my cat died and I quickly poured myself some gin
did she die from old age or was it for my sins
god I loved her oh so much
miss her little kitty touch
does she miss me does she care
oh I miss her kitty stare
do you have a little time
would you like to ease my mind
talk for hours and never stop
chop your head off
be a lighter person
brighter person nicer
but you've heard it all before

(chorus)
so ding dong
there's the doorbell hello man in white
he's gonna make you all well
getcha through the night
but hey now
you don't feel better
as you take your fresh bromide
maybe this man of letters lied

let me tell you 'bout a dream I had the other night
you were in it boy you sure gave me a super fright
I was walking down the street
downtown by the DMV
you popped out behind a door
it was odd you were on all fours
do you have some time to spare
you were barking at a bear
it said hey you'd better stop
chop your head off
be a lighter person
brighter person
nicer
but you've heard it all before

(chorus)
so ding dong
there's the doorbell
hello man in red
he's gonna make you all well
getcha into bed
but hey now
you don't feel better
as you wake and slowly rise
maybe this smooth jet-setter lied

(instrumental break)

stick around one minute more
I'm smarter than you think
do I sound like an old bore
oh man it's just the drink
I didn't always hit the gin
there were times when I fit in
they'll never know how much I tried
did I tell you my cat died
do you have a little time
would you like to feel sublime
run away and never stop
chop your head off
be a lighter person
brighter person
nicer
but you've heard it all before

(chorus)
so ding dong
there's the doorbell
hello man in black
he's gonna make you all well
there's no going back
but hey now you don't feel better
as you drift off in the tide
maybe this jack the ripper lied
and you died



Lyrics submitted by ToroTrash

Ding Dong song meanings
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10 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment

    I love this song =) Listen to it PEOPLE

    kaleidoscope_on December 20, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Joel sent me this song. And it's so psychotically right. It made me feel good. Now I'm going to clean up the blue room.

    nae4blueon February 12, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    it shows how alcohal is the definate answer to all of life's problems. it's hilarious.

    yo mamma!on May 10, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This songs about suicide. Nellie said on one of the things i have from a live show..

    "this next song is about suicide, but you'd never know it from the melody"

    and i think that's why i like it. the combination of a an awful story set to a beautiful sound.

    i love this...

    do you have a little time would you like to feel sublime run away and never stop chop your head off be a lighter person brighter person nicer but you've heard it all before .

    aaaaaaaaaaamazing.

    rawsugaron February 24, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    On her EPK she said this song started off talking about insanity, then love, and finally, death. Awesome song, however you look at it.

    ddarkoon May 18, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I'm with ddarko on this one.

    The man in white is a doctor at an asylum. The man in red is a lover. And the man in black is a undertaker.

    But the verses aren't quite as clear. But I think she's going insane from grief, trying to fill the void with somewhat forced or formulaic romance, and eventually ending up broken "old bore".

    neocowboyon September 19, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    esh. guys, man in red means sex. man in white means going insane. man in balck represents suicide/death. all ways mckay could use to deal with the death of her cat. but, i think the cat represents something bigger.

    penny_frescaon April 08, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    When I saw her, she said, "This next little ditty's about suicide."

    toastnuanceson September 27, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    First of all, I think it's brilliant that McKay mixes happy, cheery music with depressing lyrics referencing insanity, promiscuity, and suicide. I think the first part is about how she thinks she is going crazy, and maybe she is right. I think the cat is literal, in the sense that her cat was the only thing she had in the world (she felt) and losing it made her come unhinged. Most of the verses are self-explanatory. "Talk for hours and never stop..." might refer to a therapist or someone she is working with to work thru her inner turmoil. Man in White is obviously a reference to a psychiatric ward or asylum. I think the "this man of letters..." indicates a psychiatrist who diagnosed her with different mental illnesses, for example bi-polar (BD) or borderline personality disorder (BPD). I think the second verse still ties into the insanity part, where she is losing touch with reality. The man in red is a lover, or a slew of lovers who all blend together to her as she uses sex to deal with her pain and emptiness. The third verse is obviously as she contemplates suicide, and then the final with the man in black is Death or the Grim Reaper as she commits the deed. The "as you drift off in the tide/maybe this jack the ripper lied/and you died." line is about how she thought that suicide would be the end of all her problems. But really she's just dead. No problems, but no good either. This is just my take...

    JayC614on May 24, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Nellie is the queen of juxtaposing lyrics and melodies...

    manic4manicson November 06, 2012   Link

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