That's Not Really Funny

Seriously? Nobody's cracked this one yet? Alright, awesome. First I have to make a correction to the lyrics up there, and then the meaning might be more obvious:

"You must not continue to EMASCULATE me The neighbor children through the window Clearly see"

Now let's take a look at some of these together...

"You must not continue to EMASCULATE me" "Did you think that I would laugh when you said I was SMALL" "I am BIG, I am your man, and you're my little honey"

Methinks somebody's feeling a bit inadequate?

I'd say "I am big, I am your man..." This song's great, how come all you wannabe critics never said anything about it?

lol... i like this song a lot. I think we all do this, perhaps. When we like someone, it's easy to laugh along with them. But one time, i dated this guy, and i realized all the things i was laughing at were taunts at other people... they really weren't funny. Is that what E is trying to say?

i think he's saying that basically bullying isn't funny. he had a shit time of things when he was a kid and had all the other kids laughing at him, when it wasn't really funny at all. he was just different. that's what i reckon this is about.

Excellent. This is one of my favorite songs from the Eels-- mostly because of the music. The music-box (is it a keyboard effect or is it real?) is a great line...

I don't know that it's all about bullying. If so, what's the deal with this line: "You play the little bells and tell a good story You bake delicious pie and that's enough for me."

Hm. Beats me. (What's with the name "one hit wonder?" Is that supposed to be NSYNC or what?)

bravo, cousin.

attractivecousin is of course right, the singer's partner is making fun of him, and of course it's 'not really funny' if you're being made fun of. But this isn't a song about the poor singer being pciked on: he takes his revenge by talking to/about his partner in a patronising and belittling manner, reducing him to the same level. So overall it's a song about pettiness and lack of respect for each other - and that's not really funny.

I agree with attractive cousin but Im not sure about Acolyte saying that he is taking his revenge. I think that he is saying his partner has made fun of him being small in public and now other people are laughing at him. The last line says it all

"The little boy will wipe his nose bacause it's runny Then point at me and laugh, but that's not really funny "

A boy with a runny nose is quite specific because you would find that amusing but if that boy turned, pointed and laughed at you, you would be freaked out as to what he was laughing at. Pure and simple bruised ego.

I just now got the humor of E jumping an octave to sing the line "You must not continue to emasculate me."

This track was used on a british animation seires called Monkey dust. Type it into you tube and listen to the intro. Monkey dust has ended now but it was a satirical take on britains seedy underbelly. To me this is about insults and lies, when you think you know a freind but then they just backstabb you.