The core of Geggy Tah comprises Greg Kurstin and Tommy Jordan. Each of them has a younger sister who was unable to pronounce her brother's name when very young; "Geggy" and "Tah" were the baby girls' mispronunciations of their brother's names.
Geggy Tah's first release, Grand Opening, appeared in 1994 on David Byrne's Luaka Bop label. For their 1996 release Sacred Cow, they added drummer Daren Hahn to the lineup. Also on Luaka Bop, the album spawned the hit single "Whoever You Are." The song appeared in a Mercedes commercial circa 2001.
In 1999, the band announced a new album entitled Music Inspired by The Fragrance, and released two songs ("Space Heater" and "Sweat") on the web in mp3 format. However (in part because of Luaka Bop's move from Warner Brothers to Virgin Records) the album went unreleased until 2001, by which point it had acquired a new title: Into The Oh.
I Forgot
Geggy Tah Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A bare naked lady came up to me
And said, "why are you crying?"
I didn't know what to say
Because when she asked me
I forgot.
She wasn't pretty but she was smiling
Because I could not find the words.
Then Big Ben told us it's ten thirty
And we were thirsty standing in the rain.
So we opened our geggys and drank the water,
Better than a soda
We said "tah" for the black clouds.
Bursting in on us screamed a police car,
And a big man got out
And said "Why are you laughing?"
We didn't know what to say
Because when he asked us,
We forgot.
He wrapped her body in an itchy blanket
Though she was happy without any clothes.
So I opened my geggy and told him to let her be.
He clocked me with his billy and took her away. And I waved like the Queen of England
Elbow elbow wrist wrist wrist
Elbow elbow wrist wrist wrist
Elbow elbow wrist wrist wrist
It was just one of those days
When a bare-naked lady came up to me
And said "Why are you crying?"
I didn't know what to say
Because when she asked me
I forgot
The lyrics of Geggy Tah's song, "I Forgot," seems to tell a story of a bizarre encounter on a lonely street. The singer is approached by a bare-naked lady who asked him why he was crying, and he forgot what to say, leaving him speechless. Although she was not conventionally pretty, her smile and whole body drove him crazy that he couldn't find the words to express himself. Suddenly, they were interrupted by a clock and a police car, which resulted in the Big Man arresting the lady and wrapping her in an itchy blanket while the singer tried to intervene, but he got hit on the head with a billy. The last verse suggests that it was just one of those days where strange things happen.
The song's lyrics seem to play with the idea of memory, how it works, how it's subject to failure, and its implications. The singer's inability to respond to the bare-naked lady's question represents the memory's capacity to let us down, especially when under pressure. Also, the use of Big Ben's clock as a device emphasizes the importance of time and the pressure it creates in our mind. The song seems to be a cautionary tale about the fragility of our memory and the unpredictability of life.
Line by Line Meaning
On an empty old street
The setting of the encounter is a quiet, deserted street.
A bare naked lady came up to me
A completely unclothed woman approached me.
And said, "why are you crying?"
She asked me a simple question regarding my emotional state.
I didn't know what to say
I was at a loss for words.
Because when she asked me
I was unable to respond to her inquiry.
I forgot.
I failed to recall the reason behind my tears.
She wasn't pretty but she was smiling
The woman's appearance wasn't conventionally attractive, but her expression was welcoming and cheerful.
With her whole body gloriously driving me insane
Her lively, radiant aura was overwhelming and mesmerizing.
Because I could not find the words.
I didn't have the vocabulary to accurately express my feelings in response to her presence.
Then Big Ben told us it's ten thirty
The time was specified by the sound of the famous clock tower.
And we were thirsty standing in the rain.
We were parched and being pelted by precipitation.
So we opened our geggys and drank the water,
We drank from our personal containers as a means of hydration.
Better than a soda
We preferred the taste and refreshment of the water over a carbonated beverage.
We said "tah" for the black clouds.
We expressed satisfaction with the storm's presence through a unique utterance of agreement.
Bursting in on us screamed a police car,
A law enforcement vehicle came abruptly upon us with blaring sirens.
And a big man got out
A large, authoritative figure emerged from the car.
And said "Why are you laughing?"
He demanded an explanation for our lightheartedness.
We didn't know what to say
We were unsure of how to respond to his query.
Because when he asked us,
We were unable to formulate an appropriate answer.
We forgot.
We were unable to recollect the reason behind our laughter.
He wrapped her body in an itchy blanket
The officer covered the woman in a rough, uncomfortable covering.
Though she was happy without any clothes.
Despite lacking an outfit, the woman was content with her state of undress.
So I opened my geggy and told him to let her be.
I took out my container and requested that he leave the woman alone.
He clocked me with his billy and took her away.
In response to my defiance, he hit me with his club and extracted the woman from the scene.
And I waved like the Queen of England
I made an exaggerated, regal gesture with my hand.
Elbow elbow wrist wrist wrist
I repeated a silly hand-game chant.
Elbow elbow wrist wrist wrist
I reiterated the playful incantation.
Elbow elbow wrist wrist wrist
I concluded the gesture exaggeration in a jovial manner.
It was just one of those days
The situation was an ordinary, insignificant circumstance.
When a bare-naked lady came up to me
The highlight of the day was the unexpected interaction with a nude woman.
And said "Why are you crying?"
The woman inquired about my tears.
I didn't know what to say
I was uncertain how to respond to her query.
Because when she asked me
I was left without an answer to her question.
I forgot.
I was unable to retain the reason for my crying in that moment.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Joel Johnson
on Whoever You Are
This song is so catchy, so great in every way. This song can NEVER get old.