His own music roughly breaks into two categories, vocal music and electronic music. His vocal music is of a sort that tends to reference folk music, hymns, century-old popular music and rock music. His first two full length albums, Brian Dewan Tells the Story (1993, Bar None Records) and The Operating Theatre (1998, Instinct Records) find him in this mode. His songs often contemplate the nature of submission to authority, and often take the form of a tale. They are by turns humoristic and contemplative. In live performance, he most often accompanies his singing with an electric zither of his own invention, outfitted with eight humbucker pickups and 88 strings, sometimes piped through a leslie cabinet or guitar effects pedals. He also plays a variety of other instruments, including autoharp, organ and accordion. His electronic music, either solo or in collaboration with his cousin, Leon Dewan, tends to be more sprawling and free-form, often evoking the raw sounds of early electronic music of a modernist bent.
Coconut
Brian Dewan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
His sister had another one, she paid it for a lime
She put the lime in the coconut, she drank them both up
She put the lime in the coconut, she drank them both up
She put the lime in the coconut, she drank them both up
She put the lime in the coconut, she called the doctor, woke him up
And said, Doctor, ain't there nothin' I can take
I say, doctor, ain't there nothin' I can take
I say, doctor, to relieve this bellyache?
Now let me get this straight
You put the lime in the coconut, you drank them both up
You put the lime in the coconut, you drank them both up
Put the lime in the coconut, you drank them both up
Put the lime in the coconut, you called your doctor, woke him up
And said, Doctor, ain't there nothing I can take
I said, Doctor, to relieve this bellyache?
I said, Doctor, ain't there nothin' I can take
I said, Doctor, to relieve this bellyache?
You put the lime in the coconut, you drink 'em both together
Put the lime in the coconut, then you feel better
Put the lime in the coconut, drink 'em both up
Put the lime in the coconut, and call me in the morning
Whoo-whoo-whoo, whoo-ooh-ooh, whoo-ooh-ooh
Whoo-whoo-whoo, whoo-ooh-ooh, whoo-ooh-ooh
Whoo-whoo-whoo, whoo-ooh-ooh, whoo-ooh-ooh
Whoo-whoo-whoo, whoo-ooh-ooh, whoo-ooh-ooh
Brother bought a coconut, he bought it for a dime
His sister had another one, she paid it for a lime
She put the lime in the coconut, she drank them both up
And put the lime in the coconut, she called the doctor, woke him up
Said, Doctor, ain't there nothin' I can take
I said, Doctor, to relieve this bellyache?
I said, Doctor, ain't there nothin' I can take?
I said, Doctor
Now let me get this straight
You put the lime in the coconut, you drink 'em both up
Put the lime in the coconut, you drink 'em both up
Put a lime in the coconut, you drink 'em both up
Put the lime in the coconut, you such a silly woman
Put a lime in the coconut and drink 'em both together
Put the lime in the coconut, then you feel better
Put the lime in the coconut, drink 'em both down
Put the lime in the coconut, and call me in the morning
Whoo-whoo-whoo-whoo, ain't there nothin' you can take
I say, whoo-whoo-whoo-whoo, to relieve your bellyache
You say, well, whoo-whoo-whoo-whoo, ain't there nothing I can take
I say, whoo-whoo, to relieve your bellyache
You say, yeah, ain't there nothin' I can take
I say, waah waah, to relieve this bellyache
I say, Doctor, ain't there nothin' I can take?
I say, Doctor, ain't there nothing I can take?
I say, Doctor, ain't there nothing I can take?
I say, Doctor
You're such a silly woman
Put the lime in the coconut and drink them both together
Put the lime in the coconut, then you feel better
Put the lime in the coconut, drink 'em both up
Put the lime in the coconut, and call me in the mo-o-o-o-orning
Yes, you call me in the morning
If you call me in the morning, I'll tell you what to do
If you call me in the morning, I'll tell you what to do
If you call me in the morning, I'll tell you what to do
If you call me in the morning, I'll tell you what to do
Well, if you call me in the morning, I'll tell you what to do
The song "Coconut" by Brian Dewan tells the story of a woman who is experiencing a bellyache after drinking lime and coconut. The first stanza describes how the woman's brother buys a coconut for a dime and her sister buys a lime. The sister then puts the lime in the coconut, drinks them both up, and later experiences a bellyache. In the second stanza, the woman calls a doctor and asks what she can take to relieve her bellyache. The doctor advises her to put the lime in the coconut and drink them both up. The woman is confused and repeats this advice to make sure she heard correctly. The final stanza emphasizes the repetition of the previous advice, and the song ends with the doctor offering to provide further help in the morning.
The meaning behind this song is fairly straightforward, with a catchy and upbeat melody that makes it easy to sing along to. The lyrics are meant to be humorous, poking fun at the idea that a simple remedy such as putting lime in coconut can cure a bellyache. The song may also be interpreted as a commentary on the simplicity and resourcefulness of traditional remedies versus modern medicine. Overall, "Coconut" is a fun and lighthearted song that showcases Dewan's unique style and sense of humor.
Line by Line Meaning
Brother bought a coconut, he bought it for a dime
Brother purchased a coconut fruit for a very cheap price
His sister had another one, she paid it for a lime
His sister bought another coconut fruit and a lime for a reasonable price
She put the lime in the coconut, she drank them both up
She mixed the juice of the lime with the coconut water and drank the mixture
She put the lime in the coconut, she called the doctor, woke him up
After drinking the mixture, she experienced a bellyache and called the doctor
And said, Doctor, ain't there nothin' I can take
She asked the doctor if there is any medicine she can take
I say, doctor, to relieve this bellyache?
She asked the doctor how to cure the pain in her belly
You put the lime in the coconut, you drank them both up
The doctor was repeating what she did earlier
Put the lime in the coconut, you called your doctor, woke him up
The doctor was explaining that she woke him up at the middle of the night after following her recipe
Put the lime in the coconut, you drink 'em both together
The doctor suggested that she should mix the two ingredients and drink it
Put the lime in the coconut, then you feel better
The doctor promised her that she would feel better after drinking the mixture
Put the lime in the coconut, drink 'em both up
The doctor restated his instructions
Put the lime in the coconut, and call me in the morning
The doctor asked her to call him the next day to check on her condition
Whoo-whoo-whoo, whoo-ooh-ooh, whoo-ooh-ooh
These are background vocals that contribute to the rhythm and melody of the song
You put the lime in the coconut, you such a silly woman
The doctor exclaimed that she was a silly woman for not knowing how to mix the ingredients correctly
Whoo-whoo-whoo-whoo, ain't there nothin' you can take
The background vocals repeat her question to the doctor
I say, whoo-whoo-whoo-whoo, to relieve your bellyache
The doctor tries to assure her that he has a solution to her problem
I say, waah waah, to relieve this bellyache
The doctor uses a crying sound to imitate her pain and appeal to her emotions
If you call me in the morning, I'll tell you what to do
The doctor tells her to call him the next day for further instructions
Contributed by Anthony L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.