Green attended Emerson College briefly in 1998 before leaving to concentrate on his music, going on to co-found the anti folk group The Moldy Peaches with Kimya Dawson. In 2004 The Moldy Peaches went on hiatus and both Green and Dawson embarked on solo careers.
Green released several albums on Rough Trade Records. Among his better known songs are "Jessica" (about singer Jessica Simpson), "Novotel", "Friends of Mine", "Dance with Me", "Carolina" and "Emily", and, in Britain, his cover of The Libertines track "What a Waster".
Prior to Jacket Full of Danger in 2006, all of Green's albums had been released on the 22nd of the month. His latest album was released on March 18, 2008 and is titled Sixes & Sevens. Titles include "Morning After Midnight", "Twee Twee Dee", and "Drowning Head First", the latter a duet between Green and his girlfriend.
In January 2008, The Moldy Peaches began having a resurgence in popularity, due to their music being included in the hit indie film Juno.
Bungee
Adam Green Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who gave her the clap that he got from a priest
Night after night, I would lay with her pets
Like a mailorder bride in a box by the steps
She went bungee jumping,
One fine day
Off the cliffs of our friendship,
And at the bottom she stayed
An astrounat drowned in the long island sound
I tripped down the stairs in my basketball shoes
And paddled down stream in my father's canoe
In the kingdom of bungee
The castle's been stained
But the kingdom of incest
Still has a mighty fine name
The first verse of Adam Green's song Bungee provides an insight into the troubled past of a woman whom he was intimately involved with. She had previously lived with an Indian chief who had given her a sexually transmitted infection, which he had himself contracted from a priest. Meanwhile, every night Green would lay with her pets, highlighting the emptiness of their relationship. The line "Like a mailorder bride in a box by the steps" evokes the idea of commodification and dehumanisation. The second verse sees the woman go bungee jumping -- a metaphor for taking a risk and stepping out of one's comfort zone. However, she never returns, and Green is left to deal with the fallout. When he hears the news that her body was found, he sets off on a somewhat surreal journey to recover her. He describes himself tripping down the stairs in basketball shoes and paddling down the stream in his father's canoe, painting a picture of a disjointed and absurd quest.
The final line of the song is particularly striking: "In the kingdom of bungee / The castle's been stained / But the kingdom of incest / Still has a mighty fine name". This juxtaposition of two very different kingdoms suggests that, despite the risks we take and the chances we are given, some things are so ingrained and fixed that they remain unchanged. The mention of incest is also a disturbing reminder of the woman's past, and the fact that everyone has their own demons to confront.
Line by Line Meaning
She used to live with an indian chief
She used to live with a guy who was a player and would fool around with anyone.
Who gave her the clap that he got from a priest
The guy she used to live with passed on an STD to her.
Night after night, I would lay with her pets
I spent a lot of time hanging out with her, even when she wasn't available.
Like a mailorder bride in a box by the steps
I was waiting around for her, like someone waiting for a package to arrive.
She went bungee jumping, One fine day
She took a big risk and did something daring.
Off the cliffs of our friendship, And at the bottom she stayed
She took a risk that ended up changing our relationship forever.
When they told me that her body was found
I was shocked to hear that she had died.
An astrounat drowned in the long island sound
Her death was surprising and unexpected.
I tripped down the stairs in my basketball shoes
I was so upset, I lost my balance and fell down the stairs.
And paddled down stream in my father's canoe
I needed to get away from everything and take some time to process my feelings.
In the kingdom of bungee, The castle's been stained
Taking risks can lead to negative consequences.
But the kingdom of incest, Still has a mighty fine name
Family is important, even if it has its own problems.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: ADAM GREEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Nicholas Sans Pasty
love how incongruous the emotion of the music and the lyrics are, addictive, forces your mind to keep looking for connections that rarely come
Poet C
I know right.
René
She used to live with an indian chief
Who gave her the clap that he got from a priest
Night after night, i would lie with her pets
Like a mailorder bride in a box by the steps
She went bungee jumping
One fine day
Off the cliffs of our friendship
And at the bottom she stayed
When they told me that her body was found
An astronaut drowned in the long island sound
I tripped down the stairs in my basketball shoes
And paddled down stream in my father's canoe
In the kingdom of bungee
The castle's been stained
But the kingdom of incest
Still has a mighty fine name
celia ayneto
perfect voice...
Poet C
How the hell do you write a song like this!? Man...So Odd...I Like It....
Pierre-François
I love you A.Green
Lance Tschirhart
Thanks Adam.