Possum Kingdom

no dumbass I wasn't talking about a movie....READ THIS: "It's just a story I heard long ago; it's just a really cool, eerie lake, and some stuff I heard and some stuff I just make up. I tend to do that," Lewis explains about the watering hole where his family used to hang out and barbecue. "They dammed up this big river up there, and it's got all these spooky names like Hell's Gate. It's really cool." Okay, no real vampire, but is there a real stalker in Tyler, Texas? "Yeah, I was down there for Thanksgiving, and after the family got through talking about who died and who's got cancer and all those things that families talk about, they started talking about this guy who was peeping in windows and started breaking into people's houses," Lewis recalls. HA!!!!! YOU IDIOTS I GOT THIS STRAIGHT FROM AN INTERVIEW AFTER THE ALBUM WAS RELEASED IN 1995.

I think this is about some murderer in love with someone and he is going to kill his love behind a boat house therefore making her his angel. Then she will look the same, with dark hair and soft skin, he will take care of her while she is dead. Kreepy but I guess it makes sense-

Wont be a gentalman behind the boat house.-Is going to kill her there. Make her his angel-Killing her and keeping her body do you wanna die-explains itself You'll stay as beutiful-SHe will look the same with a dead body

you get the point.

and the showing the dark seceret could be dead barried bodies or a bloody axe or something.

why make a meaningless song about NON EXISTANT vampires.

My god, you guys who are yelling at the vampire theorists for being "idiots" are completely ridiculous, and you are giving Toadies fans a bad name. Who cares if that's what the song means to some? To be honest, I had no idea what it meant at first, just thought it was a cool song, and when I heard that it was about vamps I was kind of confused... Due to the title of the song. But seriously, if that's what these people want to believe, lay off. Who cares? Just enjoy the song for you.

The song doesnt mean much to me.. but isnt a great kick a** song to listen to while driving?? ;-)~

I really don't care what the song is actually ABOUT...it's just what I think it's about...

its about a murderer, he kills young girls so they stay young forever, he keeps the bodies behind the lake house, It is not about vampires

It's just a story he made up. There is no history of murder, kidnapping or rape in Possum Kingdom. It is being devastated by the wildfires at the moment however. The lake has wicked names for places on it like Hell's Gates and Todd kinda liked that about it.

In a 1995 interview with RIP magazine, Toadies lead singer Todd Lewis said: "It's just a story I heard long ago; it's just a really cool, eerie lake, and some stuff I heard and some stuff I just make up. I tend to do that. They dammed up this big river up there, and it's got all these spooky names like Hell's Gate. It's really cool."

Lewis went on to say that there was a real stalker in Tyler, Texas who became a folk hero: "I was down there for Thanksgiving, and after the family got through talking about who died and who's got cancer and all those things that families talk about, they started talking about this guy who was peeping in windows and started breaking into people's houses. He'd go out of his way to be seen, and everyone is like armed to the teeth, and he's like tapping on windows. The whole family was freaked out about it."

Okay, I'm very well aware that this song is about a psychopathic murderer who enjoyed killing women, HOWEVER, there is nothing wrong with labeling this a vampire song as well. That's the great thing about poetry and music. Lyrics can mean anything the reader or listener want them to mean.

I know the story of Possum Kingdom, but I like to think of it as a vampires song and here is why:

Anne Rice- In The Vampire Chronicles when someone is a vampire they are often described as having 'the dark gifts.' This can easily be paralled with the "behind the boathouse I'll show you my dark secret." You can also parallel the lyric, "I'm not going to lie. I'll not be a gentleman," with the vampire Marius who is known to be kind hearted and honest (at least in The Vampire Lestat). There's also the line, "I will treat you well, my sweet angel, so help me Jesus." One could relate this to the way Lestat is known to seduce his prey with sweet promises and his charm. Also, the repeated "make up your mind" line can be paralleled with the decision Louis must make in the beginning of Interview with the Vampire to either die and cease to exist or die and become a vampire.

Basic Vampire myth- In many stories/legends to be turned into a vampire means never aging or dying; "I can promise you you'll be as beautiful with dark hair and soft skin forever." Of course, in order to attain this trait, one has to die as a human first; "Do you want to die?"

So, there you have it. Yes, it's literally about a sociopath that murdered women at a place called Possum Kingdom, but the lyrics can easily be compared to popular culture vampire stories.

I see how/why people want to see this song as being a darkly romantic song about vampirism, but that is not what this song is about. The song is about rape, murder, and possibly necrophilia not some Ann Rice romanticism of vampires. Take the time to look at the origination of the song. If you want this song to be about Vampires that fine, but realize you are misrepresenting the origination of the song in the same way as someone saying "Ring Around the Rosey" is a reference to the Black Death.

I totally agree that songs mean different things for different people but I will reiterate what others have said: this song has a pretty blunt, obvious meaning. I mean, there's a dead body being dragged through water in the video. Find whatever parallels you like - this song is about murder and not of the vampire kind. The rape part I will argue a bit though. There's only one line that really suggests that there may be rape and that's the, "I'll not be a gentleman" line. However, he repeatedly says he will treat her well and seems to be giving her a choice. But that's just me. Honestly, I think the song is purely darkly romantic about a guy that wants a girl all for his own and never wants her to change so he kills her. Whether there is rape involved, I'm not sure but I'm leaning more towards not.