She is known for her sense of humor, which is expressed in both her music and her onstage performances. Many of her songs alternate between emotional reflections on romance and outright comedy. Two of her more famous songs include "Sensitive New Age Guys" and "Bald Headed Men".
Biological Time Bomb
Christine Lavin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Do you hear something ticking?
I do, I do, I do, I do. I do
It's inside me
It's inside you
A Biological Time Bomb
Oh you can barely hear it when you're twenty
Your mother warned you
But no you had to doubt her
"I've got plenty of time Mom!"
Oh
That ticking echoes in that empty womb
Oh
From the next apartment, did you hear that Boom?
Her Biological Time Bomb
Now every time you see a baby carriage (clap clap)
You curse the years you have avoided marriage (clap clap)
You are angry
You are confused
But wait!
I have figured out how to diffuse
The Biological Time Bomb
First you have a dozen of your eggs aspirated
Frozen in the freezer of a doctor's 'fridgerator
In ten or twenty or thirty years
Whenever you wish
You thaw them out to romance wigglies
In a petri dish
Then plant the little goober in a girl of seventeen
Who's into natural living
And prevention magazine
No fuss, no muss, no stretch marks
Well not on you
Maternal instinct satisfied
The modern thing to do
Listen Girls
You can't ignore that ticking any longer
As you grow older
It will grow stronger
Biological Time Bomb
Biological Time Bomb
Biological tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick
The song "Biological Time Bomb" by Christine Lavin addresses the ticking clock of a woman's reproductive system. Lavin points out that the ticking sound, which represents a woman's biological clock, is faint when a woman is in her twenties but only grows louder as she ages. Lavin advises young women to listen to their mothers' warnings about the importance of planning for motherhood early on. She suggests freezing a dozen eggs while a woman is younger, so she can have them fertilized later when she is ready to become a mother. This would help to diffuse the biological time bomb, allowing women to have the option for motherhood when they are older. Lavin also touches on the societal pressure that women feel to be married and have children, as evidenced by their negative reaction to seeing baby carriages.
The song highlights the societal pressures women face to conform to traditional gender roles while also acknowledging the advancements in reproductive technology. By bringing these issues to the forefront of discussion, Lavin encourages women to think critically about their choices and to make decisions that empower them. Ultimately, the song urges women not to ignore their biological clocks and to take steps to ensure that they have control over their reproductive health.
Line by Line Meaning
tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick Listen Girls
The ticking sound represents a warning that should not be ignored; a Biological Time Bomb that requires immediate attention.
Do you hear something ticking?
There is a biological clock that all women possess, whose ticking sound gets louder and louder as they age and get closer to having children.
I do, I do, I do, I do. I do
The singer acknowledges that she hears the ticking sound of her Biological Time Bomb and is aware of its existence.
It's inside me
The Biological Time Bomb is a ticking sound that is an internal warning that it's time for women to have children.
It's inside you
The ticking sound of the Biological Time Bomb is not limited to the artist but it's also present in every woman who has the potential to have children.
A Biological Time Bomb
The ticking sound of the Biological Time Bomb should be treated as an urgent reminder that your time to have children is limited, and ignoring it could be a dangerous decision.
Oh you can barely hear it when you're twenty
When women are in their early twenties, the ticking sound of their Biological Time Bomb is barely audible.
But when you're thirty, it's plenty louder
As women get older, the ticking sound of the Biological Time Bomb gets louder and louder, reminding them of their need to have children sooner rather than later.
Your mother warned you
Mothers often advise their daughters to have children while they're young and have the ability to do so.
But no you had to doubt her
The artist, like many young women today, ignores their mother's warning and does not consider having children until it's too late.
"I've got plenty of time Mom!"
Young women often suggest that they have plenty of time to have children later in life, without realizing the ticking sound of their Biological Time Bomb gets louder and more urgent every day.
That ticking echoes in that empty womb
The ticking sound of the Biological Time Bomb is a clear warning of the limited time one has to have children, particularly when their womb is empty, and their biological clock is ticking away.
From the next apartment, did you hear that Boom?
The sound of the Biological Time Bomb could be so loud that it can be heard even from the neighbors' apartments when they're having children.
Her Biological Time Bomb
The singer is referring to someone else's Biological Time Bomb, realizing that every woman has her clock ticking away, and it's not something that can be ignored.
Now every time you see a baby carriage (clap clap)
The sight of a baby carriage is a clear reminder of the ticking time frame that women have to have children before it's too late.
You curse the years you have avoided marriage (clap clap)
Women who have avoided marriage are likely to feel regret as they realize the limited time they have to have children when they see other women with children.
You are angry
The artist is feeling angry at herself for not realizing the urgency of having children earlier in life.
You are confused
The singer is confused as to what to do next, now that she realizes the urgency of having children.
But wait! I have figured out how to diffuse
The singer has found a solution to her problem and is excited to share it with other women to help reduce the ticking sound of their Biological Time Bomb.
First you have a dozen of your eggs aspirated
The artist is referring to undergoing a medical procedure called egg aspiration where a woman's eggs are taken out of the ovary and then frozen for future use in reproduction.
Frozen in the freezer of a doctor's 'fridgerator
The extracted eggs are kept frozen in a doctor's fridge, which preserves the ovules for future use in vitro fertilization.
In ten or twenty or thirty years
The frozen eggs could potentially remain preserved for up to three decades or more, waiting for the opportune time to be used for in vitro fertilization.
Whenever you wish
Women who have had their eggs aspirated can decide to have their eggs fertilized and go through the pregnancy process whenever they wish, reducing the urgency to have children earlier in life.
You thaw them out to romance wigglies
In IVF, sperm is introduced to the thawed out eggs resulting in fertilization and eventually, a baby.
In a petri dish
The fertilized egg, called an embryo, is then placed in a petri dish for further cultivation and growth before being implanted in the uterus.
Then plant the little goober in a girl of seventeen
In vitro fertilization (IVF) allows fertilized eggs to be implanted in another woman's uterus for gestation, such as a young woman who doesn't have a ticking Biological Time Bomb yet.
Who's into natural living
The singer is suggesting that younger women who care about natural living are likely to be more willing to carry a baby through IVF, using the frozen eggs from the woman with the Biological Time Bomb.
And prevention magazine
The artist is implying that this young woman takes good care of herself and is health-conscious, which could potentially minimize the risks associated with carrying a baby to term.
No fuss, no muss, no stretch marks
The use of IVF and gestation through another woman's uterus by freezing their eggs significantly reduces the negative effects that pregnancy has on a woman's body.
Well not on you
The singer is referring to herself, stating that the gestational mother would go through the pregnancy process, but the biological mother (protagonist) would not experience any of the negative effects of pregnancy.
Maternal instinct satisfied
By using IVF, women who have had their eggs aspirated could still fulfill their maternal instincts and have children, despite the limited time they had to have biological children.
The modern thing to do
The artist considers using IVF to be a modern solution for women who have heard the ticking sound of their Biological Time Bomb but wants to consider having children later in life.
Listen Girls
The artist is urging other women to pay attention to the ticking sound of their Biological Time Bomb and to take action before it's too late.
You can't ignore that ticking any longer
The artist is suggesting that the longer women wait to have children, the more urgent that ticking sound of their Biological Time Bomb becomes.
As you grow older
The older women get without having children, the more prominent the ticking sound becomes, making it imperative to consider solutions such as IVF.
It will grow stronger
The longer women wait to have children, the amplified the ticking sound of their Biological Time Bomb becomes, which becomes more challenging to ignore.
Biological Time Bomb
The Biological Time Bomb is an internal ticking system in women that reminds them of the limited fertility period, urging them to consider having children earlier in life or use other methods, such as IVF, to fulfill their maternal instincts.
Biological tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick
The ticking sound of the Biological Time Bomb is an internal mechanism to remind women to prioritize having children earlier in life, which could significantly reduce the urgency and stress of reproducing in later years.
Contributed by James A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.