The band released their self-titled first album in March 1995 via PopLlama Records. After they garnered massive acclaim, Columbia Records quickly signed them. The album peaked at number six on the Billboard 200 and has shipped over three million copies. The RIAA has certified it as triple platinum. Songs "Peaches", "Kitty", "Lump", and "Dune Buggy" received major airplay.
Their 1996 follow-up album, "II", did not reach the same acclaim, though it reached the top forty on the Billboard 2000. Single "Mach 5" also garnered some airplay. The band then fell of the radar for many listeners, dropped by their major label. However, their albums of the new millennium, 'Freaked Out and Small' followed by 'Love Everybody' and 'These Are the Good Times People' (released in 2000, 2004, and 2008, respectively), picked up positive critical reviews, such as from the All Music Guide. Although their touring schedule became more sporadic into the 00s and 10s, they continue to perform and satisfy audiences with their off-beat humor and catchy hooks.
Slow Slow Fly
The Presidents of the United States of America Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
looking for the garbage at the backyard BBQ
Busy buzzing through my house and round the porch
ziggin' and zaggin' up south and down north
When the air gets colder and the sun won't shine
When the winter comes he'll be a slow slow fly fly
He'll be a slow slow fly fly
He'll take a long long time time
He'll be a slow slow fly fly
In the summer he's poking at the poops
round and round like a buzzy hula-hoop
Landing long enough to strike a funny pose
Landing at the end of your sun-burnt nose
In the summer he's cleaning off his feet
the sticky-licky ice cream he ate is super sweet
He'll get much slower when the pond begins to freeze
so stop and feel the breeze wheeze through the trees
But when the air gets colder and the sun won't shine
When the winter comes he'll be a slow slow fly fly
He'll be a slow slow fly fly
He'll take a long long time time
To be a slow slow fly fly
He'll take a long long time
He'll take a long long time
He'll take a long long time
He'll take a long long time
Slow slow fly
At first glance, "Slow Slow Fly" by The Presidents of the United States of America seems like a simple song about a fly. However, the lyrics are packed with clever imagery and metaphors that touch on themes of change and adaptation. The song begins by describing the fly's behavior in the summer, where it is active and buzzing around looking for food. The fly is described as "busy buzzing through my house and round the porch, ziggin' and zaggin' up south and down north." This portrays the fly as fast-moving and energetic, which is a common perception of flies in the summertime.
As the song progresses, the lyrics shift to focus on the approaching winter and how it affects the fly. The fly's behavior changes and it becomes slower and less active. The lyrics suggest that the fly "takes a long long time" to do things in the winter because of the cold weather. This theme of change and adaptation is further touched on when the lyrics describe how the fly "gets much slower when the pond begins to freeze." This paints a picture of a fly that is in tune with its environment and adjusts its behavior accordingly.
Overall, "Slow Slow Fly" is a song that uses clever metaphors and imagery to highlight themes of change and adaptation. The fly serves as a symbol for how we are all affected by our environment and how we must adjust our behavior to survive.
Line by Line Meaning
In the summer he's licking all the fruit
During the summer, the fly is attracted to the sweet fruits and is licking them in search of food.
looking for the garbage at the backyard BBQ
The fly is searching for garbage left behind by people who are having a BBQ at the backyard.
Busy buzzing through my house and round the porch
The fly is moving around the house and porch, constantly buzzing and making noise.
ziggin' and zaggin' up south and down north
The fly is moving in a zigzag pattern, flying up and down in a north-south direction.
In the summer he's poking at the poops
During the summer, the fly is attracted to feces and poking at them for food.
round and round like a buzzy hula-hoop
The fly is circling around the feces, similar to how a hula-hoop might spin around.
Landing long enough to strike a funny pose
The fly lands on the poop for a while, taking enough time to strike a funny pose before flying off.
Landing at the end of your sun-burnt nose
The fly may come close to humans and land on their sun-burnt nose, attracted by the smell of the skin.
In the summer he's cleaning off his feet
During the summer, the fly cleans its feet, which may be sticky due to consuming sweet foods or landing on sticky surfaces.
the sticky-licky ice cream he ate is super sweet
The fly ate some sticky and sweet ice cream which made its feet sticky.
He'll get much slower when the pond begins to freeze
As the temperature drops and the pond water begins to freeze, the fly will become slower due to the cold.
so stop and feel the breeze wheeze through the trees
In such a situation, one may feel the cold breeze blowing through the trees, as the fly struggles to move in the cold environment.
He'll take a long long time
During winter, the fly will take a long time to move due to the low temperature.
He'll be a slow slow fly fly
The fly will become very slow during winter.
Contributed by Avery J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.