Fatal Flower Garden
Andrew Bird Lyrics


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It rained, it poured, rained so hard
Rained so hard all day
Till all the boys in our school
They came out to talk and play

And they tossed the ball
Again so high, then again so low
Till it fell into a flower garden
No one's allowed to go

When a tipsy gypsy lady
All dressed in yellow and green
Says, ?Come here, come here
My pretty little boy and get your ball again?

?No, I won't come in and I say ain't coming
Without my playmates all
I'm gonna get my father and tell him about it
And then the tears shall fall?

Well, first she offered an apple sweet
And then a tangerine
Then she offered him a diamond
That seemed to do the trick
That enticed him in

Well, she took him by his lilly-white hand
And she led him through the hall
She took him to an upper room
Where no one could hear him call
No, not a soul

Bury the Bible at my feet
The testament at my head
If my dear father should call for me
Won't you tell him that I am dead

Bury the Bible at my head
And the testament at my feet




If my dear mother should call for me
Won't you tell her that I'm asleep

Overall Meaning

Andrew Bird's song "Fatal Flower Garden" is a haunting tale of caution and manipulation. The song is sung from the perspective of a boy who is enticed by a tipsy gypsy lady into her house, after she offers him an apple, a tangerine, and finally a diamond. The boy initially refuses to go inside without his playmates but finally succumbs to the temptation of the diamond. The gypsy lady takes him to an upper room where no one can hear him call, and he is never seen again. The last verse of the song is a chilling plea for someone to bury the Bible at the boy's feet and the testament at his head if his father or mother comes looking for him.


The lyrics are open to interpretation, but one possible reading is that the song is about the dangers of trusting strangers, especially those who seem too eager to offer you gifts. The boy's refusal to go into the gypsy lady's house alone is a sign that he knows that something is not quite right, but he still falls for the diamond in the end. The gypsy lady's offer of a diamond, which seems to be what convinces the boy to go with her, could be read as a metaphor for the allure of material wealth and the danger of prioritizing it over one's safety.


Overall, "Fatal Flower Garden" is a cautionary tale that speaks to the dangers of naivety and puts the listener on edge with its atmospheric sound and eerie lyrics.


Line by Line Meaning

It rained, it poured, rained so hard
The rain was coming down hard and heavy


Rained so hard all day
It rained continuously for the entire day


Till all the boys in our school
As a result of the rain, all the boys in the school


They came out to talk and play
Came out of the school building to engage in conversations and play


And they tossed the ball
Started to throw the ball to each other


Again so high, then again so low
Tossed the ball high and low repeatedly


Till it fell into a flower garden
Their ball accidentally landed in a flower garden area


No one's allowed to go
Indicating that no one has permission to go into the flower garden


When a tipsy gypsy lady
At that point, a partially intoxicated Roma woman


All dressed in yellow and green
Wearing clothing made up predominantly of green and yellow colors


Says, ?Come here, come here
Addressing the schoolboy, inviting him over


My pretty little boy and get your ball again?
Called the boy over to retrieve his lost ball


?No, I won't come in and I say ain't coming
The schoolboy refused to come into the house to retrieve his ball


Without my playmates all
Insisting that he won't enter without his friends accompanying him


I'm gonna get my father and tell him about it
Threatening to tattle to his father about the woman's behavior


And then the tears shall fall?
As a result of his terrible experience, he will cry


Well, first she offered an apple sweet
Then, the woman offered the boy a sweet apple


And then a tangerine
In addition to the apple, she presented a tangerine


Then she offered him a diamond
Next, she offered him a diamond, which became his desire


That seemed to do the trick
The promise of a diamond seemed to work, convincing him to come in


That enticed him in
The valuable diamond lured him into the house


Well, she took him by his lilly-white hand
The intoxicated woman held on to the boy's hand


And she led him through the hall
She guided him through the hall of the house


She took him to an upper room
She brought him to a higher room in the house


Where no one could hear him call
The room was secluded, and nobody else could hear him if he cried out


No, not a soul
Indicating that nobody was around to hear him


Bury the Bible at my feet
If the schoolboy were to die, he wanted the Bible to be by his feet for burial


The testament at my head
In addition to the Bible by his feet, he wanted the will to be next to his head


If my dear father should call for me
If his father ever inquired about his whereabouts


Won't you tell him that I am dead
Ask whoever knew the answer to lie and state that he had perished


And the testament at my feet
If he were to die, he requested that the will be positioned at his feet


If my dear mother should call for me
If his mother were to ever inquire about him


Won't you tell her that I'm asleep
They should deceive her and let her know that he is simply asleep




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