Thugs

It's interesting, the first two lines of the song, Gord lifted them directly from an old dinosaur vs humans flick, I think it was "People That Time Forgot" which was a sequel of another dinosaur vs. human movie. I was scanning the channels one night, it was on, and the female lead, I'm thinking Sarah Douglas (?) was getting on the nerves of the main dude and says to him, "Everyone has their breaking point. With me, its spiders. With you, its me."

I thought Hey, that's in "Tugs!" The movie was from the 70's.

Like any good poet, Gord knows good stuff when he sees it.

Payne is actually fairly right. Except maybe about the fume sex thing. Though one can hope.

The song is about being in a relationship that is bordering on emotionally abusive. Though the narrator and his (wife presumably) are going through the motions of life together (painting a room - nursery maybe? possibly, in light of the nest lines), they are only barely communicating - only discussing the bare essentials they need to function: "You do the rolling, I'll do the detail."

The verses are his inner monologue as they work. "With you its spiders, For you its me" is pretty obvious in that he feels anything he does is enough to set her off. "Thugs in perpetuity" is him thinking this is all there is: they are destined to beat each other up forever. "The cat's indifferent or he's just furious. It seems that he's never neither" is a pretty damn accurate description of what it's like being with someone who is depressed or passive-aggressive in a relationship.

The second verse is him wondering why they are together in the first place. She chose him as the one to build her nest with... But was it because she thought he was the best qualified, or was it literally because she liked his hair the best?

Finally, he's just thinking what comes down to the heart of the matter: "Ruby, honey are you mad at your man?"

More info on what some of the lyrics are referencing is out here... http://hipmuseum.com/thugs.html

You can borrow the "I do the rolling, you do the detail" line direct from the bank robbery video -- I'll man the getaway car (rolling), you get in there and rob the place (the detail).

Interestingly enough, it can also be very literal in painting a room, which is quite hilarious.

This song is about having an argument with the love of your life, silent treatment, painting a room, getting high from the paint fumes and having make up sex.

Payne has hit the nail on the head with his oversized hammer MORAL OF THE THUGS There are better ways to solve a fight than the violence of thugs

Yes, I meant to write Thugs... somehow tugs came out.. so sue me.

Also watch the video for this song and you'll see what I mean. Amazing video, by the way.

Payne, that sounds like an entirely different song altogether.

As for the birds around the feeder part. I see this simply as a glimpse into the mind of a "thug" who does a lot of "rolling." Basically, a cat, who would normally chase birds one at a time on opportunity, will, when they are gathering and are distracted, will get closer to his prey by seeming disinterested.

This is a basic passive, offensive move. Get closer to the object of your desire by seeming to be disinterested.

This is a wonderful song, just experience it and forget the meaning.

i thought that i had read somewhere once that the Ruby, honey are you mad at your man? part had something to do with Johnny Fay's wife being upset about the touring and such.... i could have mis read...