Going Fetal

i love the energy in this song. but, as is typical with eels, if you really listen to the lyrics, they often do not match the tone of the song. i think this probably relates somewhat to concealing pain from others - they express it in this song - the ridiculous lyric 'going fetal' - just makes you laugh. but then you have lyrics like Everyone is going fetal If you feel like your fate is sealed Then just get down and curl on up Just like a little helpless pup, all right (Hey!) which make you realize the pain behind it all. feeling trapped or try this lyric Everyone is going fetal It's the one that's really real You're gonna love it if you give it a try You just lay down like you're gonna die, all right (Hey!) yet the tone is totally rockin and drivin the whole way through. similar pattern with their song on the same album, "hey man (now you're really living)" love the eels, man!

This ones actually easy to me, its an upbeat song about being so sad that you just wanna crawl up into a little ball and cry...

Or, actually, it could be possibly poking fun at people/kids that like to over exagerate their sadness... "Everyone is going fetal It's the dance the kids all feel Just get down under your desk Feels like your mama's nest, all right "

The gap between the sound and the lyrics is just funny

You can't go wrong with Tom Waits crying like a baby and lines like "You're gonna love it if you give it a try, you just lay down like you're gonna die, all right." The meaning is pretty straightfoward and the upbeat music is ironic.