Eligible, not too stupid
Intelligable and cute as Cupid
Knowledgable but not always right
Salvageable and free for the night

Well, my heart's running 'round like a chicken with its head cut off
All around the barnyard, falling in and out of love
Poor thing's blind as a bat, getting up, falling down, getting up
Who'd fall in love with a chicken with its head cut off?
Woah, nelly!

My wife doesn't understand me
Many dozens hope to land me
I'm for free love and I'm in free fall
This could be love or nothing at all

But my heart's running 'round like a chicken with its head cut off
All around the barnyard, falling in and out of love
The poor thing's blind as a bat, getting up, falling down, getting up
Who'd fall in love with a chicken with its head cut off?

We don't have to be stars exploding in the night, or electric eels under the covers
We don't have to be anything quite so unreal, let's just be lovers

Well, my heart's running 'round like a chicken with its head cut off
All around the barnyard, falling in and out of love
The poor thing's blind as a bat, getting up, falling down, getting up
Who'd fall in love with a chicken with its head cut off?
It ain't pretty


Lyrics submitted by Anne Arbour

A Chicken with It's Head Cut Off Lyrics as written by Stephin Raymond Merritt

Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

A Chicken With Its Head Cut Off song meanings
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11 Comments

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  • +1
    General Comment

    mm, my first MF song. How did I ever live without Stephin Merritt's voice?

    Whoa, Nelly.

    pac43764on December 30, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I think it's almost the opposite. It's about a guy who's been so brutalized by careless loves before hat he doesn't know up from down, but he's trying to convince someone to come home with him and making his predicament well known. So that there's no confusion later on.

    geoffingeorgiaon January 26, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    "We don't have to be stars exploding in the night Or electric eels under the covers We don't have to be anything quite so unreal Let's just be lovers"

    he's saying he's done with idealizing love and lovemaking. maybe he's falling in love with her, maybe not, but right now he just wants to take her to bed and not have to think about it.

    charitoon June 21, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Great Song

    It's about a guy who really likes a new a girl and doesn't know what to make of his new feelings for her. His thoughts are everywhere and doesn't know what to make of it. In the end he realizes that he doesn't care about anything and just wants to be with her.

    thebeanon April 13, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    So cute. I can even imagine the little headless chicken running around.

    Tack-o-Ramaon January 26, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I agree with charito, a little.

    dolcecarson October 01, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I still loved this track after all these years.....

    shockdelicaon January 05, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    If this is even vaguely autobiographical, this song is not about a woman. Merritt doesn't care for the ladies that way.

    androgybunnyon September 21, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I thought the lines:

    "We don't have to be stars exploding in the night Or electric eels under the covers We don't have to be anything quite so unreal Let's just be lovers"

    were more about how he doesnt want to make any grand romantic gestures or shows: "stars exploding in the night" or to have an amazing sex life: "electrc eels under the covers" he just wants someone to love: "Let's just be lovers"

    eveninthelaunderetteon February 25, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I was all, "Hmm, I'm gonna go on songmeanings and see if I can't find some lyrics that describe where I'm at in life right now," because that is the sort of thing I do to comfort myself when shit gets a bit too real. This was the first song I clicked, never having heard/read the lyrics, and holy shit this is IT. Every line epitomizes my life. Thanks Stephen Merritt, I am slowly but surely realizing your brilliance.

    thismessismineon July 10, 2013   Link

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