This song is timeless, and nearly 20 years after its creation, still possesses the mystique it did the first time i heard it ~1994. To me, at first blush, all those years ago, it had some kind of homo-erotic allure. The line "so that the others may do" tells of something which must be done for others to follow suit. It felt like like some kind of roxy-glam-pop invitation to sexual liberation.
Upon further introspection I think the song may not have an intrinsic meaning, but simply represents a sort of "holding open the door" for people who otherwise might be affronted by this song/band's unusual style. I know, as a sort of armchair rock-historian, that there have been few bands so daring and so true to the sound that wanted to emerge from within, whether the creator wanted it or not. This band handled it with elegance and grace seldom, if ever, seen.
Down with love
With flowers and rice and shoes
Down with love
The root of all midnight blues
Down with things
That give you that well-known pain
Take that moon
Wrap it in cellophane
Down with love let's liquidate
All it's friends
Like moon, June, roses
And rainbow's ends
Down with songs
That mourn about night and day
Down with love
Take it away, away
Take it away, take it away
Give it back to the birds
To bees and the Viennese
Down with eyes romantic and stupid
Down with sighs, down with cupid
Brother let's stuff that dove
Down with love
Down with love
Liquidate all it's friends
Like moon, June, roses
And rainbow's ends
Down with song
That mourns about night and day
You are the one,
And i don't stand a chance with a ghost like you
Ah, the promised kiss of spring is here,
What does my heart go dancin' overhead,
On the ceiling near my bed,
We go now,
Because i talk to the trees, but they don't listen to me
I tell them: you say either, i say i-ther
You say neither, i say neither, i say ni-ther
Either, i-ther
Neither, ni-ther
Let's call the whole thing off!
Take it away, take it away
Give it back to the birds
And the bees and the Viennese
Down with eyes romantic and stupid
Down with sighs, down with cupid
Brother let's stuff that dove
Down, down, down
I go on round and round
I go in a spin
Hey, in the spin, I'm in!
What is this thing
What is this thing called love?
With flowers and rice and shoes
Down with love
The root of all midnight blues
Down with things
That give you that well-known pain
Take that moon
Wrap it in cellophane
Down with love let's liquidate
All it's friends
Like moon, June, roses
And rainbow's ends
Down with songs
That mourn about night and day
Down with love
Take it away, away
Take it away, take it away
Give it back to the birds
To bees and the Viennese
Down with eyes romantic and stupid
Down with sighs, down with cupid
Brother let's stuff that dove
Down with love
Down with love
Liquidate all it's friends
Like moon, June, roses
And rainbow's ends
Down with song
That mourns about night and day
You are the one,
And i don't stand a chance with a ghost like you
Ah, the promised kiss of spring is here,
What does my heart go dancin' overhead,
On the ceiling near my bed,
We go now,
Because i talk to the trees, but they don't listen to me
I tell them: you say either, i say i-ther
You say neither, i say neither, i say ni-ther
Either, i-ther
Neither, ni-ther
Let's call the whole thing off!
Take it away, take it away
Give it back to the birds
And the bees and the Viennese
Down with eyes romantic and stupid
Down with sighs, down with cupid
Brother let's stuff that dove
Down, down, down
I go on round and round
I go in a spin
Hey, in the spin, I'm in!
What is this thing
What is this thing called love?
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