The Bee-girl
I found this on the Post-a-Secret site.
And then I found this on Wikipedia:
The song was written originally about the girl (Heather DeLoach) who was famously featured in the video for Blind Melon‘s hit single “No Rain“.
Before performing the song at the 1994 Bridge School Benefit concert, singer Eddie Vedder commented on how they “saw really bad things for her future.”[1] Further, in a 1996 radio interview he explained,
“The Bee Girl was…she was this little girl who was 9 years old in a video and I saw her, I saw how…there’s no other word for it–how obnoxious she was and she loved being a star…and I knew it wasn’t going to last and my heart went out to her and I was just trying to tell her, ‘Man, that ain’t the most important thing in life. It can’t be. You’re gonna die.’”
Vedder explained in the liner notes for Lost Dogs that he once met the young girl and her mother. His information on the song closes with the sentence, “I hope she’s fine.”
I was never a fan of Blind Melon…in fact I probably wouldn’t even remember they were a music group unless I saw them on a music channel. I wouldn’t remember the name of the song or its tune either. But I remember this girl. And then, the video that she starred in. It didn’t make much sense to me. At least not in a way that I could put into words. But it left me with a feeling of undeniable sadness. It had these poignant images of a little plump girl dancing rather awkwardly, being laughed out, standing alone and staring forlornly. I could understand that picture so well even if I couldn’t give the emotion a name. And the video ended with the little girl scampering in a field.
When I saw this postcard, it wrung my heart. There is sadness that can’t be defined or talked about. The burden of loss, of never having had in the first place, all the angst of love (being in it, not being in it, falling out of it, unrequited love) and the very real pain of being unwanted.
I wish I knew the girl who wrote this card. When I saw the video, I saw myself in her, way back then. I wish I could tell her that life would change. Maybe she wouldn’t lose weight or be a graceful dancer ever. Maybe people would never stop laughing at her. But in time, she would learn to stop caring. I did. Yes, but about finding a place to belong….I’m silent.
It’s possible the postcard writer probably meant it metaphorically. Like “I am that bee girl but I haven’t found my field of bee people yet.”
I guess it could be someone who wanted us to believe it was the video or album girl literally but it’d be pretty stupid to lie and not even get your time frame right with the ages.
The photo for the Blind Melon album was taken in 1975. The secret is fake.
What no one has pointed out yet is that while this post secret is NOT from DeLoach, it may still be authentic. Notice it does not say “I am the little bee girl from the Blond Melon VIDEO.” DeLoach was only in the video… the girl on the ALBUM was NOT DeLoach, but Georgia Graham, younger sister of Glen Graham (drummer), and this Post Secret may very well be from her. Then again it could still be a hoax all around, but who knows.
Did nobody else notice the part in the video where the bee girl opens the gate and finds a whole bunch of other bee folks who dance like her and welcome her into their group? I think it’s all about being a little odd and having a hard time finding where you belong in the world – living through all the humiliation and sadness of not belonging, then finding your “tribe.” I always found the video a little sad, but ultimately hopeful and sweet. So sad to have lost Shannon (lead singer for Blind Melon) and everything he’d surely have given us. Glad to hear Heather is doing well.
Heather DeLoach is successful and doing well. She is the sister of a god friend of mine. She is smart and a hard worker. She still works in the industry and is living a great life!
This was very interesting to read! I feel like the postcard is most likely a fake, though. She’s 25 now and still works as an actress. I’m pretty sure that Post Secret was not around when she was 18.
@ Z00nie: :-). Does you past have any such intriguing secrets?
@ Melody: Thanks for the tip-off. I guess it wasn’t her after all then. But the fact is, that someone sent that card in…can you imagine what it must be like to write that card and not even be able to acknowledge your association with it? Someone somewhere definitely needs comforting and this post is for them.
@ J.Alfred Prufrock: This is an honour! The Idea-smithy has been graced by the presence of an A-lister!!! But umm…I am not frequently a ‘cheerful blogger’….all my cheer is used up in real life and my morosity on the blogsphere!
I remember that video too.
Where do you post your cheerful stuff?
J.A.P.
I actually loved the song, how could one not with lyrics like:
“I just want some one to say to me
I’ll always be there when you wake
Ya know I’d like to keep my cheeks dry today
So stay with me and I’ll have it made”
I also loved the video, tragic though it was… incidentally, I checked up on wiki (yes, I’m THIS bored on a Saturday night):
“On February 26, 2007, a PostSecret post card purporting to be from DeLoach showed up on the PostSecret blog. It depicted the Bee Girl with the words “I’m the little Bee Girl from the Blind Melon album. I’m now 18 and still trying to find where I belong.” The postcard is not likely from DeLoach, as her birthday is February 1, 1983, making her 24 years old as of the posting”
Ok, I’ll go now & pretend I have a life…
Ive heard of post-secret but neva visited that site untill today 🙂
Lemme search for ma past too…maybe I might come out with something really interesting 😀