(Tibet) Dance of the Manatee

live, this song is amazing.

live, this band is amazing.

they've never disappointed.

i'm not gonna lie though - no matter what anyone else thinks, instead of saying "skyscrapers small enough to feed off the lesses," i'm still gonna sing it "skyscrapers small enough to fit up their asses."

why? because it just sounds cooler.

I LOVE this song. I don't know why. I heard it one night while I was really stoned and it sounded so weird.

I had no idea what they were saying though, and so I couldn't look it up to see who it was. But then I heard them say it on the radio.

Now I'm happy.

it really sounds like in some parts he records each word individually and then puts them together without editing them

To me, the song is about corrupt capitalism practices. The song starts off asking us to dive into the shallow, or into a superficial world with low morals (hence, "shallow"). The song goes on to describe the tortoise and the hair in the rat-race, which is a sort of cliqued social darwinism that "fits like a glove," referring to how these corporate bureaucrats are a good fit for the economic environment (again, that social Darwinism). Their heads hang heaviest tells us how these corrupt business men may feel ashamed and or guilty about what they're doing, but that does not damper their "imagination" on how to continue their actions. The second verse follows in the same grain. It points out that women are guilty as well as men, telling both to put their mouth where their money is, or to literally vocalize where all their money has come from. The song then asks whether these "birds of a feather" are smart enough to cover up and/or justify what they've done. "Heads cast shadows like skyscrapers" alludes to big egos and delusions of grandeur like the skyscrapers they preside in, but are still small enough to fit up their asses, which means there is always someone to answer to when it comes to operating a free market corporation, which could help keep these delusions in "perspective with definition." (feeding off the lesses also works in this theoretical interpretation, as the rich often prey upon the poor). "Take a gander, the bigger they are the harder they fall" I only have one word to say...Enron. "Not needy you'll see" = living in excess and "come with open arms over trees" = pretending to be a man of the people. The guarantees speak of empty promises while the beating of the chest alludes to the primitive nature of seeking power (Linking social Darwinism with evolution, very nice). But we can't "keep it in a jar" since everybody is trying to make a quick buck these days. I then asks the listener to look around and see with this situation has done for everyone...not a pretty sight. I know everybody wants to link this song to prostitution, what with the "Marys" strewn about, but to me that just means these figurehead are whores to the system, doing whatever they can to get by and paid at the same time. As far as the chorus, "hang us those limbs" talks yet about doing anything to get ahead, though it holds no virtue, but only vice for the power-mungers. I like another interpretation I read about "those told to Hold," alluding to the bible how "he who is without sin cast the first stone," goes to "project on my cue," which to me sounds like its talking about the hypocrisy throughout the business world and how they justify their actions. that's all what I think anyway...

I agree with clubsandwich. Even thugh a lot of of evidence seems to be against me, I stagnantly refuse to believe that this band is a System spin off. A lot of evidence actually points with me too. Even the song title seems to point that way. A manatee, if everyone can recall, is an animal that is endangered, thus, whose condition is "fragile," just like our outer shells (i.e. personalities). "Dance" has several common allusions (battles, songs, stalemate-inducing and complex fights), but I think that it simply means a ballad, thus, it's a ballad of the fragile. Once again, my interpretation.

this song is pure awesome. i love system but i have to say this band would give system a run for their money. It would be awesome of system stayed togather and this band would be together also. or converge that band would be so fuckn awesome.

I love this song but I have no idea what it means.

like the past 5 before me. this is an awsome song. Its a song you would have to ponder over and over about to creat a good meaning of the deep deep lyrics it holds. maby another time.

this whole song and band rules, the singer is fucking amazing. watch any live performances for proof.