Mr Zebra

[countvongroovy]

So I really like the song "Mr Zebra" and I have been looking at the lyrics and I really have no clue as to what it really means, especially with the Kaiser Wilheim reference...

Any thoughts?

-=-DeeJay-=-

[countvongroovy]

Here, I'll write the lyrics out so ya'll can see them (if they're not already memorized, hehe

hello Mr Zebra
can I have your sweater
cause it's cold cold cold
in my hole hole hole
Ratatouille Strychnine
sometimes she's a friend of mine
with a gigantic whirlpoo
that will blow your mind

hello Mr Zebra
ran into some confusion with a Mrs. Crocodile
furry mussels marching on
she thinks she's Kaiser Wilheim
or a civilized syllabub
to blow your mind
figure it out
she's a goodtime fella
she got a little fund to fight for Moneypenny's rights
figure it out
she's a goodtime fella
'too bad the burial was premature' she said
and smiled

-=-DeeJay-=-

[Mary]

To me it kind of reminds me of people fighting at a funeral lol. Like there are two sides to something or someone and the other is trying to fight off the rest of them by bringing up who the enemies portray themselves as causeing much confusion and turmoil. lol but thats just a guess.

Love, Haullie

[Mary]

I found these quotes on hereinmyhead.com

"In Mr. Zebra we pick up Ratatouille Strychnine, who we love because she's our little double agent who can poison people and get us out of trouble when they're hurting us! But she's tired, she's tired of the poisoning."
-- Tori; B Side, 05/96

"Lyrics to me, when they become references so that Mr Zebra can be who you want it to be, although you know that there are certain clear words - Strychnine, sometimes she's a friend of mine. And you get a sense of the characters, of who they are. And I'm sure the person, women that you know that are Ratitouille Strychnine, and we can kinda love those women, but you have faces that are different from the faces that I see when I sing about um, that cute little babe that's poisoning the muffins in the kitchen. But we love her, too. And that was important in this record. This is really the hidden sides of the feminine, the ones that get a little wicked, and the reasons that they're wicked. That's what is being said also in the story, the reasons, 'cause they haven't been recognized, that they kinda have to mutiny for me to listen to them so that we can get to the heart, and that's really the core of the record."

The To Venus And Back: Still Orbiting album contains a live version of Mr. Zebra, recorded during the Plugged '98 Tour.

[Julie]

Here's Tori's description of it:
"In Mr. Zebra we pick up Ratatouille Strychnine, who we love because she's our little double agent who can poison people and get us out of trouble when they're hurting us! But she's tired, she's tired of the poisoning."
-- Tori; B Side, 05/96

"Lyrics to me, when they become references so that Mr Zebra can be who you want it to be, although you know that there are certain clear words - Strychnine, sometimes she's a friend of mine. And you get a sense of the characters, of who they are. And I'm sure the person, women that you know that are Ratitouille Strychnine, and we can kinda love those women, but you have faces that are different from the faces that I see when I sing about um, that cute little babe that's poisoning the muffins in the kitchen. But we love her, too. And that was important in this record. This is really the hidden sides of the feminine, the ones that get a little wicked, and the reasons that they're wicked. That's what is being said also in the story, the reasons, 'cause they haven't been recognized, that they kinda have to mutiny for me to listen to them so that we can get to the heart, and that's really the core of the record."

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: Doughnut Song - Tori Amos

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