And now for the tricky part. This is a extremely weird set of lyrics. As it is common for Mike Patton to write in a post-mordern style, I am not surprised. In the case of "Harelip", I think his love of David Lynch (or maybe there way of thinking is just alike) is displayed. To me it is much like the twisted scenes from Twin Peaks with the red room and the dwarf.
The song is balanceing between entertainmaent and fear. "Mardi gras on deserted streets", is a good example of this. The absurdness that Patton and Lynch share is shown in the way the main character discripes itself: "The Harelip". A freak of nature, thrown into the deserted streets. Until the setting changes.
From one line to the other, "The Harelip" is on an operating table, Seeing the "Fingers and Forceps (operatin tools) over him. "The Harelip is awake during this operation, with only Wine to dull the pain.
The second verse is set in the hospital bed, after the surgery. He lies there scared, and they try and make him feel better: "All scars and sweet breads", but the sweet bread is bitter-sweet (I can't think of a better word). The poeple try and cheer him up, but it seems like an alienating display of clowns and baloons, which is more scary than comforting: "lonely vacation, your own Disney parade". First of all it all seems scary because he can hear distant screams from other patients.
In my opinion "The Harelip", or the freak of nature, is trying to get the best out of his life, but he feels like he is beeing operated on alive. The scars that this leaves will never heal. There is only the chance that in time, he will be able to ignore it.
People try to comfort him, but the situation is to weird and no one can really handle it: "The people dancing, laughing, all for me". The only thing that can dull "the harelips" pain is wine, or maybe drugs or whatever. The main thing is, that there is no help. and if his own pain wasn't enough, he can also see others pain. Which just makes everything worse.
And now for the tricky part. This is a extremely weird set of lyrics. As it is common for Mike Patton to write in a post-mordern style, I am not surprised. In the case of "Harelip", I think his love of David Lynch (or maybe there way of thinking is just alike) is displayed. To me it is much like the twisted scenes from Twin Peaks with the red room and the dwarf.
The song is balanceing between entertainmaent and fear. "Mardi gras on deserted streets", is a good example of this. The absurdness that Patton and Lynch share is shown in the way the main character discripes itself: "The Harelip". A freak of nature, thrown into the deserted streets. Until the setting changes.
From one line to the other, "The Harelip" is on an operating table, Seeing the "Fingers and Forceps (operatin tools) over him. "The Harelip is awake during this operation, with only Wine to dull the pain.
The second verse is set in the hospital bed, after the surgery. He lies there scared, and they try and make him feel better: "All scars and sweet breads", but the sweet bread is bitter-sweet (I can't think of a better word). The poeple try and cheer him up, but it seems like an alienating display of clowns and baloons, which is more scary than comforting: "lonely vacation, your own Disney parade". First of all it all seems scary because he can hear distant screams from other patients.
In my opinion "The Harelip", or the freak of nature, is trying to get the best out of his life, but he feels like he is beeing operated on alive. The scars that this leaves will never heal. There is only the chance that in time, he will be able to ignore it.
People try to comfort him, but the situation is to weird and no one can really handle it: "The people dancing, laughing, all for me". The only thing that can dull "the harelips" pain is wine, or maybe drugs or whatever. The main thing is, that there is no help. and if his own pain wasn't enough, he can also see others pain. Which just makes everything worse.