Fire Coming Out of the Monkey's Head Lyrics

Lyric discussion by RTBRAND1 

Cover art for Fire Coming Out of the Monkey's Head lyrics by Gorillaz

This is an EXTREMELY well put together narrative. Here is my take on it:

To me this song seems like the idealistic fantasies that we all have. In essence we either all want to be Happyfolk or we feel like we already are. The Strangefolk represent reality, in that, there's always going to be someone or something that comes along to ruin happiness for everyone else.

The Happyfolk were innocent and completely blind to the evil the Strangefolk brought b/c they couldn't see their eyes. This is a lot like life itself in that we often can't see when bad things are going to happen even if we have multiple signs (shadows, nightmares, etc.). Its that whole “ignorance is bliss” concept, only amplified.

Ultimately greed leads to the downfall of mankind, and that’s why in digging for the precious jewels, the Strangefolk woke the spirit of the mountain.

There are two ways to interpret the mountain (IMO). You could say that it has always been just a volcano that became active once disturbed, or that there is some true spiritual meaning behind it, in that God punishes those who are evil. But unfortunately, the Happyfolk were caught up in all this, just b/c they couldn't see the eyes of the Strangefolk...

As depressing as it is, I think this song may just be saying, there never can nor will be a land of Happyfolk b/c Strangefolk will always come to inevitably destroy it.

“Oh little town in USA, the time has come to see There's nothing you believe you want But where were you when it all came down on me? Did you come it down on..."

I can’t be sure about this last line, but I think it’s a statement about the U.S. and how we as Americans may feel we have it all over here, but then again we do so little to help foreign nations (Although I don’t really agree with that). Or maybe, just maybe, 2-D is saying that Americans are the Strangefolk and somehow this song ties back to our going to war b/c of 9/11, and the “mining for gems” being one big metaphor for us “digging for oil”.

Also I agree with JeffKaos71 in that castrophony is just catastrophe and cacophony mixed together. While it is indeed a made up word, I think it really works well with the song and gives a more powerful description of the noise and the chaos. For those of you who don’t know, a cacophony is a “harsh discordant sound, or a very loud noise, or group of noises.”

wow well I have been listening to the song and relate it to bp

Agreed. Although you, RTBRAND1, don't think you americans have it all and isn't selfish, it's the image you have to the rest of the world. - Yes a bad image, i have experienced. But you know. It's only the bad stuff people notice. The good isn't as interesting.

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  • The Song:

  • The Song:

    i>

    I Quote you: "The Happyfolk were innocent and completely blind to the evil the Strangefolk brought b/c they couldn't see their eyes. "

    I Quote you: "The Happyfolk were innocent and completely blind to the evil the Strangefolk brought b/c they couldn't see their eyes. "

    I Quote lyrics: "... hidden behind dark glasses, but no one noticed them: they only saw shadows. You see, without the truth of the eyes, the Happyfolk...