Both as a standalone and as part of the DSOTS album, you can take this lyric as read. As a matter of public record, Jourgensen's drug intake was legendary even in the 1980s. By the late 90s, in his own words, he was grappling with massive addiction issues and had lost almost everything: friends, spouse, money and had nearly died more than once. "Dark Side of the Spoon" is a both funny & sad title for an album made by a musical genius who was losing the plot; and this song is a message to his fans & friends saying he knows it. It's painful to listen to so I'm glad the "Keith Richards of industrial metals" wised up and cleaned up. Well done sir.
The fruit man sold the guava to the black man
The black man peeled the skin with the bare hand
A juice man took a stand with the fruit man
And they cooked up the fish brought in fresh from the ocean
the fish man sold an axe to the boat man
A chinaman caused a scene with the black man
Accused him of selling fish that was frozen
The black man yelled at the chinaman,
"It is not broken. It is not frozen. The fish it was just caught in the ocean.
I do not steal. Don't breathe another sound or I'll take that fish and return it to the ocean."
The fruit man consoled the black man
The boatman explained to the chinaman
And it was dark, really dark, with the sun down
And the fish they swam, they swam in the ocean
The black man peeled the skin with the bare hand
A juice man took a stand with the fruit man
And they cooked up the fish brought in fresh from the ocean
the fish man sold an axe to the boat man
A chinaman caused a scene with the black man
Accused him of selling fish that was frozen
The black man yelled at the chinaman,
"It is not broken. It is not frozen. The fish it was just caught in the ocean.
I do not steal. Don't breathe another sound or I'll take that fish and return it to the ocean."
The fruit man consoled the black man
The boatman explained to the chinaman
And it was dark, really dark, with the sun down
And the fish they swam, they swam in the ocean
Lyrics submitted by lockmeinthesun
The Fruit Man Lyrics as written by Michael Melchiondo Aaron Freeman
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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It is basically like one of those logic puzzles you do in grade school (the fish man is the black man and the juice man is the china man)
It's about world capitalism and the challenges that come with it
wait this song confuses me. why did the china man accuse the black man?? haha where did he get that from
I thought it was truce man, guess not. But if im going to guess on the meaning i'd have to say racial tensions?
tis clearly about an argument in a market, however knowing ween there is probably some really really really really (really) deep psychological meaning...
cool reggae track though, ween demonstrating their versatility with music and just how many genres they can cover
It's about conflict and resolution, but the resolution only succeeds on a small scale, like a drug that treats a symptom but not the disease. In this case the disease is inequality in society. The characters in the song have a disagreement. It takes all day, but they eventually work it out and get over their hurt feelings. However, the last couple lines of the song seem to say that it doesn't change the big picture: the fish swim on like they always have, oblivious to the newly attained understanding and healing of mere individuals. Likewise, society, with all its myriad forms of inequality, won't be any less screwed up just because of some personal enlightenment, or epiphany, or decision to do good. Harsh!
I don't think it's a terribly deep song or an allegory for race relations.
I suspect the song is a play on the trope of reggae songs talking generally about "da white mon" and "da black mon." So Ween introduce the China mon, and then let an absurd situation play out.
My favorite part is the quote in the middle. A fish seller in a market immediately yelling at a customer that a fish is "not broken." How does a fish break? Love it, love it, love it. Then the idea of returning a caught fish to the ocean- you're just throwing a carcass in the water.
I also like that his partner "consoles" him. It's a rather therapeutic word to use. Meanwhile the boatman stepped in to help out, too. Good role models in a Ween song.
One loose end that doesn't get tied up... what's up with the axe? Is that how the boatman "explained" or am I reading in to it too much?
One last theory to throw out there... This could be a fictionalized rendition of some altercation the band had on tour or something. Black man possibly Claude, but perhaps also Deaner since he's the fisherman and he is known for "My Own Bare Hands." The fruit man has guava, so possibly Gene or Dean. The man selling the axe could be selling a guitar.