1
My father used to say
You sleep with dogs the next day
You'll wake up in the bed scratching
Those inevitable fleas
At ten years old
You listen to what you're told
But I never felt the itch
I never would
My mother had forbidden me
To waste away my life
I want you to have all the things
I could never buy you
So don't stop what I'd begun
You're my one and only son
Follow what I say, not what I've done
Follow what I say, not what I've done
Shower, scrub, and shave
Cleanly boys don't misbehave
Follow what I say, not what I've done
You sleep with dogs the next day
You'll wake up in the bed scratching
Those inevitable fleas
At ten years old
You listen to what you're told
But I never felt the itch
I never would
My mother had forbidden me
To waste away my life
I want you to have all the things
I could never buy you
So don't stop what I'd begun
You're my one and only son
Follow what I say, not what I've done
Follow what I say, not what I've done
Shower, scrub, and shave
Cleanly boys don't misbehave
Follow what I say, not what I've done
Lyrics submitted by AtomicGarden
Fleas Lyrics as written by Mike Burkett
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I think this song is a tribute to his parents. His father wagiving him advice, "Don't sleep with the dogs or you'll catch their fleas", but he did it anyway, and found that his dad was wrong. "I never had the itch, I never would."
His mother wanted him to succeed, "forbidden me to waste away my life." The line "I want you to have all the things I could never buy you" is a what she said to him. Actually, everything past the point in the song is a quote from his mother.
He took all that advice, and became a successful musician. Maybe not exactly what they had in mind, but they are proud, anyway.
To me, it is along a similar theme as "I Got No" by Op Ivy. "No reason I was going mad, I was hating my Mom and Dad, I was riding a sinking ship; Thank God I never did slip." Not exactly the same, but kinda similar, you know?