Mr. Zebra

All these Courtney Love ideas keep popping up all over Tori's songs. I'm not saying that that's not what she's singing about, but let's give her some credit eh? She knows and has relationships with people that we will never even know about. Can we consider it a possibility that she doesn’t want us to know about these things? That her lyrics are cryptic for a reason? That maybe, just maybe she wants her lyrics to be universal enough that anyone can relate to them? That she wants to create characters and not necessarily thinly veiled allusions to celebrities?

Did you actually read what merchantpierce posted up there?: "Lyrics to me, when they become references so that Mr Zebra can be who you want it to be, although you know that there are certain clear words - Strychnine, sometimes she's a friend of mine. And you get a sense of the characters, of who they are. And I'm sure the person, women that you know that are Ratitouille Strychnine, and we can kinda love those women, but you have faces that are different from the faces that I see when I sing about um, that cute little babe that's poisoning the muffins in the kitchen. But we love her, too. And that was important in this record. This is really the hidden sides of the feminine, the ones that get a little wicked, and the reasons that they're wicked. That's what is being said also in the story, the reasons, 'cause they haven't been recognized, that they kinda have to mutiny for me to listen to them so that we can get to the heart, and that's really the core of the record."

The allure of Tori is that crazed illogical brilliance where everything is mixed up and jumbled around and you cant tell up from down, but sounds so wonderful beautiful and amazing. You could never understand it if you spent the rest of your life trying, but you're so enthralled by it you actually do try. Even when she explains what she means, you wish for an explanation for what she just said. And whatever she sings you can bring it into your heart and make it your own.

Give her some credit and show a little more respect.

This song is about her relationship with Trent and Courtney. The opening verses refer to her breakup with Eric and how Trent was there for her.

The second verse is her run-in with Love and whatever he said she said that went down.

The last is Love's conversation about her late husbands death. Many people think Courtney love was responsible for Kurt Cobain's death. "Too bad the burial was premature." Come on ya'll!

There are not too many songs referring to Trent and Love. Only three:professional widow,caught a lite sneeze and Mr zebra.

I always thought she was comparing the way crocs lie in wait for unsuspecting zebras to cross the river,to how some women lie in wait for unsuspecting naive men to wonder into their trap. she marries him, takes out insurance policy and kills him. "she's got a little fund to fight for moneypenny's rights"she can take the blood money as a way of coping for not getting the guy/'s she really wants

I found this quote from Tori, but for the life of me, I can't find the source to credit it.

"I refer to a 'Mrs. Crocodile' in that song. Sometimes I disguise the people I'm writing about with made-up characters, because they don't even know they're in the songs. And that's how it has to stay. So instead of calling them by their real name, because they have these certain [negative] traits. I'll call them something else, like a 'Mrs. Crocodile.'"

If that's not a reference to Courtney Love, then I don't know what is.

tori's so insane and ecclectic...don't you just love it? =)

"In Mr. Zebra we pick up Ratatouille Strychnine, who we love because she's our little double agent who can poison people and get us out of trouble when they're hurting us! But she's tired, she's tired of the poisoning." [B Side, 05/96]

"Lyrics to me, when they become references so that Mr Zebra can be who you want it to be, although you know that there are certain clear words - Strychnine, sometimes she's a friend of mine. And you get a sense of the characters, of who they are. And I'm sure the person, women that you know that are Ratitouille Strychnine, and we can kinda love those women, but you have faces that are different from the faces that I see when I sing about um, that cute little babe that's poisoning the muffins in the kitchen. But we love her, too. And that was important in this record. This is really the hidden sides of the feminine, the ones that get a little wicked, and the reasons that they're wicked. That's what is being said also in the story, the reasons, 'cause they haven't been recognized, that they kinda have to mutiny for me to listen to them so that we can get to the heart, and that's really the core of the record."

i love this song. my sister used to sing me to sleep with this when i was little, and to me, it's amazing and her voice makes it perfect

i luv the song, i just have no idea what it's about!

but that's the beauty of it, i guess.

What are you talking about? This song isn't about Courtney Love...

me and my gal pal Leanne talk about Tori songs a lot. Today she called me up and said "Heather, what do you think the song Mr. Zebra really means?" And I've been listening to this song since I was 13.. and I always thought it was about a woman who was abused by her husband and she poisoned him and buried him alive. Leanne discussed this with her stepdad and they came to the conclusion that the song may be about abortion & women's rights. I can definitely see that side of the story too. But Tori has many layers in many of her songs.. that's what I love about her most.