Riki Tiki Tavi
Donovan Lyrics


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Better get into what you gotta get into
Better get into it now, no slacking please
United Nations ain't really united
And the organisations ain't really organised

Riki Tiki Tavi mongoose is gone
Riki Tiki Tavi mongoose is gone
Won't be coming around for to kill your snakes no more, my love
Riki Tiki Tavi mongoose is gone

Everybody who read the Jungle Book
Will know that Riki Tiki Tavi's a mongoose who kills snakes
When I was a young man I was led to believe there were organisations
To kill my snakes for me
I.E. the church, I.E. the government, I.E. school
But when I got a little older I learned I had to kill them myself

I said, Riki Tiki Tavi mongoose is gone
Riki Tiki Tavi mongoose is gone
Won't be coming around for to kill your snakes no more, my love
Riki Tiki Tavi mongoose is gone

People walkin' around, they don't know what they're doing
They bin lost so long they don't know what they've been looking for
Well, I know what I'm-a looking for but I just can't find it
I guess I gotta look inside of myself some more

Oh oh oh inside of myself some more
Come on now (baby)
Oh oh oh inside of myself some more (baby)

Riki Tiki Tavi mongoose is gone
Riki Tiki Tavi mongoose is gone
Riki Tiki Tavi mongoose is gone
Riki Tiki Tavi mongoose is gone

(Last time)

I saw you today
On the number twelve bus




You were going my way
Going my way

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Donovan's song Riki Tiki Tavi are a commentary on the unreliable nature of institutions and the need for individual action. The first few lines suggest a sense of urgency and responsibility: "Better get into what you gotta get into / Better get into it now, no slacking please." The singer then goes on to say that the United Nations and other organizations are not really as united and organized as they claim to be. The mention of Riki Tiki Tavi, a mongoose from Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book who kills snakes, serves as a metaphor for relying on external forces to solve one's problems. The singer implies that he used to believe that organizations like the church, government, and school would kill his "snakes" for him, but he eventually realized that he had to take matters into his own hands.


The repetition of "Riki Tiki Tavi mongoose is gone" at the end of each verse emphasizes the idea that relying on external forces to solve problems is no longer an option. The final lines of the song suggest that the solution lies within oneself: "Well, I know what I'm-a looking for but I just can't find it / I guess I gotta look inside of myself some more." The mention of seeing someone on the bus could suggest that this realization has led the singer to seek connection with others who are also looking within themselves.


Overall, "Riki Tiki Tavi" is a call to action for individuals to take responsibility and seek solutions within themselves rather than relying on external institutions or forces.


Line by Line Meaning

Better get into what you gotta get into
You need to do what you have to do


Better get into it now, no slacking please
Don't procrastinate, start working on it now


United Nations ain't really united
The United Nations is not as united as it seems


And the organisations ain't really organised
Organizations are not really as organized as they claim to be


Riki Tiki Tavi mongoose is gone
Riki Tiki Tavi, the mongoose who kills snakes, is no longer around


Won't be coming around for to kill your snakes no more, my love
There won't be anyone to take care of your problems anymore


Everybody who read the Jungle Book
Everyone who has read the Jungle Book


Will know that Riki Tiki Tavi's a mongoose who kills snakes
Knows that Riki Tiki Tavi is a fearless creature who takes care of dangerous problems


When I was a young man I was led to believe there were organisations
As a young man, I was taught to believe that organizations would help me solve my problems


To kill my snakes for me
They would deal with my problems for me


But when I got a little older I learned I had to kill them myself
As I grew up, I realized that I had to solve my own problems


People walkin' around, they don't know what they're doing
People going about their lives without purpose and direction


They bin lost so long they don't know what they've been looking for
They have been lost for so long that they have forgotten what they've been searching for


Well, I know what I'm-a looking for but I just can't find it
I know what I want, but I am struggling to attain it


I guess I gotta look inside of myself some more
I need to introspect more deeply


Come on now (baby)
An expression of encouragement or enthusiasm


Riki Tiki Tavi mongoose is gone
Riki Tiki Tavi, the fearless mongoose, is no longer here


I saw you today
I saw you earlier today


On the number twelve bus
We were on the same bus number twelve


You were going my way
You were headed the same direction as me


Going my way
Traveling in my direction




Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Donovan Leitch

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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