Shrunken Heads
Dingus Lyrics


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Wasted cigarettes hardly ash before
There's something else to burn
It's done, you're already moving on
And the drunkard seeks scape
Through the faded tint of empty bottles
Leave no room to discover

That it's always been in front of him,
But he's never recognized
That the more he runs, the more he's left behind
Because horoscopes and shrunken heads
Can't be without the numb
Keep it burning

For every hooker, there's a nun
For every welcome, there's a shun
It makes no sense to search forever
When only so much can be done
Nothing is fair when nothing's sufficient
Continued mistakes to turn and neglect

And the moment dies, and everybody cries
For what could never be achieved
But the broken hearts appear to be relieved

And even if you're strictly sober
You never take the glance
Your haste can't make tomorrow sooner
Your faded will can't pave the way at all
Kicking off what's nipping at your heels
Through it could support your feet

And now, self-inflicted suffocation, poorly judged contemplation
What's beyond this boring town, and what beauty laid within
All those alcoholic routines, and all the faded friends and jobs?
They have made you who you are
You can't forget the roots from which you claim to be growing

Burning cigarettes hardly give that sweet tobacco taste
The time has come to recover

Keep it burning




Self-inflicted suffocation, poorly judged contemplation
Keep it burning

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Dingus's "Shrunken Heads" speak of the pain and confusion that comes with making mistakes and seeking solace in alcohol. The song starts with the lines "Wasted cigarettes hardly ash before, there's something else to burn," which suggest a tendency towards indulgence and distraction from one's problems. The singer of the song is seeking to escape from his pain and mistakes, but is constantly running in circles and getting nowhere. He seeks comfort in the numbing effects of alcohol, but this only serves to mask his problems rather than solve them. The song also references the concept of horoscopes and shrunken heads, which symbolize the search for meaning and purpose in life, but ultimately fall short in providing answers to life's questions.


Line by Line Meaning

Wasted cigarettes hardly ash before There's something else to burn
Dingus is constantly searching for something new to keep him occupied, never finding satisfaction in anything for too long.


It's done, you're already moving on And the drunkard seeks scape
Once he's finished with one thing, Dingus is quick to move on to the next and finds solace in substance abuse to escape the reality of his situation.


Through the faded tint of empty bottles Leave no room to discover
Dingus drinks to escape his problems, but this only clouds his judgment and prevents him from seeing the truth.


That it's always been in front of him, But he's never recognized That the more he runs, the more he's left behind
Dingus has been blind to what he truly needs and has been chasing false dreams that only lead him further away from what he truly desires.


Because horoscopes and shrunken heads Can't be without the numb Keep it burning
Dingus tries to find meaning in horoscopes and mystical items, but ultimately he's just trying to numb himself from the pain of his reality.


For every hooker, there's a nun For every welcome, there's a shun
In life, there will be bad and good experiences. You cannot have one without the other.


Nothing is fair when nothing's sufficient Continued mistakes to turn and neglect
Dingus feels like life isn't fair because he's never content with what he has and continually makes poor decisions.


And the moment dies, and everybody cries For what could never be achieved But the broken hearts appear to be relieved
There will always be things in life that are unachievable, but sometimes it's better to focus on what you have and find relief in that.


And even if you're strictly sober You never take the glance Your haste can't make tomorrow sooner Your faded will can't pave the way at all Kicking off what's nipping at your heels Through it could support your feet
Even if Dingus is sober, he's never willing to take a moment to reflect on his situation or plan for his future. He's too focused on escaping his present problems, which only makes it worse in the long run.


And now, self-inflicted suffocation, poorly judged contemplation What's beyond this boring town, and what beauty laid within All those alcoholic routines, and all the faded friends and jobs? They have made you who you are You can't forget the roots from which you claim to be growing
Dingus realizes that his current lifestyle is suffocating him and he's been making poor decisions. He questions what else is out there and what he's missing. He understands that his past experiences have shaped who he is and he cannot forget his roots.


Burning cigarettes hardly give that sweet tobacco taste The time has come to recover
Dingus realizes that his addiction to substance abuse is hindering him and he needs to take the time to recover and reflect.


Keep it burning Self-inflicted suffocation, poorly judged contemplation Keep it burning
Even though Dingus realizes he needs to change and recover, he's still struggling with his addiction and contemplating his past mistakes.




Contributed by Avery N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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