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While We Were Hunting Rabbits Lyrics
Buy in it'll shut you up
Try it, it should shut you up
We've brought someone in to shut you up
It's a life's work
While we were hunting rabbits
I came upon a clear
The sky its stars like fortune drilled me
Until now I was a soldier
Until now I dealt in fear
These years of cloak and dagger
Have left us disappeared
And I dance and I sing
And I'm a monkey in a long line
Buy in it'll shut you up
Try it, it should shut you up
We've brought someone in to shut you up
And it's getting to be light work
While we were hunting rabbits
I came upon a clear
The sky its stars like fortune filled me
Until now I was a soldier
Until now I dealt in fear
These years of cloak and dagger
Have left us disappeared
And I dance and I sing
And I'm a monkey in a long line of kings
And we dance and we sing
And we're all monkeys in a long line
I'm just a boat on the ocean
And I'm just a ship lost at sea
Try it, it should shut you up
We've brought someone in to shut you up
It's a life's work
I came upon a clear
The sky its stars like fortune drilled me
Until now I was a soldier
Until now I dealt in fear
These years of cloak and dagger
Have left us disappeared
And I'm a monkey in a long line
Try it, it should shut you up
We've brought someone in to shut you up
And it's getting to be light work
I came upon a clear
The sky its stars like fortune filled me
Until now I was a soldier
Until now I dealt in fear
These years of cloak and dagger
Have left us disappeared
And I'm a monkey in a long line of kings
And we dance and we sing
And we're all monkeys in a long line
And I'm just a ship lost at sea
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I feel this song is about not being able to be yourself. Squashing individuality so everyone looks uniform and acts the same. "buy in it'll shut you up". The character in the song is just beginning to realize he's never really acted as himself he's always pretended to be what everyone else is. "Till now I was a soldier. Till now I dealt in fear." Now he finds that all this time pretending to be what he's not has left him not knowing what or who he really is. even when he tries to be different he's still acting the same. It's a song about confusion basically. Also i agree with The Cage the rabbits are human beings and him hunting them is like society using us as soldiers to push the majority into conformity. During this process was when the character had his epiphany so to speak. Thats just my opinion though.. the great thing about art like this is it's left up to the interpretor. Amazing song!!
Another way to look at this song is through a more political eye. It could be about the USA and all the propaganda they spread about the war in the middle east. They pay people off, rebuke reputations and in a couple cases violently "shut you up". Matt has a history of being very politically minded so I wouldn't doubt him weaving it into a very clever song. The states really has spent more than a life's work covering up violence and war mongering. The rabbits in this case would symbolize more the innocent lives that are hunted down only to be...
Another way to look at this song is through a more political eye. It could be about the USA and all the propaganda they spread about the war in the middle east. They pay people off, rebuke reputations and in a couple cases violently "shut you up". Matt has a history of being very politically minded so I wouldn't doubt him weaving it into a very clever song. The states really has spent more than a life's work covering up violence and war mongering. The rabbits in this case would symbolize more the innocent lives that are hunted down only to be falsely criminalized by govt and govt supporting media. Eventually this soldier character looks up and sees the truth behind whats going on. Realizing that all this time he's been in the dark sneaking around he has no idea whats REALLY been going on. Now he's lost. Many supporters of the war preform the same "song and dance" but there just pons in a game of military totalitarianism. Now he realizes we're all lost blind fools.
THIS IS AN OPINION please dont take it to heart if you disagree
This song is about Matt's issues with his band, but I've found my own meaning in it. To me, it speaks to my journey about leaving religion and finding my own path.
This song is definitely about his time with the Matthew Good Band, and his disdain for the the music industry. Like most great songwriters though, this song is written in a way that the listener could find many meanings in it.
This song is soooo beautiful, and so intense. Im not really sure what the song means...but its great.
I agree with AClische i have a hard time puting this song to any meaning, but i can tell there is a growth or an apathy or a desensitisation to this song.
I think this song is about trying to find yourself in society. You begin to realize how much you're giving into society and not getting enough back for your hard work. If you wanted to sum up the song, I think the last two lines would suffice: I'm just a boat on the ocean/And I'm just a ship lost at sea.
And I think rabbits represent helpless human beings. Like the narrative is a soldier, or some kind of oppressing or violent figure who's hunting rabbits, that is to say defenseless people. And then he starts to question himself about what he's doing.
I should say that before I read that it was about the music industry, I personally interpreted it as a brief history on human beings and our beliefs.