The band formed in 1986 as an underground punk rock act. Their popularity grew during the following decade with the 1992 album It's A Shame About Ray, which was produced, engineered, and mixed by The Robb Brothers (Bruce Robb, Dee, and Joe), followed by a cover of Simon and Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson", which eventually became one of the band's most successful singles.
Throughout its various incarnations, recording and touring lineups of the band have included co-founders Ben Deily and Jesse Peretz, John Strohm (Blake Babies), Doug Trachten, Corey Loog Brennan, Byron Hoag, Ben Daughtry, Juliana Hatfield (Blake Babies), Nic Dalton (Godstar, Sneeze, The Plunderers), Dave Ryan, Patrick "Murph" Murphy (Dinosaur Jr), Bill Gibson (Eastern Dark), Mark 'Budola' Newman, Kenny Lyon, Vess Ruhtenberg, Devon Ashley, Karl Alvarez and Bill Stevenson (Descendents), P. David Hazel and various others.
Cited as one of the most important alternative rock groups, The Lemonheads were active until 1997 and went on hiatus, but reformed with a new lineup in 2005 and released The Lemonheads in the following year. The band released its latest album, Varshons, in June 2009.
Mrs. Robinson
The Lemonheads Lyrics
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Mrs. Robinson
Jesus loves you more than you will know
Woah woah woah
God bless you please
Mrs. Robinson
Heaven holds a place for those who pray
Hey hey hey, hey hey hey
We'd like to know a little bit about you for our files
We'd like to help you to learn to help yourself
Look around you all you see are sympathetic eyes
Stroll around the grounds until you feel at home
And here's to you
Mrs. Robinson
Jesus loves you more than you will know
Woah woah woah
God bless you please
Mrs. Robinson
Heaven holds a place for those who pray
Hey hey hey, hey hey hey
Hide it in a hiding place where no one ever goes
Put it in your pantry with your cupcakes
It's a little secret just the Robinsons' affair
Most of all you got to hide it from the kids and coo coo cachoo
Mrs. Robinson
Jesus loves you more than you will know
Woah woah woah
God bless you please
Mrs. Robinson
Heaven holds a place for those who pray
Hey hey hey, hey hey hey
Sitting on a sofa on a Sunday afternoon
Going to the candidates debate
Laugh about it shout about when you've got to choose
Every way you look at it you lose
Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio
Our nation turns its lonely eyes to you?
Woo woo woo
What's that you say Mrs. Robinson?
Joltin' Joe has left and gone away
Hey hey hey, hey hey hey
The Lemonheads' song "Mrs. Robinson" is a tribute to the character of the same name from the 1967 film "The Graduate." The song starts with the lines "And here's to you, Mrs. Robinson, Jesus loves you more than you will know, woah woah woah." The meaning of these lines is open to interpretation, but they could be seen as a comment on the hypocrisy of the character, who is known for her infidelity and dishonesty. The lyrics "God bless you please, Mrs. Robinson, heaven holds a place for those who pray" may be a nod to the character's Catholicism.
The second part of the song seems to switch perspectives and address Mrs. Robinson directly. The lyrics "We'd like to know a little bit about you for our files, We'd like to help you to learn to help yourself, Look around you all you see are sympathetic eyes, Stroll around the grounds until you feel at home" could be interpreted as the singer trying to get to know Mrs. Robinson and perhaps offer her some support. However, the lyrics that follow seem to indicate that there is something illicit going on: "Hide it in a hiding place where no one ever goes, Put it in your pantry with your cupcakes, It's a little secret just the Robinsons' affair, Most of all you got to hide it from the kids and coo coo cachoo." This could be seen as a reference to the affair between Mrs. Robinson and the character Benjamin Braddock in the film.
The last part of the song seems to meditate on the disillusionment of the 1960s youth culture. The lyrics "Sitting on a sofa on a Sunday afternoon, Going to the candidates debate, Laugh about it shout about when you've got to choose, Every way you look at it you lose" could be interpreted as reflective of the generational divide and the sense of loss and confusion felt by young people at the time. The song ends with the lines "Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio, Our nation turns its lonely eyes to you, Woo woo woo, What's that you say Mrs. Robinson, Joltin' Joe has left and gone away, Hey hey hey, hey hey hey." This could be seen as a comment on the loss of heroes and the disillusionment of the American Dream.
Line by Line Meaning
And here's to you
We raise a toast to you
Mrs. Robinson
Referring to a specific woman with this name
Jesus loves you more than you will know
A Christian message of love and appreciation
Woah woah woah
An interjection expressing emotion
God bless you please
Another Christian message of blessing
Heaven holds a place for those who pray
Belief that faithful people will be rewarded in the afterlife
Hey hey hey, hey hey hey
An exclamation used to get attention or express enthusiasm
We'd like to know a little bit about you for our files
Asking for personal information for record-keeping purposes
We'd like to help you to learn to help yourself
Offering assistance with self-improvement or education
Look around you all you see are sympathetic eyes
Noticing that others are understanding or compassionate
Stroll around the grounds until you feel at home
Encouragement to explore and get comfortable in a new place
Hide it in a hiding place where no one ever goes
Keeping something secret and safe from discovery
Put it in your pantry with your cupcakes
A humorous or nonsensical suggestion for hiding someting
It's a little secret just the Robinsons' affair
A hidden activity or relationship involving the named couple
Most of all you got to hide it from the kids and coo coo cachoo
The need for secrecy, even from those we care about
Sitting on a sofa on a Sunday afternoon
Painting a picture of relaxation and comfort
Going to the candidates debate
Participating in a political discussion or event
Laugh about it shout about when you've got to choose
Expressing frustration or disappointment with available options
Every way you look at it you lose
The feeling of no-win situations or difficult choices
Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio
Asking about the whereabouts of a famous athlete
Our nation turns its lonely eyes to you?
Addressing a cultural icon as a source of inspiration
Woo woo woo
An exclamation of confusion or disbelief
What's that you say Mrs. Robinson?
An inquiry seeking clarity or confirmation
Joltin' Joe has left and gone away
Announcing the departure of the earlier mentioned athlete
Hey hey hey, hey hey hey
Repeating the exclamation from earlier in the song
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Paul Simon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind