The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
I was of poor folk
But my mother had a rabbit fur coat
And a girl of less character pushed her down the L.A. River
Hand over that rabbit fur coat
She put a knife to her throat
Hand over that rabbit fur coat
When my ma refused, the girl kicked dirt on her blouse
Stay away from my mansion house
My mother really suffered for that
Spent her life in a gold plated body cast
Now, you ask, did she get that girl back?
She paid a visit to that mansion house
She knew the girl was not there
But her father was in cufflinks with slicked-back black hair
He invited her in, they never sang a note
But she took off that rabbit fur coat
And who do you think came home?
Miss so and so
She took one look at my ma and what did she say?
"Why are you stealing from my mansion house?"
No, I'm in love with Mr. So and so
He invited me in, I'm a girl no more
Then she dragged my ma out by her throat
Hand over that rabbit fur coat
Let's move ahead twenty years, shall we?
She was waitressing on welfare, we were living in the valley
A lady says to my ma you treat your girl as your spouse
You can live in a mansion house
And so we did
And I became a 100.000 dollar kid
When I was old enough to realize, wiped the dust from my mother's eyes
It's all this for that rabbit fur coat
But I'm not bitter about it
I've packed up my things and let them have at it
And the fortune faded, as fortunes often do
And so did that mansion house
Where my ma is now, I don't know
She was living in her car, I was living on the road
And I hear she's putting that stuff up her nose
And still wearing that rabbit fur coat
But mostly I'm a hypocrite
I sing songs about the deficit
But when I sell out and leave Omaha, what will I get?
A mansion house and a rabbit fur coat
But my mother had a rabbit fur coat
And a girl of less character pushed her down the L.A. River
Hand over that rabbit fur coat
She put a knife to her throat
Hand over that rabbit fur coat
When my ma refused, the girl kicked dirt on her blouse
Stay away from my mansion house
My mother really suffered for that
Spent her life in a gold plated body cast
Now, you ask, did she get that girl back?
She paid a visit to that mansion house
She knew the girl was not there
But her father was in cufflinks with slicked-back black hair
He invited her in, they never sang a note
But she took off that rabbit fur coat
And who do you think came home?
Miss so and so
She took one look at my ma and what did she say?
"Why are you stealing from my mansion house?"
No, I'm in love with Mr. So and so
He invited me in, I'm a girl no more
Then she dragged my ma out by her throat
Hand over that rabbit fur coat
Let's move ahead twenty years, shall we?
She was waitressing on welfare, we were living in the valley
A lady says to my ma you treat your girl as your spouse
You can live in a mansion house
And so we did
And I became a 100.000 dollar kid
When I was old enough to realize, wiped the dust from my mother's eyes
It's all this for that rabbit fur coat
But I'm not bitter about it
I've packed up my things and let them have at it
And the fortune faded, as fortunes often do
And so did that mansion house
Where my ma is now, I don't know
She was living in her car, I was living on the road
And I hear she's putting that stuff up her nose
And still wearing that rabbit fur coat
But mostly I'm a hypocrite
I sing songs about the deficit
But when I sell out and leave Omaha, what will I get?
A mansion house and a rabbit fur coat
Lyrics submitted by y plus white girl
Rabbit Fur Coat Lyrics as written by Jenny Lewis
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
No Surprises
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Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Just A Little Lovin'
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I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
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Yeah, this is all about Jenny's child actress days - and just general Hollywood madness, as she said in her interview with the Sunday Times.
The "rabbit fur coat" is a metaphor for wealth and success which can be as easy to lose as it is to come by. Also, the line:
"You treat your girl as your spouse."
is about the way roles in families can be confused and reversed when the child is the one earning the most money as it was - and is - with child actors/actresses.
A really beautiful songs, like all of the songs on Lewis' new album - but this one took a while to grow on me and figure out. Now it means a lot more for it.