Arthur Jermyn
Babyland Lyrics


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I sought it out
Eighteen hours of my day
I had to know
Become exposed
To what I faced
My everyday
The pit inside me
Was eating me up
With the window wide
I had to jump
Incomplete
Discovery
With the box open wide
The fire ignites





I learned what I am
White ape

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Babyland's song "Arthur Jermyn" describe a search for truth and self-discovery, which eventually leads to the realization that the singer is a "white ape," a derogatory term used to refer to people of African descent. The first verse describes the singer's obsession with the truth, spending almost all of their waking hours searching for it. They feel there is something inside themselves that is eating them up, and they finally decide to confront it by jumping out of a window. However, their discovery is incomplete until they open a box that ignites a fire within them. This fire reveals the truth about their identity.


The second verse is where the shocking realization comes in. The singer declares that they have learned what they are, and what they are is a "white ape". This phrase has racist connotations, and seems to be a commentary on the idea of racial purity or essentialism. The song seems to be using the character of Arthur Jermyn, a fictional character created by horror writer H.P. Lovecraft, as a symbol of this kind of thinking. Jermyn is a wealthy Englishman who discovers that his ancestors were a tribe of apes in Africa, which leads him to commit suicide. The song seems to be using this story to comment on ideas of race and identity, suggesting that they are not fixed or predetermined, but rather the product of social construction and historical conditioning.


Line by Line Meaning



































Contributed by Miles P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

OSITO X

One of the greatest songs ever made in my opinion!
I miss these guys, but Dan Continues on!

Gardubenty Swoze

Glad you liked the posting!

Jesse Fernandez

saw you guys at the copacetic in the 90's, loved it then and love it now!

Gardubenty Swoze

Glad you like the song, but I have nothing to do with the band. Just posting their songs.

Greg Paquette

bangs so hard

Gardubenty Swoze

Bang away.

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