swatting flies
Crash Test Dummies Lyrics


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Now that I've used up all my ideas
Here in my little house by the sea
I search for a usable memory but none comes to me

In grade one, my teacher could do embalming
She'd stuff the bodies of dead little birds
She told us if ever we found one, just to bring it to her
And in the science room was an iguana
It lay very still in its cage
And we'd feed him living flies

Then she'd read the old testament to us
But first she'd remind us the stories were true
And we'd hear of locusts and plagues and the tortures they knew

And in the science room was an iguana




I remember it now in my house by the seaside
Swatting flies

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Crash Test Dummies' song "Swatting Flies" are a reflection on memory and how difficult it can be to recall usable ones. The singer of the song acknowledges that they are in a creative rut and unable to come up with any new ideas. They attempt to look to the past for inspiration, but all they can remember are strange and unsettling memories.


The song references the singer's grade one teacher, who had a macabre hobby of stuffing dead birds. The teacher encouraged her students to bring her any dead birds they found so that she could add them to her collection. In addition to this, the teacher also kept an iguana in the science room, which the students would feed living flies to.


The memory of the iguana seems to stick with the singer, who remembers it in their present-day house by the sea, swatting flies. The song also alludes to the religious indoctrination that the singer experienced in grade one, with the teacher reading them stories from the Old Testament and reminding them that they were true.


Overall, "Swatting Flies" is a poignant and introspective song that touches on themes of memory, mortality, and the ways in which our past experiences shape us.


Line by Line Meaning

Now that I've used up all my ideas
I am unable to think of anything new or creative


Here in my little house by the sea
I am currently living in a small seaside house


I search for a usable memory but none comes to me
I am trying to recall a memory that could be useful, but none comes to mind


In grade one, my teacher could do embalming
When I was in grade one, my teacher had the skill of preparing dead bodies for burial


She'd stuff the bodies of dead little birds
She would preserve the remains of small deceased birds


She told us if ever we found one, just to bring it to her
Instructing us to bring any dead bird we found to her


And in the science room was an iguana
There was an iguana kept in the science classroom


It lay very still in its cage
The iguana remained motionless within its enclosure


And we'd feed him living flies
We would give the iguana flies that were still alive


Then she'd read the old testament to us
The teacher would read passages from the Old Testament


But first she'd remind us the stories were true
Before reading, she would emphasize that the stories within were factual


And we'd hear of locusts and plagues and the tortures they knew
The stories we listened to spoke of swarms of insects, devastating trials, and various forms of suffering


I remember it now in my house by the seaside
I can now recall the iguana from the science classroom while residing in my beachside dwelling


Swatting flies
Killing insects by knocking them out of the air




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BRAD ROBERTS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Andy Plays Games

Crash Test Dummies' best song. Such a small but interesting narrative that I can readily see in my minds eye, the same every time.

Spencer H

Love It!!

Zen11:11 Tarot 🌛🔮

♡♡

iAMaVOIDtripper GutterSlush666

Taxidermy?..... 🤔🤘

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