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Cover art for Two Lips lyrics by The Residents

The Residents

Two Lips

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Two Lips Lyrics

Oh, we have to buy a tulip
Yes, we have to buy a tulip
Oh, we have to buy a tulip
So we'll sell our home
We will sell our clothes
And we'll sell our shoes
Everything we own
We'll sell to you

My doctor bought a tulip
And my banker bought a tulip
And my lawyer bought a tulip
So I'll buy one, too
Maybe I'll buy ten
Maybe I'll buy more
All my friends scored
Tulips galore

YES! WE HAVE TO BUY!
NO! WE DON'T KNOW WHY!
YES! WE'LL BUY OR DIE!
YES! WE HAVE TO BUY!

NO! WE DON'T KNOW WHY!
YES! WE'LL BUY OR DIE!
NO! WE DON'T KNOW WHY!
YES! WE'LL BUY OR DIE!

Would you like to buy a tulip?
Would you like to buy a tulip?
Would you like to buy a tulip?
You can pick and choose
I have sold my wife
And my children, too
I have nothing but tulips to lose

YES! WE HAVE TO BUY!
NO! WE DON'T KNOW WHY!
YES! WE'LL BUY OR DIE!

Submitted by

imperfect_stranger On Jun 25, 2007

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Imperfect_Stranger

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2007-06-25 01:44:18

1 Meaning

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Cover art for Two Lips lyrics by Residents, The

by picnicboy

7h ago

This song is about tulip mania, a period in Dutch history during the 17th century, when tulips became a must-have commodity and skyrocketed in price. Basically, tulip mania was the first economic asset bubble.

Also noticed that the phrase "buy or die" is in the lyrics, which may be a nod to the mail-order catalogue Ralph Records (The Residents' original record label) ran.

[Edit: Fixed the paragraph formatting]

Positive

Subjective

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Tulip Mania

Economic History

Lyrics Analysis

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Cultural Reference

+1

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