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.
Infested, polluted
Eighty tons of mercury dumped in the bay
It's bleeding, there's no roof
That's no way to treat a good friend
Your whiskey talks louder
Than most things I've read you've said
In situ, in place now
Sit back, unwind and relax
Big cheese is all greed
It's all relative to what you need and
Happy birthday, happy birthday
Happy birthday, here's your nerve gas
All the fishermen and their families
All sickly crumbling cerebellum
It's all over for orangutans
Looks like they're back on the street again
Mistrusted, disrupted
Rape land and kill good habitat
A world weary, a world broken
A world spent and money money money money
Injected, transmitted
Eighty tons of mercury dumped in the bay
It's breathing
It puts the dog in the basket
All the fishermen and their families
All sickly growing sentimental
It's all over for orangutans
Looks like their back on the street again
All the fishermen and their families
It's all over for orangutans
Looks like they're back on the street again
It's all over for orangutans
Looks like, looks like, looks like, yeah
Invaded, downgraded
Your bile lands right on my head
Uncalled for, unwanted
My sinking zero tolerance
All the fishermen and their families
All sickly crumbling cerebellum
It's all over for orangutans
Looks like they're back on the street again
All the fishermen and their families
It's all over for orangutans
Looks like they're back on the street again
It's all over for orangutans
Looks like it's a street again
Eighty tons of mercury dumped in the bay
It's bleeding, there's no roof
That's no way to treat a good friend
Your whiskey talks louder
Than most things I've read you've said
In situ, in place now
Sit back, unwind and relax
Big cheese is all greed
It's all relative to what you need and
Happy birthday, happy birthday
Happy birthday, here's your nerve gas
All the fishermen and their families
All sickly crumbling cerebellum
It's all over for orangutans
Looks like they're back on the street again
Mistrusted, disrupted
Rape land and kill good habitat
A world weary, a world broken
A world spent and money money money money
Injected, transmitted
Eighty tons of mercury dumped in the bay
It's breathing
It puts the dog in the basket
All the fishermen and their families
All sickly growing sentimental
It's all over for orangutans
Looks like their back on the street again
All the fishermen and their families
It's all over for orangutans
Looks like they're back on the street again
It's all over for orangutans
Looks like, looks like, looks like, yeah
Invaded, downgraded
Your bile lands right on my head
Uncalled for, unwanted
My sinking zero tolerance
All the fishermen and their families
All sickly crumbling cerebellum
It's all over for orangutans
Looks like they're back on the street again
All the fishermen and their families
It's all over for orangutans
Looks like they're back on the street again
It's all over for orangutans
Looks like it's a street again
Lyrics submitted by Moondragon
The Disease of the Dancing Cats Lyrics as written by Gavin Rossdale
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This song seems to be about the Minamata disaster. Basically what happened was the fertiliser company Chisso dumped its waste products (containing a heck of a lot of mecury and other nasties) into Minamata bay (I suspect because it was cheaper). Well, anyways, the fishermen who used Minamata bay started eating the fish like they always had, and their cats did too. The cats showed the first signs of mecury poising, having smaller body mass, hence the song title. It was only a matter of time before the same affects started to be noticed in humans....
Wow, that's interesting. I never thought of that. I really like the song, though. It really drives.
i agree with saxifrage.. but i think this song also has somthing to do with an abusive relationship..driven by alcohol obviously:
"It's bleeding there's no proof That's no way to treat a good friend Your whiskey talks louder Than most things I've read you said"
This song reminds me of the Pixies' "Monkey Gone to Heaven." Although it names New York and New Jersey (not Minamata) as the setting, it deals with the issue of sea pollution and refers to people as mokeys.
You got the title wrong, it's not "The Disease Of Dancing Cats" It's "The Disease of the Dancing Cats".
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Isn't "big cheese" a line from Nirvana? Geeezz