Elephant Man
Bigbang Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

A church in front of a window
To a world
He don't need to see anymore
Cause he's just seen it all
In a picture show
In a theatre long ago
We're watching movies
And now we want more
But one more tragic life
I am not so sure
The elephant man lives on
Elephant men live on
The cats were big as men
And the girls would fly
Back and forth across the stage
Throwing glitter
On all those down below
So amused with second hand rage
We're watching movies
And now we want more
But one more tragic life
I am not so sure
The elephant man lives on
Elephant men live on
One is keeping another
Hidden somewhere
Keeping him company
Like a picture of dorian gray
That no one's allowed to see
The elephant man lives on
The elephant man lives on




Elephant men live on
Elephant men live on

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Elephant Man by Bigbang express a poignant commentary on the nature of spectatorship and voyeurism, and the potential harm that can come from seeking entertainment from the lives of others. The opening lines paint a picture of a man who no longer needs to see the world outside, because he has already seen it all in a movie theater long ago. This sets the stage for the rest of the song, which explores the idea that our desire for entertainment and spectacle can have real consequences for the people involved.


The second verse focuses on the circus, and the way that it treats its performers as objects of amusement, rather than human beings with complex emotions and experiences. The image of "cats as big as men" and "girls flying back and forth across the stage" reinforces the idea that the world of the circus is a fantastical one, but also one that can be cruel and dehumanizing. The final verse introduces a new character - someone who is keeping another person hidden away from the world, like a modern-day Dorian Gray. This suggests that there are always hidden stories and layers of complexity beneath the surface, and that we should be mindful of the potential harm that can come from exploiting other people's tragedies for our own amusement.


Overall, Elephant Man is a haunting song that speaks to the darker side of human nature, particularly our fascination with the strange and unusual. It's a reminder that behind every spectacle, there are real people with real lives and experiences, and that we should treat them with respect and empathy, rather than treating them as objects of fascination and entertainment.



Line by Line Meaning

A church in front of a window
The scene of a church in front of a window is presented to us.


To a world
This is directed at the world.


He don't need to see anymore
He doesn't need to see the world anymore.


Cause he's just seen it all
Because he has already seen it all.


In a picture show
He has seen it all in a picture show.


In a theatre long ago
A long time ago, he saw it in a theatre.


We're watching movies
Now, we are watching movies.


And now we want more
We want more than just movies now.


But one more tragic life
But we are not so sure about wanting to see another tragic life.


I am not so sure
The artist is not certain about wanting to see another tragic life.


The elephant man lives on
The elephant man's legacy continues to live on.


Elephant men live on
This is a general statement that both the elephant man and other individuals like him continue to exist.


The cats were big as men
The cats were so large that they appeared to be as big as men.


And the girls would fly
The girls were able to fly.


Back and forth across the stage
They flew back and forth across the stage.


Throwing glitter
They were throwing glitter down upon those below.


On all those down below
They were throwing glitter on everyone below them.


So amused with second hand rage
Those below were amused but angry about their lack of involvement in the glitter throwing.


One is keeping another
One individual is keeping another individual hidden.


Hidden somewhere
The individual being kept is hidden somewhere.


Keeping him company
The individual is being kept company by someone.


Like a picture of dorian gray
This situation is similar to the story of Dorian Gray.


That no one's allowed to see
Nobody is allowed to see this individual who is being kept hidden.


The elephant man lives on
The legacy of the elephant man persists.


Elephant men live on
This is a general statement that individuals like the elephant man continue to exist.


Elephant men live on
This is a general statement that individuals like the elephant man continue to exist.




Contributed by Jacob G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions