Every week for a year Coulton released a new song for free on his website as part of his Thing a Week podcast, on topics as diverse as vengeful nerds, self-loathing giant squid, partially-imagined historical figures, and devotees of a certain Swedish prefab furniture store. The Thing a Week project is now complete, and all songs can be streamed from his official website. Many of the songs on the site can be downloaded for free. The song "Code Monkey" became the theme song to the G4 television show Code Monkeys.
Coulton's song "Still Alive" has been featured in Valve Software's game Portal (and has become a hit among the gamers who finished the game) . He also made a recording of this song called the "J.C. Mix" which is exactly the same except he is singing rather than Ellen McLain as GLaDOS. "Still Alive" went on to be featured in the game Rock Band, as well as Skullcrusher Mountain and Re: Your Brains
Ikea
Jonathan Coulton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It all began with a god named Thor
There were Vikings and boats
And some plans for a furniture store
It's not a bodega, it's not a mall
And they sell things for apartments smaller than mine
As if there were apartments smaller than mine
Just some oak and some pine and a handful of Norsemen
Selling furniture for college kids and divorced men
Everyone has a home
But if you don't have a home you can buy one there
So rent a car or take the bus
Lay your cash down and put your trust
In the land where the furniture folds to a much smaller size
Billy the bookcase says hello
And so does a table whose name is Ingo
And the chair is a ladder-back birch but his friends call him Karl
Just some oak and some pine and a handful of Norsemen
Selling furniture for college kids and divorced men
Everyone has a home
But if you don't have a home you can buy one there
Plywood, brushed steel
Meatballs, tasty
Allen wrenches
All of them for free
All of them for me
I'm sorry I said IKEA sucks
I just bought a table for 60 bucks
And a chair and a lamp
And a shelf and some candles for you
I was a doubter just like you
'Til I saw the American dream come true
In New Jersey, they got a god-damned Swedish parade
Just some oak and some pine and a handful of Norsemen
Selling furniture for college kids and divorced men
Everyone has a home
But if you don't have a home you can buy one there
The song "Ikea" by Jonathan Coulton is a fun and light-hearted take on the Swedish furniture chain, but it also has some historical references to Norse mythology and Viking voyages. The song begins with a brief reference to the Viking god Thor, who is associated with strength and power. From there, the lyrics describe Ikea as a place that sells furniture for small apartments and people who are starting over, and Coulton points out the irony of such a store being located in a land that was once the home of the Vikings, who were known for their large, sturdy ships.
The chorus of the song, "Everyone has a home, but if you don't have a home you can buy one there," is a lighthearted commentary on the fact that Ikea's affordable furniture allows people to furnish their homes or apartments without much money or effort. The verses mention various pieces of furniture, all of them with whimsical names like Billy the bookcase, Ingo the table, and Karl the ladder-back birch chair. The song even throws in some references to Ikea's famous meatballs and the ubiquitous Allen wrenches that come with every piece of furniture.
Overall, "Ikea" is a humorous ode to the beloved Swedish furniture chain, incorporating Norse mythology and some playful jabs at the company's quirks and idiosyncrasies.
Line by Line Meaning
Long ago in days of yore
In ancient times, many years ago
It all began with a god named Thor
The story of IKEA starts with the god Thor from Viking mythology
There were Vikings and boats
The Vikings were seafaring people and used boats to travel
And some plans for a furniture store
The idea for IKEA was being developed even in ancient times
It's not a bodega, it's not a mall
IKEA is not a corner store or shopping center
And they sell things for apartments smaller than mine
IKEA specializes in selling furniture that is suitable for small apartments
As if there were apartments smaller than mine
The singer is being humorous and exaggerating the small size of their apartment
Just some oak and some pine and a handful of Norsemen
IKEA originally started with a few workers and only used simple materials like oak and pine
Selling furniture for college kids and divorced men
IKEA's target market is young adults and singles who need affordable furniture
Everyone has a home
Everybody deserves a place to live
But if you don't have a home you can buy one there
IKEA sells furniture that can make an apartment feel more like a home
Plywood, brushed steel
IKEA uses materials like plywood and brushed steel to make their furniture
Meatballs, tasty
IKEA's in-store restaurant serves Swedish meatballs that are popular among customers
Allen wrenches
Assembling IKEA products often requires the use of an Allen wrench
All of them for free
IKEA provides these tools for free to customers
All of them for me
The artist is happy to receive these tools for their own use
I'm sorry I said IKEA sucks
The artist apologizes for previously having negative feelings about IKEA
I just bought a table for 60 bucks
The singer is pleased with their recent purchase of an affordable IKEA table
And a chair and a lamp
The singer also purchased additional furniture items
And a shelf and some candles for you
The artist bought these items as a gift for someone else
I was a doubter just like you
The artist used to share the listener's negative views about IKEA
'Til I saw the American dream come true
The artist was impressed with how IKEA was able to pursue the American dream
In New Jersey, they got a god-damned Swedish parade
IKEA's success led to a parade being held in their honor in New Jersey
Everyone has a home
This line is repeated to emphasize that IKEA's goal is to make sure everyone can have a comfortable living space
But if you don't have a home you can buy one there
Once again, IKEA sells affordable furniture to help people create a comfortable home
Lyrics © 10 PRINT JOCO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind