Sheila liked the rodeo
She'd take a ringside seat
She'd murmur doo-dee-doo-dee-doo
She'd eat
Then one day wild Eliza bolted and knocked her off her seat
She now sits in my wardrobe
She's discrete
She is perfectly preserved
I get a head
And I keep it
I pop it in my mouth
Sondra liked the circus
She'd bounce around on trampolines
She'd swing between the lampshades
And lunched on lighted kerosene
One fine day she leapt to Rio
And finished in between
She's resting in the bathroom now
Peachy clean
She is perfectly preserved
Krista quoted Castenada
She munched her cactus raw
The mescal worm would turn to mecca
And squirm towards the door
And one day she swilled the pill that pinned her to the floor
She spaced out in the closet
I adore her
She is perfectly preserved

Overall Meaning

The Tear Garden's song "Sheila Liked the Rodeo" tells the story of three women with unique interests and personalities, all of whom met tragic ends but are now perfectly preserved by the singer. Sheila was a fan of the rodeo and would sit ringside, humming to herself and enjoying her food. However, she was knocked off her seat by a wild horse named Eliza and now sits discreetly in the singer's wardrobe. Sondra, on the other hand, was drawn to the circus and would bounce on trampolines and swing between lampshades while snacking on lighted kerosene. She met her end in Rio, but her pristine body now rests in the bathroom. Finally, Krista was a fan of Carlos Castaneda and would eat raw cactus while watching the mescal worm squirm towards the door. She met her demise after consuming a pill that confined her to a closet, but the singer admires her and keeps her preserved.

The lyrics of "Sheila Liked the Rodeo" are open to interpretation, but it seems to suggest that the singer is a collector of preserved human bodies, perhaps as a morbid form of art or personal fascination. The three women mentioned in the song represent different archetypes, with Sheila embodying traditional femininity, Sondra representing rebellion and danger, and Krista reflecting intellectual curiosity. The song also touches on themes of mortality and the ways in which people try to cheat death through preservation or remembrance.

Line by Line Meaning

Sheila liked the rodeo
Sheila enjoyed watching the rodeo

She'd take a ringside seat
She would sit close to the arena

She'd murmur doo-dee-doo-dee-doo
She would hum along to the music

She'd eat
She would have food while watching the rodeo

Then one day wild Eliza bolted and knocked her off her seat
One day, a wild horse named Eliza caused her to fall off her seat

She now sits in my wardrobe
She now resides in my closet

She's discrete
She's kept hidden and secret

She is perfectly preserved
Her body is kept intact and undamaged

I get a head
I obtain the preserved head of someone

And I keep it
I hold onto it

I pop it in my mouth
I consume it

Sondra liked the circus
Sondra enjoyed watching the circus

She'd bounce around on trampolines
She would jump on trampolines with joy

She'd swing between the lampshades
She would playfully swing between lampshades

And lunched on lighted kerosene
She had a meal that included lit kerosene

One fine day she leapt to Rio
One day, she traveled to Rio

And finished in between
And ended up in an unknown place

She's resting in the bathroom now
Her preserved body now lies in the bathroom

Peachy clean
Clean and well-preserved

Krista quoted Castenada
Krista cited Castenada

She munched her cactus raw
She ate raw cactus

The mescal worm would turn to mecca
She witnessed the hallucination of a worm moving towards Mecca

And squirm towards the door
And move in a wriggly motion towards the exit

And one day she swilled the pill that pinned her to the floor
One day, she took a pill that caused her to become incapacitated

She spaced out in the closet
Her preserved body is stored in the closet

I adore her
I have great affection for her

She is perfectly preserved
Her body is kept intact and undamaged

Contributed by Connor V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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Comments from YouTube:

@davebockus320

13w↑1

Such good memories from a great time in my life.

@BroodXindustrial

1y↑1

Brilliance
So damn good. Great groove

Just plain addicted to your many worlds and works my brotha.
Can't thank you enough for the detour way back in the eighties. Just an ear for such great sound.
Great jam.

@420dAn

5y↑9

This should have more views. People just don't know good music unless they look for it, I suppose.

@mr.pinkerton6393

6y↑11

I will be walking around and at times will say Sheila Liked the Rodeo... and people will say What?? I would reply "nothing just something running through my mind"