So this has been.my favorite song of OTEP's since it came out in 2004, and I always thought it was a song about a child's narrative of suffering in an abusive Christian home. But now that I am revisiting the lyrics, I am seeing something totally new.
This song could be gospel of John but from the perspective of Jesus.
Jesus was NOT having a good time up to and during the crucifixion. Everyone in the known world at the time looked to him with fear, admiration or disgust and he was constantly being asked questions. He spoke in "verses, prophesies and curses". He had made an enemy of the state, and believed the world was increasingly wicked and fallen from grace, or that he was in the "mouth of madness".
The spine of atlas is the structure that allows the titan to hold the world up. Jesus challenged the state and in doing so became a celebrated resistance figure. It also made him public enemy #1.
All of this happened simply because he was doing his thing, not because of any agenda he had or strategy.
And then he gets scourged (storm of thorns)
There are some plot holes here but I think it's an interesting interpretation.
Someone told me it's all happening at the zoo
I do believe it
I do believe it's true
It's a light and tumble journey
From the East Side to the park
Just a fine and fancy ramble
To the zoo
But you can take the crosstown bus
If it's raining or it's cold
And the animals will love it if you do
If you do, now
Somethin' tells me it's all happening at the zoo
I do believe it
I do believe it's true
The monkeys stand for honesty
Giraffes are insincere
And the elephants are kindly but they're dumb
Orangutans are skeptical
Of changes in their cages
And the zookeeper is very fond of rum
Zebras are reactionaries
Antelopes are missionaries
Pigeons plot in secrecy
And hamsters turn on frequently
What a gas, you gotta come and see
At the zoo
At the zoo
At the zoo
At the zoo
At the zoo
At the zoo
At the zoo
At the zoo
I do believe it
I do believe it's true
It's a light and tumble journey
From the East Side to the park
Just a fine and fancy ramble
To the zoo
But you can take the crosstown bus
If it's raining or it's cold
And the animals will love it if you do
If you do, now
Somethin' tells me it's all happening at the zoo
I do believe it
I do believe it's true
The monkeys stand for honesty
Giraffes are insincere
And the elephants are kindly but they're dumb
Orangutans are skeptical
Of changes in their cages
And the zookeeper is very fond of rum
Zebras are reactionaries
Antelopes are missionaries
Pigeons plot in secrecy
And hamsters turn on frequently
What a gas, you gotta come and see
At the zoo
At the zoo
At the zoo
At the zoo
At the zoo
At the zoo
At the zoo
At the zoo
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Warren wanted a Beach Boys thing for this one, and Carl Wilson and Billy Hinsche came in, with Carl arranging the vocal parts. The other harmony vocalists (credited as the "Gentlemen Boys") were Jackson Browne, J.D. Souther, Zevon's longtime backers Waddy Wachtel and Jorge Calderon, and Linda Rondstadt/Stone Poneys guitarist Kenny Edwards.
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The way this song speaks to me🥺🥺when I sing it I feel like I relate
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
This song is a metaphor for those lovely folks working on Capitol Hill. I'm not sure which animals correspond with which employees, but yes, that is what this song is about.
Don't know if this song is about anything. It takes place in the Central Park Zoo, which is a "light and tumble" journey from Manhattan's Upper East Side, rather than the more distant, and far larger, Bronx Zoo. Some comments on here have indicated that Simon's metaphors relate to people, perhaps to the government, at a time of the escalation of the war in Vietnam and increased skepticism of the government. I have no idea. His metaphors and lines obviously are not meant to be taken too seriously and he writes his words to conform to the rhyme scheme and rhythm of the song, rather than actual facts about animals. Elephants as generations of elephantologists can attest are anything but dumb and are in fact among the most intelligent animals on the planet; orangutans may or may not be skeptical; zebras- animals that integrate black and white stripes on their bodies, an important consideration considering the civil rights movement going on in full intensity during the time Simon wrote the song- are not a good exemplar of "reactionary," and so on. But this is nitpicking and merely demonstrates the problem with taking the lyrics of songs written in this era too seriously.
This is a really dope song by a great band.
Sounds like the animals at the zoo represent certain characteristics.
river wolf i think youve pretty much got the idea. this song is actually making fun of racism, using animals
Yeah, I thought it did give the government a sort of poke. How does it make fun of racism? I love that idea, but I don't see it.
This is a fun song. That's about all it is. Doesn't need to have a deeper meaning. Yes, animals can be allegories. They are anthropomorphized, but there may not be any deeper meaning than that society is a heterogenous mix of characters. Everyone's got a story.
@elh2780 That's it. It's just a sweet little song!
i sort of thought of this song as a poke at the government. i might be wrong lol ]
If it is making fun of racism (which I've never seen before, but it is definitely an interesting thought), it would probably be the fact that all the animals are lumped together with certain characteristics. ALL monkeys are honest, ALL giraffes are insincere, etc. Maybe not overt racism, but I can definitely see it as a sort of mockery of stereotypes.
Maybe they just liked the zoo, and decided to write a song about it.<br /> <br /> Zoos are pretty fun.
I think this song is saying that humans and animals have more in common than we admit. I believe it's a call for animal rights.
"Orangutans are skeptical Of changes in their cages, And the zookeeper is very fond of rum."
It's just about what it means to be a living thing. We're all the same.
Hang on Marylene et al. This does not seem to me to be about stereotyping at all, since the qualities are not being ascribed to species but to the members of those species residing in the Bronx zoo. It's not ALL orang utans that are sceptical of changes in their cages!
I think that this is just a playful anthropomoprhic reflection on a day at the zoo. It's fab.
@ShineYouDiamond It's actually the Central Park Zoo, but I'm just being picky.