Fat Children
Jarvis Lyrics


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Last night I had a little altercation
They wobbled menacingly
Beneath the yellow street light it became a situation
Well, they wanted my brand-new phone with all the pictures of the kids and the wife
A struggle ensued and then fat children took my life

Fat children took my life
Fat children took my life
Fat children took my life

Well, some passers-by took me to the station
The police force was elsewhere,
Putting bullets in some guy's head for no particular reason
So I died in the back of the cab
But I'll be back to haunt them
This thing does not end here
My spirit walks the streets of Tottenham

Singing:
Fat children took my life
Fat children took my life
Fat children took my life

Oh, the parents are the problem
Giving birth to maggots without the sense to become flies




So pander to your pampered little princess
Of such enormous size

Overall Meaning

Jarvis Cocker's song Fat Children tells a story about a man who gets mugged and killed by a group of overweight children. In the first verse, the singer describes the altercation, highlighting the fact that these kids were intimidating even though they were overweight. They demand his brand-new phone, and when he resists, a struggle ensues, and the fat children eventually take his life.


In the second verse, the singer's body is taken to the police station, but the police are too busy with another case to investigate his death. The singer's spirit then haunts the streets of Tottenham, singing about the fact that his life was taken by fat children. In the bridge, the singer blames the parents for the children's obesity, accusing them of giving birth to "maggots without the sense to become flies." He also criticizes parents for pandering to their overweight children's every whim, leading to their enormous size.


Cocker's lyrics are both satirical and biting, highlighting the serious issue of childhood obesity while also mocking societal attitudes towards it. The use of overweight children as the villains of the story challenges cultural perceptions of obesity and its causes, while also drawing attention to the serious health problems associated with it.


Line by Line Meaning

Last night I had a little altercation
The singer had a small dispute last night


They wobbled menacingly
The group of people he had a dispute with were large and threatening


Beneath the yellow street light it became a situation
The disagreement occurred in a dangerous part of town


Well, they wanted my brand-new phone with all the pictures of the kids and the wife
The group of people were attempting to steal the artist's phone which had sentimental value


A struggle ensued and then fat children took my life
After a physical tussle, the overweight children took the artist's life


Well, some passers-by took me to the station
Good Samaritans took the singer to the nearby police station


The police force was elsewhere, Putting bullets in some guy's head for no particular reason
The police were preoccupied with an unrelated violent incident


So I died in the back of the cab
The artist passed away in the taxi while en route to the station


But I'll be back to haunt them
Even though he's dead, the artist wants to haunt his killers


This thing does not end here
The artist doesn't want his death to be forgotten


My spirit walks the streets of Tottenham
The singer's ghost can be felt in the area he died


Oh, the parents are the problem
The song is shifting focus to societal problems that lead to the creation of violent children


Giving birth to maggots without the sense to become flies
Parents are often unaware or irresponsible when it comes to their children's growth and development


So pander to your pampered little princess, Of such enormous size
The singer suggests that parents are too focused on spoiling their kids instead of correcting their problematic behavior


Fat children took my life
The chorus is repeated to emphasize the tragedy of the singer's death


Fat children took my life
The chorus is repeated to emphasize the tragedy of the artist's death


Fat children took my life
The chorus is repeated to emphasize the tragedy of the artist's death




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JARVIS BRANSON COCKER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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