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Fake Palindromes
Andrew Bird Lyrics


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My dewy-eyed Disney bride, what has tried
Swapping your blood with formaldehyde?
Monsters?
Whisky-plied voices cried fratricide!
Jesus don't you know that you could've died
(You should've died)
With the monsters that talk, monsters that walk the earth

And she's got red lipstick and a bright pair of shoes
And she's got knee high socks, what to cover a bruise
She's got an old death kit she's been meaning to use
She's got blood in her eyes, in her eyes for you
She's got blood in her eyes for you

Certain fads, stripes and plaids, singles ads
They run you hot and cold like a rheostat, I mean a thermostat
So you bite on a towel
Hope it won't hurt too bad

My dewy-eyed Disney bride, what has tried
Swapping your blood with formaldehyde?
What monsters that talk, monsters that walk the earth

And she says I like long walks and sci-fi movies
If you're six foot tall and east coast bred
Some lonely night we can get together
And I'm gonna tie your wrists with leather
And drill a tiny hole into your head

Overall Meaning

The song “Fake Palindromes” by Andrew Bird is a haunting yet playful take on the human condition. The first verse is a rhetorical question to a character, “My dewy-eyed Disney bride, what has tried / Swapping your blood with formaldehyde?” Andrew Bird questions the motives of the "Disney bride" character, asking if she has tried to replace her natural blood with formaldehyde, an embalming fluid. The next line – “Monsters? Whisky-plied voices cried fratricide!” – introduces the idea that the characters in the song are dealing with feelings of monstrousness and violence. The second half of the verse points to the fact that despite the threat of violence, the character still survives - “Jesus don't you know that you could've died”. The chorus, “With the monsters that talk, monsters that walk the earth,” suggests a dark, almost sci-fi-esque quality to the song, as if these people are living in a world overrun by monsters.


The second verse introduces a female character with “red lipstick and a bright pair of shoes” who has “blood in her eyes”. This character is clearly predatory, with an “old death kit she’s been meaning to use”. She is also vulnerable, with “knee-high socks…to cover a bruise”. The chorus follows, reiterating that there are “monsters that talk, monsters that walk the earth”.


The third verse moves away from the female character to talk about the human condition more broadly. It introduces “certain fads, stripes, and plaids” as well as “singles ads” as fleeting and ultimately meaningless things. The final lines suggest a sort of inevitability to the cruelty and violence of life – “So you bite on a towel / Hope it won't hurt too bad”.


Overall, the lyrics in “Fake Palindromes” explore the darker side of life, with motifs of violence and monsters, but there is also a playfulness and a dark humor to the lyrics that keeps the song from becoming too heavy.


Line by Line Meaning

My dewy-eyed Disney bride, what has tried
Addressing his naive and idealistic partner, wondering what compelled her to take such a drastic step


Swapping your blood with formaldehyde?
Did you replace your blood with a chemical preservative like formaldehyde?


Monsters?
Could it have been the influence of evil or monstrous beings?


Whisky-plied voices cried fratricide!
Intoxicated individuals were yelling and threatening fratricide, the killing of one's sibling


Jesus don't you know that you could've died
A desperate plea to realize the gravity of the situation and the danger involved


(You should've died)
You had a potential risk of losing your life


With the monsters that talk, monsters that walk the earth
You were putting yourself in danger by interacting with dangerous and evil beings


And she's got red lipstick and a bright pair of shoes
Describing the appearances of his partner


And she's got knee high socks, what to cover a bruise
She wears long socks to hide the bruises on her legs


She's got an old death kit she's been meaning to use
She has a kit of instruments or substances meant for causing harm or death


She's got blood in her eyes, in her eyes for you
She's filled with violent passion and intentions towards the listener


Certain fads, stripes and plaids, singles ads
Trends like fashion choices, advertisements for singles can be quite erratic and unpredictable


They run you hot and cold like a rheostat, I mean a thermostat
These trends can be confusing and leave you unsure like a thermostat that regulates temperature


So you bite on a towel
To deal with the pain and confusion, you have to endure and silence your reaction


Hope it won't hurt too bad
Praying that the pain won't be unbearable


And she says I like long walks and sci-fi movies
The partner advertises her personal interests


If you're six foot tall and east coast bred
She advertises the criteria she seeks in a partner


Some lonely night we can get together
Sometime in the future, they could meet and spend time together


And I'm gonna tie your wrists with leather
But she intends to bind him and cause him harm


And drill a tiny hole into your head
To achieve her violent desires, she would insert a hole in the partner's head




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: ANDREW WEGMAN BIRD

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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