There’s a debate about the meaning of the “Peg” lyrics:
“Peg Entwistle threw herself off the Hollywood sign, after her big debut: The studio hated the film and cut most of Peg’s part. What is noteworthy is that — at the time in 1932 when she commited suicide — the sign wasn’t yet a symbol of movies, but rather of ‘Hollywoodland,’ a real-estate development in the hills. So the reference to “Blueprint Blue” makes sense. The ‘pin-up shot’ he keeps with ‘your letter’ is a reference to the suicide note that was found in Peg’s purse and published in the local newspaper. And ‘it will come back to you,’ could be a reference to the karmic consequences of suicide or the fame that would follow from Peg’s action. Of course, ‘favorite foreign movies’ are known for their tragic endings — unlike the happy ‘Hollywood’ ones.” – Thom, L.A.
“This song is about an aspiring actress, with the director/photographer promising her a big break. Whether he’s leading her on or not is unknown, and given where the band got its name, you can’t help but wonder what kind of actress Peg is.” – Mike, Santa Barbara, CA
The name of the group,
Paul Kane says, “One reviewer once likened reading Naked Lunch to licking an ashtray, and I have to admit there are some extremely repugnant elements to it. In addition, there’ll be times when you’ve read a whole page and still don’t know what the hell it was supposed to be about apart from a series of stream-of-consciousness imaginings from some bloke who’s really lucky to have lived as long as he did. Is it art? Perhaps. Is it poetry? Probably. Is it advisable to sit down and read the whole thing from start to finish in one go? Definitely not.
Burroughs’ defining work should really be dipped into, and even then, at your own risk. For just as looking directly at the sun will surely blind you, prolonged exposure to Naked Lunch will almost certainly result in some form of dementia. Unless, of course, you happen to be demented to start with.”