The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
The Goat chewed up,
Once a tin can.
The Goat shat out,
was a Ford Sedan.
Like an eyeball.
Like a square cut.
Like a funny car.
Like a monster truck.
Call up bop and I'm bunting stomach,
Koko mop I chop chunking plummet,
Thud on top, I ate the crocodile.
And ever since then, I got disseminated,
The Jupiter Moon, I got disseminated,
The Average Man, I got disseminated,
It's a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Toots Hibbert,
At the wrong prom.
Serves a beat down,
On a tom tom.
Like Genius.
Like Dervin.
Like Joseph.
Once a tin can.
The Goat shat out,
was a Ford Sedan.
Like an eyeball.
Like a square cut.
Like a funny car.
Like a monster truck.
Call up bop and I'm bunting stomach,
Koko mop I chop chunking plummet,
Thud on top, I ate the crocodile.
And ever since then, I got disseminated,
The Jupiter Moon, I got disseminated,
The Average Man, I got disseminated,
It's a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Toots Hibbert,
At the wrong prom.
Serves a beat down,
On a tom tom.
Like Genius.
Like Dervin.
Like Joseph.
Lyrics submitted by scheisse, edited by YellowBrick
Disseminated Lyrics as written by Michael Doughty Mark Degliantoni
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
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I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
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For a little insight into this song, read: nypress.com/14/21/sg/songs20.cfm and mikedoughty.com/blog/archives/000117.html
Toots Hibbert is a referece to the guy from Toots & The Maytals. I think the funny car/monster truck references the ice cream truck Doughty drove one summer.. Dervin and Joseph were musicians he met in Jamaica. "Cocoa mop" may be a referece to dreadlocks?
I think the whole song is about being dumped.. like getting chewed up, shat out, and feeling scattered (disseminated).
This used to be one of my favorite Soul Coughing songs, so I was surprised when I learned it was Doughty's "absolute least favorite of all the Soul Coughing songs". Wow. Harsh.
However, if you want a primary source on what this song is about, I highly reccomend following jay314's links! They're awesome! Well, at least I thought so.
I especially love the NY Press one because, if you've read Doughty's poems in Slanky, it becomes VERY clear that the poem called "True Story of the People Had Over" is about that whole predicament. And it's awesome to read the full story of it from Doughty's POV.
Ha... I now understand why he hates the song. Although, I still love it. XD
this song makes me dance :) it's so goofy and fun, and makes no sense at all...
lol yeah, I love this song, great feeling to it. When you think about it, half of soul-coughing's songs don't make any sense.
This song seems to be about making something brilliant out of something simple, in different domains (art, nature...). The author appears to find this happens inevitably, and is flabbergasted by it.
Isn't it "chocodile"? As in chocolate crocodile?
“Crocodile“ is supposed to be “Chocodile,” which is the name of a sweet treat. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chocodile_Twinkie
I’ve been trying to figure out how to edit lyrics because I did it once but I forgot.
YO! none of soul coughing's songs make sense.. unless you're stoned. if you don't smoke bud then don't listen to 'em.. he's obviously talking about the whole mid 20th century jazz community.. so suck it!