In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Oh life (is so peculiar), (you get so wet in the rain)
You know it too? (mm-hm)
You get so warm in the sunshine, (Get my sun tan)
(It doesn't pay to complain), I never complain
When I get up each morning, there's nothing to breathe but air, (Yeah)
(And when I look in the mirror, there's nothing to comb but hair)
And when I sit down to breakfast, there's nothing to eat but food
(Life is so peculiar but you can't stay home and brood)
Oh, life(Tell 'em about it pops) is so peculiar
The desert has only got sand, (And that's grand)
The oceans only got water,(And you can't drink it all up)
You never know where you stand
(When I get out to dinner, there's nothing to wear but clothes)
(Whenever I get sleepy, there's nothing to do but doze), Yeah
(Whenever I get thirsty, there's nothing to do but drink)
(Life is no peculiar that it makes you stop and think)
Yes, life (boop-a-doo-wa-boo-waa), is so peculiar, (It sure is)
A fork belongs with the knife (It sure does)
(Corn beef is lost without cabbage)
I love cabbage, a husband should have a wife
(Yes), (life is so peculiar, but as everybody says)
(That's life)
(Life), Yes life (it's so peculiar), a-hugh
(a bird can usually sing). A bird, I do too
(A pearl is made by an oyster), New Orleans?
(Rampart Street)
(You can't be sure of a thing)
When I get tired of restin' there's nothing to do but walk (walk it off pop)
And when I don't care to listen there's nothing to do but talk (keep you big mouth shut)
When I'm up in the airplane there's nothing to do but fly (mm-hm)
(Life is so peculiar but I often wonder why)
Oh, life, (boop-a-doo-wa-boo-waa), is so peculiar, (sure is)
A fork belongs with a knife you know, (mm-mm)
(Corn beef is lost without cabbage), leftover cabbage? (Yeah)
A husband should have a wife
(Yeah), (life is so peculiar, but what everybody says that's life)
One more for me Jim (that's life)
Let me hear it one time (that's life)
All together (That's life), yeah
You know it too? (mm-hm)
You get so warm in the sunshine, (Get my sun tan)
(It doesn't pay to complain), I never complain
When I get up each morning, there's nothing to breathe but air, (Yeah)
(And when I look in the mirror, there's nothing to comb but hair)
And when I sit down to breakfast, there's nothing to eat but food
(Life is so peculiar but you can't stay home and brood)
Oh, life(Tell 'em about it pops) is so peculiar
The desert has only got sand, (And that's grand)
The oceans only got water,(And you can't drink it all up)
You never know where you stand
(When I get out to dinner, there's nothing to wear but clothes)
(Whenever I get sleepy, there's nothing to do but doze), Yeah
(Whenever I get thirsty, there's nothing to do but drink)
(Life is no peculiar that it makes you stop and think)
Yes, life (boop-a-doo-wa-boo-waa), is so peculiar, (It sure is)
A fork belongs with the knife (It sure does)
(Corn beef is lost without cabbage)
I love cabbage, a husband should have a wife
(Yes), (life is so peculiar, but as everybody says)
(That's life)
(Life), Yes life (it's so peculiar), a-hugh
(a bird can usually sing). A bird, I do too
(A pearl is made by an oyster), New Orleans?
(Rampart Street)
(You can't be sure of a thing)
When I get tired of restin' there's nothing to do but walk (walk it off pop)
And when I don't care to listen there's nothing to do but talk (keep you big mouth shut)
When I'm up in the airplane there's nothing to do but fly (mm-hm)
(Life is so peculiar but I often wonder why)
Oh, life, (boop-a-doo-wa-boo-waa), is so peculiar, (sure is)
A fork belongs with a knife you know, (mm-mm)
(Corn beef is lost without cabbage), leftover cabbage? (Yeah)
A husband should have a wife
(Yeah), (life is so peculiar, but what everybody says that's life)
One more for me Jim (that's life)
Let me hear it one time (that's life)
All together (That's life), yeah
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Life Is So Peculiar Lyrics as written by Johnny Burke James Van Heusen
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
Thursday
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/