboard, just an ok one) from Dec 1, 1993. These tracks are the same as those found on Clean as a Whistle, but with better sound quality. The track See The Light is currently unavailable elsewhere.

  4. Clean As A Whistle Length Unknown Tracks 1-15 were recorded at Warfield, SF 12-1-93. Tracks 16-21 were recorded at Warfield SF, 3-18-93. This disc features a 15 track soundboard (albeit a soundboard that favors vocals and drums over guitar and bass, i.e., it is not an excellent soundboard, just an ok one) from Dec 1, 1993. These tracks seem to be an analog copy of Pottymouth Girl, meaning they are of poorer sound quality. The bonus tracks are simply ripped off from the older "Fuck and Run" bootleg.

Where can I get some?

Taped bootlegs are often available through trades via the mailing list, or usenet news, or other internet resources. CD bootlegs are a little harder to find. Record shows or local alternative record stores are often the best places to find such things. You can also occasionally find people selling the CDs on the net.

Other Questions

How can I reach Matador/write to Liz?

Matador's phone number in NY is: (212) 995-5882.
You can write to Liz via them at:
	LIZ PHAIR
	c/o Matador Records
	676 Broadway
	New York, NY 10012

How can I obtain the girlysounds?

Tape tree's have sprouted out often on the list, usually after a lot of new comers have arrived. If you would like to start a tape tree and would be willing to send dubs to others contact Ross and maybe something can be worked out. The bootleg Secretly Timid has a subset of the girlysounds songs on it.

What is the term "Guyville" supposed to mean?

"Guyville" was originally coined by Liz's buddies from Chicago, "Urge Overkill" in a song they did called "Goodbye to Guyville" and can be found on their "Stull" EP. The term is meant to describe the overwhelming population in Chicago's music scene based of guys with long hair, ripped jeans, Dr. Martins and a rebel without a cause type attitude.

What videos has she done so far?

Has anyone else done covers of Liz Phair tunes?

Pansy Division has a vinyl with their version of "flower," available on (?)

And a band called the "Zip Code Rapists" have done a cover version of "Never Said" available on... (see next question)

How can I get a copy of that Zip Code Rapists single with the cover of "Never Said" on it?

A. Walt Records distributes it. It is $4 plus postage, which is $0.50 domestic, $1 for Canadians and $3 for overseas Phair fans. Send a check payable to Daniel Varenka to 
	Walt Records
	89 Fairview Avenue
	Port Washington NY 11050

Are there any set lists of Liz Phair concerts?

You can find one from her 95' solo electric tour at: http://www.armory.com/~fisheye/setlist.jpg

Did Liz really go to summer camp with Julia Roberts?

Yes, she did.

How do you access a Liz WWW Site?

Use a WWW graphical browser such as Netscape or Mosiac. If you have only a text interface you may be able to use a text browser know as lynx. To see if you can use it try typing "lynx" when you are at your normal UNIX prompt.

Why can't I unsubscribe, HELP!!

If you have already written to "guyville-request@fdemocracy.org" with the text "unsubscribe" in the BODY of your message, then try a variation of your email address that might have been sent to the server. For instance, if your address is joe@smtp.doodoo.com try using just joe@doodoo.com.

If both fail to work then you have to write to Tee: tek@fdemocracy.org who will manually take you off the list. Please try to be patient and not annoy other members of your problems. No one on the list can help you any more than Tee or I can. So if you want to mail bomb someone, don't. It doesn't speed up the process It just annoys the subscribers.

When will Liz be touring/Why doesn't Liz tour?

Liz has bad stage fright. Just look at her on the Jay Leno appearence singing "whip-smart" and try not to tell me she's not baked/thinking her happy thoughts.

What else does Liz sing/appear on?

She also sings vocals on BEN LEE's solo album on Grand Royal records, and on the Australian band ASHTRAY BOYS whom you can find and hear on the wood and wire WWW site at: http://www.ether.com.au/woodwire or http://www.seeokc.com/woodwire

Will Liz really be playing at Lilith Fair?

Apparently she'll be playing "a handful of dates" and will be doing "extensive touring" this summer. More information will be posted when it becomes available. You can find some more information at the Addicted to Noise site.

You can also check the Official Matador Tour Page.

Does Liz have any gold albums?

Whip Smart has been certified gold by RIAA. Check out Billboard for more info.

Does Liz sing the theme song to Daria?

Sorry, but no. The theme song to Daria is sung by Splendora.

Who is in Liz's band for the 1998 tour?

For those who have asked who the members of Liz's touring band are, they are as follows:

Liz Facts

Liz on the Web

Stratford-On-Guy Aaron's Unofficial Liz Page
My own page, with lyrics, discography, gallery, and the offical home of the FAQ.

Liz Phair at Ross' Mega-Web
One of the early pages, recently completely redesigned with frames, etc. There's also a frameless version for people with older browsers (or for those who hate frames). It's got articles about Liz, lyrics to her songs, a few pictures, guitar tabs, and a bunch of other stuff.

Liz Phair South Africa Page
The original Liz Phair page created by the mailing list. Guitar tab for Fuck and Run, a number of pictures (all of which are also available here), a limited discography and a number of lyrics to Liz's songs.

Liz Phair at Wood and Wire
Discography which only includes the two full length albums with lyrics for both albums, links to a couple of other sites. Hasn't been updated in a while.

Liz Phair Stanford Page
The sparsest Liz Phair page on the web. It's got the cover of Exile in Guyville plus the inside picture from Guyville and six sentences of text. I don't think it's been updated since before Whip Smart came out.

Will Bryant's Liz Page
Some recent news with pointers to other Liz Phair sites on the web (with good descriptions of each.)

Liz Phair page at interlog.com
Doesn't seem to be working anymore.

Liz page at MIT
Pretty rough. A couple of pictures and the basic info. Links too. Hasn't been updated in over a year.

Liz bio page at Matador
Basic biographic info with a couple blurbs from the release of her various albums.

Liz at Yahoo
A fairly comprehensive list of Liz Phair sites on the web.

SALON magazine article about Exile in Guyville
Not much new info, it's part of a series where a number of columnists wrote about their favorite albums.

Susan May's Liz Phair Homepage
Lyrics to a number of Liz's songs. Nothing but lyrics.

Credits

Original FAQ creation: Ross Jeffcoat.
HTML conversion, additional information and current maintenance: Aaron Walker.
Additional information: All the members of the Guyville mailing list.
Very special thanks to Jason Long, owner of the 6'1" Mailing list. He has helped provide a significant amount of the information on this page, and has managed to keep the faith while others of us slacked off.
Stratford-On-Guy
Articles Discography FAQ Gallery List Lyrics Music Clips News Old Other Liz 1998 Tour Tour Reviews
This page maintained by Aaron Walker. Comments are welcome.
Last updated October 19, 1998.
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