Bad news breaking in 18A
Missy's Kitty turn inside out she say
Spider queen demon and that whole crew
Across the lobby the wicker wing chair flew

All the nice people those goodly souls
Quaking in their respective hidey holes
Everyone's wasted in this gruesome dream
Not a one of them left to hear you scream

[Chorus]
Two against nature don't you know
Who's gonna grok the shape of things to go
Two against nature make them groan
Who's gonna break the shape of things unknown

Madame Erzulie she come last night
Bang you silly but leave a nasty bite
There on your nightstand much worse than that
Panatella and old black derby hat

Call your doctor, call your shrink
Western science she strictly rinky dink
They all masissi but we hang tough
Apsatively gonna help you beat that stuff

[Chorus]

Two against nature tan and lean
Puttin' big heat on skanky things unseen
Two against nature slinging dread
These boys want to bang the skulls of things undead

T-Bone Angie she champion liar
Sew the mouth shut with rusty chicken wire
Brother Lou Garue and the Jerry Garry
Sprinkling chicken water gonna hush all three

Beautiful housewife in deep distress
'Specially you deserve the very best
Two against nature they got that stuff
Good things happening when you see about us

[Chorus]

Two against nature love this gig
Pull up the weeds before they're too damn big
Two against nature stand alone
Who's gonna chase the shape of things unknown

Two against nature don't you know
Who's gonna drop the boom on things to go
Two against nature make them groan
Gonna go bang-zoom to the moon on things unknown

Scrape the wallboards the whole damn batch
Catch the maggoty eggs before they hatch
Pepper and ratbone make damn sure
Shake the rubbish out on the patio floor

Soak the timber with special spray
Nuke the itty bitty ones right where they lay
Whip the bastards while they still green
Take the firemop, sweep it kissing clean


Lyrics submitted by blackiswhite

Two Against Nature Lyrics as written by Walter Becker Donald Fagen

Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Two Against Nature song meanings
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  • +1
    General Comment

    This is also pure speculation, but i think the song is about two police officers who believe it is their personal duty to clean up crime and to "Pull up the weeds before they're too damn big". I think describing prostitution and drugs as "nature" is a particularly important clue to their mindset that things are naturally like this, but they still have to fix them.

    The Erzulie verse really puzzled me so I did some research. Apparently Erzulie is a symbol in Vodou and is sometimes associated with homosexual relations. So I think that they're talking about a man who is in denial that he is gay and had a one night stand with a man, a fact which he discovers only the next morning with the "pantela" (cigars) and "derby hat" on his nightstand. Also in the next verse "They all massisi we hang tough". Massisi apparently can mean gay in Haitian, so its possible that these to cops are against this aspect of "nature" as well. Phew, this song has alot more to it than other Steely Dan songs.

    vindoggon September 15, 2008   Link

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