The mosquito connection"Mosquito Song" (Josh Homme)
I know, I know the sun is hot Mosquitoes come suck your blood Leave you there all alone Just skin and bone When you walk among the trees Listening to the leaves The further I go the less I know The less I know Where will you run? Where will you hide? Lullabies To paralyze Fat and soft, pink and weak Foot and thigh, tongue and cheek You know I'm told they swallow you whole Skin and bone Cutting boards and hanging hooks Bloody knives, cooking books Promising you won't feel a thing At all Swallow and chew Eat you alive All of us food that hasn't died And the light says Somehow they pick and pluck Tenderize bone to dust The sweetest grease, finest meat you'll ever taste Taste, taste So you scream, whine, and yell Supple sounds of dinner bells We all will feed the worms and trees So don't be shy Swallow and chew Eat you alive All of us food that hasn't died |
There are several theories as to what the mosquito song is truly about. However after researching both the band and the mosquito, here is another theory.
1st verse: Refers to the mosquito only being active during the summer months. "I know, I know the sun is hot. Mosquitoes come suck your blood." verse one also refers to the habitat of the mosquito, "When you walk among the trees. Listening to the leaves." When listening to the song the soft strumming of the guitar is helping to create a feeling of tranquillity similar to that of a trickling creek or soft waves rolling in from the ocean. This imagery created by the guitar and the lyrics helps create the scene. Chorus 1 This implies that there is no where to hide from the mosquito. Mosquitoes have a keen sense for CO2 that is a bi product of respiration, as well as heat. That is why mosquitoes are attracted to humans. Verse 2: This verse, many think, is about cannibalism. However the description of "fat and soft, pink and weak" can also be related to the female mosquito after a blood meal. The confusion lies with the words, "cutting boards and hanging hooks, bloody knives and cooking books" this could be a personification for the mosquito making it have human characteristics that make the listener identify the mosquito as a killer. The mosquitoes are the most deadly animal on the planet. Corus 2 This chours refers to the fact that mosquitoes need a live vicum to provide its blood meal. This is because it uses CO2 and heat to track their prey down. Verse 3 "tenderize bone to dust" this is a more religious tone to the song. According to christian belief we are made from the dust of the earth. This verse is implying that the mosquito bites or "tenderizes" us and eventually turns us back to the dust. "we all feed the worms and the trees. So dont be shy" This section holds a more evolutionary tone, saying that we are part of the circle of life. When we die that our remains will feed the other creatures of the world. Chorus 3 A repetition of chorus 2 |