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The Fox, the Crow, and the Cookie Lyrics
Through mostly vacant streets
A baker from the outskirts of his town
Earned his living peddling sweets
From a ragged cart he dragged around
The clever fox crept close behind
Kept an ever watchful eye
For a chance to steal a ginger spice cake
Or a boysenberry pie
Looking down was the hungry crow:
"When the time is right, I'll strike
And condescend to the earth below
And take whichever treat I'd like"
The moment the baker turned around
To shoo the fox off from his cart
The crow swooped down and snatched a shortbread cookie
And a German chocolate tart
Using most unfriendly words
That the village children had not yet heard
The baker shouted threats by canzonette
To curse the crafty bird
"You rotten wooden mixing spoon
Why, you midnight-winged raccoon
You better bring those pastries back
You no-good burned-black macaroon"
The fox approached the tree
Where the bird was perched delighted in his nest
"Brother Crow, don't you remember me?
It's your old friend Fox with a humble request
If you could share just a modest piece
Seeing as I distracted that awful man"
This failed to persuade the crow in the least
So the fox rethought his plan
"Then if your lovely song would grace my ears
Or to even to hear you speak
Would ease my pains and fears!"
The crow looked down with the candy in his beak
"Your poems of wisdom, my good crow
What a paradise they bring!"
This flattery pleased the proud bird
So he opened his mouth and began to sing:
"Your subtle acclamation's true
Best to give praise where praise is due
Every rook and jay and corvidae's
Been raving about me too
They admire me, one and all
Must be the passion in my caw
My slender bill known throughout the escadrille
My fierce commanding claw!"
I got a walnut brownie brain
And molasses in my veins
Crushed graham cracker crust
My powdered sugared funnel cake cocaine
Let the crescent cookie rise
These carob-colored almond eyes
Would rest to see my cashewed princess
In the swirling marble sky
Would rest upon the knee
Where all of the visions cease to be
A root-beer float in our banana boat
Across the tapioca sea
When letting all attachments go
Is the only prayer we know
May it be so
May it be so
May it be so
Oh
A baker from the outskirts of his town
Earned his living peddling sweets
From a ragged cart he dragged around
The clever fox crept close behind
Kept an ever watchful eye
For a chance to steal a ginger spice cake
Or a boysenberry pie
"When the time is right, I'll strike
And condescend to the earth below
And take whichever treat I'd like"
The moment the baker turned around
To shoo the fox off from his cart
The crow swooped down and snatched a shortbread cookie
And a German chocolate tart
That the village children had not yet heard
The baker shouted threats by canzonette
To curse the crafty bird
"You rotten wooden mixing spoon
Why, you midnight-winged raccoon
You better bring those pastries back
You no-good burned-black macaroon"
Where the bird was perched delighted in his nest
"Brother Crow, don't you remember me?
It's your old friend Fox with a humble request
If you could share just a modest piece
Seeing as I distracted that awful man"
This failed to persuade the crow in the least
So the fox rethought his plan
Or to even to hear you speak
Would ease my pains and fears!"
The crow looked down with the candy in his beak
"Your poems of wisdom, my good crow
What a paradise they bring!"
This flattery pleased the proud bird
So he opened his mouth and began to sing:
Best to give praise where praise is due
Every rook and jay and corvidae's
Been raving about me too
They admire me, one and all
Must be the passion in my caw
My slender bill known throughout the escadrille
My fierce commanding claw!"
And molasses in my veins
Crushed graham cracker crust
My powdered sugared funnel cake cocaine
Let the crescent cookie rise
These carob-colored almond eyes
Would rest to see my cashewed princess
In the swirling marble sky
Would rest upon the knee
Where all of the visions cease to be
A root-beer float in our banana boat
Across the tapioca sea
When letting all attachments go
Is the only prayer we know
May it be so
May it be so
May it be so
Oh
Song Info
Submitted by
agentlemanandaascholar On Apr 15, 2009
More mewithoutYou
January 1979
Silencer
The Dryness and the Rain
Messes of Men
In a Sweater Poorly Knit
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
So the baker is the parent and he offers up the narrator as his sweet goods like children ready to be guided or stolen. the clever fox represents cunning and humility. the crow is alternatively impatient, hungry, and far too proud for his own good. once the crow grabs the treat the fox was going for, the fox preys on this weakness by getting him to open his mouth, sing of himself, and simultaneously drop the treats he stole. while the crow is trapped in his proud reverie and the fox makes off with the treat, it (the candy, etc) begins to reflect on its form and finally how it became so: "When letting all attachments go is the only prayer we know, may it be so". This means that the narrator knows nothing but to pray to be guided into the right hands (as an innocent, motionless cookie), trusting that he'll end up somewhere favorable (in this case away from the obnoxious crow and into the fox's more deserving hands). So a parable about pride and probably more. animal and food metaphors make for a happy album. great song.
I'm pretty sure this is based on the Aesop short story "The Fox and the Crow."
When I saw them live, Aaron said that the song was about a dream that he had.
When I saw them live, Aaron said that the song was about a dream that he had.
that's really interesting if that's the case. the similarities with Aesop's story are striking-- the only discernable differences are that it's a piece of cheese and not a cookie, and that there is no explanation of how the crow got the cheese.
that's really interesting if that's the case. the similarities with Aesop's story are striking-- the only discernable differences are that it's a piece of cheese and not a cookie, and that there is no explanation of how the crow got the cheese.
Guess what? Its a Bawa Muhaiyaddeen story. Nearly the whole album is. Beetle King and Fig with a Bellyache especially. And the title.
Guess what? Its a Bawa Muhaiyaddeen story. Nearly the whole album is. Beetle King and Fig with a Bellyache especially. And the title.
Heres the proof: http://www.bmfstore.com/Scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=19
Heres the proof: http://www.bmfstore.com/Scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=19
hahah. "raven" about me XD
A beautifully put together song from start to finish. Musically it is absolutely wonderful. Lyrically, well at first a bit confusing, but by the end it is tied together in mewithoutYou's strange wondrousness. Yes, I realize my rambling sounds crazy but it's just because of the coma that their new CD just put me in. Anyways, the best part of this song to me is the ending with the lyrics. Also, the violin between chorus and verse is not bad.
This is probably the best song from their new album.
the second line is needs to be changed to "up acre from" the third line is "peddling." he's not riding a bike. and is it just me or does the blank sound like, "i got a walnut brownie brain" take the "the" out of "crushed the graham cracker crust" it's not HIS knee, it's "Will rest upon the knee"
also, for those who are curious as i was, an escadrille is a European air squadron more notably a French one of 10 or more aircraft.
i think it's "I got a walnut brownie brain" instead of it rained THis song is so amazing. I think it gets summed up at the end. "Let all attachments go" that and a note about too much pride, Anyways, can't wait to buy this
This flattery pleased the proud bird so, He opened his mouth and began to sing:
i assume this means the bird opened his mouth, therefore losing his food to the fox?
yeah, isn't it great?! the music picks up so amazingly you can see everything happening at once! the bird flapping it's wings cheering in pride, the fox jumping up to grab the now falling candy, and at this moment everyone is pleased but all for the wrong reasons.
yeah, isn't it great?! the music picks up so amazingly you can see everything happening at once! the bird flapping it's wings cheering in pride, the fox jumping up to grab the now falling candy, and at this moment everyone is pleased but all for the wrong reasons.
By George, I think he's right. That's beautiful. About prayer, maybe?
By George, I think he's right. That's beautiful. About prayer, maybe?
It (most assuredly) is based on the fable of the fox and the crow. I think that the morale this song presents is one discouraging vanity. My main reasoning for this conclusion is the entire end paragraph where we see the bird, victorious over the fruit of his efforts, prideful to the point of losing everything... The fox didn't immediately take the "treat" from the bird, he just tricked him into losing it, which to me symbolizes the devil, not directly forcing us to sin, but temping us --- as remembered in the devil's tempting of Eve in the garden of Eden.... I think the line: "Every rook and jay in the Corvidae�s been raving about me too" is funny.
You're right about the song being based on the well know childrens' fable. However, I feel like a lot of people the morale of the story to be discouraging vanity or pride when i feel it most of all suggests that we are far too materialistic. The entire story revolves around people, and animals fighting over cookies and other treats which we all know are bad for us. The metaphor is that when it comes to our material possessions we squabble over them like a bunch of animals. Once the Crow is tricked into dropping the...
You're right about the song being based on the well know childrens' fable. However, I feel like a lot of people the morale of the story to be discouraging vanity or pride when i feel it most of all suggests that we are far too materialistic. The entire story revolves around people, and animals fighting over cookies and other treats which we all know are bad for us. The metaphor is that when it comes to our material possessions we squabble over them like a bunch of animals. Once the Crow is tricked into dropping the candy he see's the way in which the baker and the Fox fight over it and realizes how silly it is, so he flys away saying he's had some much candy ( things) in his life that it now makes up every part of him, for example he says he now has a brain made of brownies and molasses in his veins. He than says the line which i believe ties all this together, that if we let go of all our possessions we'd fly like a bird.
"When letting all attachments go, it's the only prayer we know" may it be so...
amen my brother
"Every rook and jay in the Corvidae's been raving about me too." That is the best pun. EVER.
Not sure if I am overlooking something here or not. The pun is in "raving" (raven). Right?
Not sure if I am overlooking something here or not. The pun is in "raving" (raven). Right?
You got it. I guess it's not funny if you have to explain it, but I think it's really clever. . .
You got it. I guess it's not funny if you have to explain it, but I think it's really clever. . .
I'm glad people see this!! I laughed when I realized that. Too good, Aaron
I'm glad people see this!! I laughed when I realized that. Too good, Aaron
It is funny. But i think the line is supposed to be "every rook and jay AND corvidae's been raving about me too" a Corvidae is a type of bird.
It is funny. But i think the line is supposed to be "every rook and jay AND corvidae's been raving about me too" a Corvidae is a type of bird.