Dead

This is another great TMBG song of sadness hidden inside lunatic lyrics and great melodies. The song is weighted with the regret of someone who wasted their life ("it's over... and I haven't done anything that I want") or is currently wasting their life. Doesn't matter which because they are essentially the same. Sure, now he resolves to not sit at home anymore and finally stop hanging around, but it's too late. I could even say that "taken off the shelf before the date stamped on myself" eludes to him expiring (dying) before he was ready (date on self); but I never read that far into it. So stop wasting your life blogging or downloading music and DO STUFF.

"by Brother_Dave on 10-20-2004 @ 04:30:08 AM
Are you high? Both Johns have said MULTIPLE TIMES that virtually none of their songs have any meaning. And yes, they've actually said which ones too. This is not one of them."

You're pretty naive if you take that at face value.

When I die this song will be played at my funeral or I'm going to haunt my family.

reincarnation as a bag of groceries...what can beat this?

i heart this song so much!

i thought it was about the French Revolution, what with them cutting his head off for walking out of the grocery with a bag of groceries before the expiration date.

Rodan2000

when I first heard this song I wasnt paying attention too well and I heard the head cutting off bit first which makes it sound like hes being killed and used as a food product. mmm, soylent green.

What do you think about the bit "I'll never see myself in the mirror with my eyes closed"? Maybe he has no concept of what he should be/do? kinda like how you fell just after highschool.

I wonder if theres any specific signifigance to the enslaving the younger brother thing? or if its just an example of a general regret?

and I'd have to agree with t4r, lots of artists have said that to avoid things like controversy, or debte, or maybe they just didnt want to explain it. could be lots of reasons for saying that besides it being true.

This song is really depressing. It's written in an amusing and entertaining fashion but the meaning is just about being really low and depressed. Thinking of death, and wondering who'll care, and if someone does care, will they just be happy he's gone.

That part about not procrastinating and taking a real look at oneself instead of just an imaginary one is a positive thing here: A pep talk into getting up and doing something and positive introspection.

Did a large procession wave their torches as my head fell in the basket

This seems to me like this person was executed by a riot (á la the French Revolution). "wave their torches" conjures up images of an unruly riot just as "head fell in the basket" makes me think of a disembodied head rolling off a guillotine into a basket.

Anyway, the gist of the song is a procrastinator who is too lazy to do the things he wants/doesn't have anything they want to do. In the end they die and regret not doing anything. TMBG use the metaphor of a 'bag of groceries' (the person) 'taken off the shelf' (passed away) 'before the expiration date' (early).

One line that puzzles me is "I came back as a bag of groceries'. Does anyone have any personal interpretations?

Anyway, one of my favourite TMBG songs - although there are so many greats to choose form though :(

Here's my personal interpretation of the groceries lines.

Groceries: person. Shelved groceries: idle/bored/depressed person.

groceries are useful until their expiration date, that is if they are taken off the shelf.

'accidently' taken off the shelf means that there's no intent or purpose behind being useful.

coming back may mean reincarnation or rebirth... either from the dead (you can interpret this alongside easter religious philosophy or snapping out of a depressed funk...