Mad As Rabbits

"Don't you remember when I was a bird and you were a map?"

I think that this means, "Don't you remember when I didn't need you?"

I've been thinking about this for a while and this is what I've come up with:

The first verse starts with the character talking about his life. He's depressed, and he needs help. "Come save me from walking off a window sill / or I'll sleep in the rain." is his plea for help. He's making a huge mistake (walking off a window sill) and it could ruin his life (I'll sleep in the rain.) "Don't you remember when I was a bird / and you were a map" is talking about how life used to be- he was free as a bird, and he didn't depend on anyone. "Now he drags down miles in America / briefcase in hand"is showing that he's not like that anymore. Presumably he has a boring job and he hates it. "The stove is creeping up his spine again / can't get enough trash." He's feeling very irritated (the "stove" creeping up his spine is making him hotheaded) and he's starting to destroy himself (can't get enough trash).

The chorus is fairly simple. He took the days for pageant - he treated every day like a huge obstacle, and he knew it was shallow and fake Became as mad as rabbits - it drove him insane to do the same thing every day With bushels of bad habits - he began to take it out on himself - smoking, nail biting, self-harm, drinking, are all stress induced bad habits. The last lines are slightly sarcastic. "And who could ask for anymore? Yeah who could have more?" The character is supposed to satisfied with his wonderful, stable job in an office, but it obviously isn't what he wants.

"His arms were the branches of a Christmas tree / Preached the devil in the belfry" He was weighted down with what people expected of him, like ornaments on a Christmas tree, but he didn't want any of it. He was the exact opposite, (preaching the devil in the bell tower of a church) and no one would accept that. His life was a lie. "He checked in to learn his clothes had been thieved at the train station." He was so close to accomplishing his goal, and freeing himself, only to learn that he had actually failed. "Rope hung his other branch / and at the other end was a dog called Bambi." He's back to being a christmas tree and being forced to be what others want. The rope hanging his branch is a noose and a leash, and it's attached to a fairy tale (Bambi the dog). This fairy tale is controlling him and killing him at the same time. Bambi the dog "chews on his parliaments" which is probably a reference to the cigarettes. The fairy tale is once again trying to destroy him: this time, it's killing his bad habits that make him the man he is. This starts when he "tries to save the calendar business." A calendar would be used to schedule things and plan the future, and the character wants to control his destiny. The rest of the fairy tale world doesn't want him to have control.

"The poor son of a humble chimney sweep / fell to a cheap crowd." The character has fallen even farther than where he started, which was low to begin with. He chooses to stay asleep, or live in a dream and put on a fancy disguise of cursive type, because he knows the real world is just as fake (you know we live in a toy). Paul Cates is highly educated member of the christian church, and the lyric says he "bought himself a trumpet from the salvation army." His position made no difference, he still shopped along side the lower class- status means nothing. "But there ain't no sunshine in his song" shows that while still putting on his pretence of high society, is unable to be happy. His position is killing his happiness. "Reinvent love" is calling for the world to rethink itself, and aim for happiness above all.

I agree, they've deffinatly improved, and Brendons deffinatly improved his vocals for singing live. Im glad ryan gets to sing to. I love this song, but dose anyone fully get it?

i love pretty odd, ryans vocals r awesome

My first instinct about "The poor son of a humble chimney sweep" was Mary Poppin o.o.

my favorite line of this song... "come save me from walking off a window sill or i'll sleep in the rain..." it's been ringing through my head ever since i heard it. the band is really improving a lot.

i heard a live version of this song and ryan sang quite a bit. does anyone know is he will be singing on Pretty. Odd.?

ahhh. less that 23 days.

auberginedreams09, I'm guessing he would be singing. They have a little preview of this song on their myspace and I'm pretty sure it was Ryan's voice that was singing it not Brendon. I might be wrong though.

I love how the song goes back and forth between brendon and ryan singing it just makes it better

i just listened to the whole album (a week before? yes, i am special). he does sing. it's between ryan and brendon, and this and that green gentleman is my favorite so far. he sings behind the sea with brendon singing a little, too.

Haha, "does anyone fully get it?" I doubt it, lol. When I fist heard the title "Mad As Rabbits" I thought of Alice In Wonderland...but in Alice it's "As Mad As A Hatter"...but his friend the March Hare is also mad and kinda a rabbit, lol.

It sort of reminds me of some poor guy who travels around trying to make a living ("Now he drags down miles in America")...like a businessman from back in the 50's or something. But he has terrible luck...his clothes were stolen at the train station and so on. And he ends up with the wrong people ("Fell to a cheap crowd"). "But there ain't no sunshine in his song" just shows how sad his life is and after everything he's gone mad...reminds me of Death of a Salesman for some reason, lol.