I know a girl who thinks of ghosts
She'll make you breakfast
She'll make you toast
But she don't use butter
And she don't use cheese
She don't use jelly
Or any of these
She uses Vaseline
Vaseline
Vaseline

And I know a guy who goes to shows
When he's at home and he blows his nose
He don't use tissues or his sleeve
He don't use napkins or any of these
He uses magazines
Magazines
Magazines
Magazines

I know a girl who reminds me of Cher
She's always changing
The color of her hair
But she don't use nothing
That you buy at the store
She likes her hair to be real orange
She uses tangerines
Tangerines
Tangerines
Tangerines
Tangerines
Tangerines


Lyrics submitted by xpolystyrenex

She Don't Use Jelly Lyrics as written by Ronald Jones Michael Ivins

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

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She Don't Use Jelly song meanings
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86 Comments

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  • +5
    General Comment

    I don't think the interpretation of the song is nearly as important as the fact that Wayne just rhymed "orange". These guys are always pushing the envelope!

    PS: You have to be very interesting is "toast" makes you think of genitalia...

    jordanbon August 02, 2011   Link
  • +4
    General Comment

    Come on guys... yes the song is abstract, and it uses metaphors and euphamisims.... But its about people. The first verse is about a girl. She likes sex. (i must admit I dont get the ghost/hosts line) but toast is a euphamism for sex... hear me out.... she sleeps with a guy. Then the next morning instead of making him breakfast she gives him another lay. Thats the part about making toast with vasaline. Vasaline is asociated with sex, and toast is of course asociated with breakfast The next verse is about a guy who masterbates. He is why peopl think the whole song is about masterbation. But I doubt the whole song is about that, just this verse... but yeah, he BLOWS his Nose is a euphamisim for blowing his load. And he uses magazines is porn. Simple enough. THe last girl is vain. This one seems to have nothing to do with sex. (if Im wrong let me know). I think she's just caught up in her appearance(like Cher). Shes always dying her hair and messing with her appearance. Why they use tangerines in the place of something more obovious, like hair dye, i dont know. But yeah, thats just my opinion take it of leave it.

    TheNewJamesDeanon May 08, 2004   Link
  • +4
    General Comment

    I don't believe there is anything sexual about this song. People have been jumping to that conclusion because it's called "She Don't Use Jelly", but Wayne's talking about jelly that you'd put on toast. Here's my take on it... First of all I think Wayne wrote it as a humourous and weird quirky song and may not have intended any particular meaning behind it, but perhaps there is meaning nonetheless. Verse 1 is about a girl who uses vaseline instead of jelly or butter, etc. This may be Wayne's way of saying "think about what you're eating" since chemically margarine and vaseline aren't that different. Verse 2 is about a guy who goes to shows (bands, movies?) and uses magazines instead of tissues. The guy goes out and lives his life and judges things for himself instead of paying attention to reviews. To him, magazines are no more than snot rags. (can't be comfortable on the nose though). Finally we have the girl in verse 3. She's using tangerines to colour her hair. Maybe it's Wayne's way of saying that perhaps there are natural solutions we often miss or overlook.

    sydbarrett5on July 16, 2010   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    this guy knows some pretty weird girls.

    and all i know are the regular ones. boy, do i feel like i got the short end of the stick.

    roger wilcoon June 14, 2002   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    The meaning of most Flaming Lips songs are WAY deeper than most of the suggested meanings here. I honestly think this song is not supposed to have a meaning.

    It's just nonsense. I mean, not JUST nonsense, but nonsense along the lines of Lewis Carroll and Edward Lear. Nonsense for the sake of enjoying nonsense. Tacking on shallow "meanings" about sex, poor people, and fashion models ruins the magic.

    tipthepizzaguyon October 03, 2008   Link
  • +1
    My Interpretation

    I think some songs are not very deep in their meaning, if you think when it was created in this case. For me its simple, its about doing thing different to the conventional way, it`s have a crazy idea, funny way, about experimet

    Jovanlgon January 04, 2011   Link
  • +1
    My Interpretation

    I think either this song is just silly and about nothing deeper than the lyrics, or it's all about death (specifically, people they know who've died, or who are dead inside)

    First verse is either about a drug mule who died because the condoms/balloons burst, or someone who's so dead inside that they have no emotions at all.

    Second verse is about a guy who died of a drug overdose(remember Uma Thurman in Pulp fiction for the blows-his-nose imagery), or about someone who is so hopelessly lost in their addiction that they can't connect to anyone because they are dead inside.

    Third verse is about a girl whose body was found in a dumpster, either she's dead or just has no self respect and is dead inside.

    In any case, this song seems to be about drug addiction and dysfunctional people, and every time I hear this song I picture the camera slowly backing off to reveal people in their death scenes (the girl in a bed at a sleazy motel with a needle in her arm or cut open on a medical examiner's table revealing broken balloons. Then the guy keeled over on a coffee table covered in magazines, unsnorted lines, and fluid that leaked out of his nose. And finally to a girl lying face down in a dumpster with tangerines strewn about her hair)

    loafypastaon July 14, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I think each verse means something differenet

    • each person is different (scary for me to say it but thereee wierd!!!!!!!)
    • some (i think) r into drugs (the 2nd verse about his nose)
    • The third grl is just kinky the 1st i'm having trouble with but the point is..... that they are a group.. but i realy think i'm pulling something from bull shit cause there seems to be no sense for the use of 'tangerines' ... but the focus is on a group who are wierd and different, but together!
    Brettski_auon June 01, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    The first line is "I know a girl who makes a good host". I don't know where you got "thinks of ghosts" from. .......Just so you know.

    nietzsche_66on June 02, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    no....it is "thinks of ghosts." i think that the song is about how everyone has quirks and is different.

    time_bomb666on July 12, 2002   Link

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