Under the Lemon Demon name, Neil has released seven full length albums and two EPs. Neil is also known for being the creator of a genre of Flash animation called "Animutation" which is characterized by unpredictable montages of pop-culture images set to music, often in a language foreign to the intended viewers. He is also known from his YouTube channel, 'NeilCicierega', most famous for his Potter Puppet Pals series.
Matches and Nails
Lemon Demon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hello, you wooden match. Hello, the light you provide.
You keep me warm, you keep me safe.
You know that darkness isn't good.
But nothing lasts forever.
You're only two inches of flammable wood.
And when the sun comes back, there won't be any lack
But on the other hand, I'll never understand
Why it disappears after every day.
Now I've forgotten what I wanted to say.
Hello, you railroad nail, so sharp, so rusty and red.
Hello, you sledgehammer, implanting it into my head.
And with it comes a stream of thought,
And soon ideas begin to form.
So I must thank you for it.
The nail in my head is the eye of the storm.
And with my newfound mind, I make the world unwind
As if the planet is made of clay.
This is a tragic mix of wayward magic tricks
And giant robots from far away.
Now I've forgotten what I wanted to say.
In "Matches and Nails," Lemon Demon sings about two seemingly mundane objects: a cardboard box with matches inside and a railroad nail. The singer of the song finds solace in the warmth and light provided by a wooden match, acknowledging that nothing lasts forever. However, as night falls, the singer notes the disappearing natural light and laments his inability to understand why the sun "disappears after every day." The second half of the song devotes attention to the railroad nail, which is described as "sharp, so rusty and red" and is implanted in the singer's head by a sledgehammer. The nail triggers a stream of thought and the formation of ideas, leading the singer to reflect on the power he now wields to manipulate the world around him. The song ends with the repetition of the line "now I've forgotten what I wanted to say," underscoring the fleeting nature of memory and the passage of time.
"Matches and Nails" is a song rife with subtext and allegory. On one level, it is a meditation on the cyclical nature of time and the importance of finding comfort in seemingly insignificant things. On another level, it is a metaphor for the creative process and the ways in which small sparks of inspiration can ignite a wildfire of ideas. Finally, it can be interpreted as a commentary on the human condition and the struggle to find meaning in a world that is oftentimes chaotic and inscrutable.
Line by Line Meaning
Hello, you tiny cardboard box with matches inside.
Greetings to the small box housing matches within.
Hello, you wooden match. Hello, the light you provide.
Greetings to the wooden match that brings light.
You keep me warm, you keep me safe.
You provide warmth and security for me.
You know that darkness isn't good.
You understand that darkness is undesirable.
But nothing lasts forever.
However, all things inevitably come to an end.
You're only two inches of flammable wood.
You are a mere two-inch piece of burnable wood.
And when the sun comes back, there won't be any lack
Of lumination in any way.
When the sun rises again, there will be no shortage of light.
But on the other hand, I'll never understand
Why it disappears after every day.
However, I will never comprehend why it vanishes each day.
Now I've forgotten what I wanted to say.
I have currently lost track of my prior intent to speak on something.
Hello, you railroad nail, so sharp, so rusty and red.
Greetings to the sharp, rusty, red railroad nail.
Hello, you sledgehammer, implanting it into my head.
Greetings to the sledgehammer slamming it into my head.
And with it comes a stream of thought,
This action triggers a flow of ideas in my mind.
And soon ideas begin to form.
Quickly, thoughts start to take shape in my mind.
So I must thank you for it.
The nail in my head is the eye of the storm.
Therefore, I am grateful for it. The nail is the focal point of my mental creativity.
And with my newfound mind, I make the world unwind
As if the planet is made of clay.
With my newly stimulated mind, I have the power to reshape the world as if it were clay.
This is a tragic mix of wayward magic tricks
And giant robots from far away.
This process can be seen as a sorrowful blend of uncontrollable magic and gargantuan robots from distant places.
Now I've forgotten what I wanted to say.
Once again, my initial intention to speak has slipped my mind.
Contributed by Natalie G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
woob
getting mind powers from having a sharp object jammed into your head is a surprisingly common motif in Neil Cicierega's music
Panicky Redundant
Shouldn’t of gotten that haircut…
Rukoshii
I feel that if Neil hadn't forgotten what he wanted to say, this song almost certainly would have ended up being about him committing arson
Rukoshii
@catsoda yeah, and we love him for it
skeletron1091
A fire motif
Sincerely Cinnamon
Maybe to all the houses in the neighborhood (except for the only house that's not on fire (yet))
glob2454
lmao (as in i am actually laughing this is every funny you made my afternoon)
kaiyakaze
THE VOCALS IS SO PEPPY DESPITE THE LYRICS AND THE INSTRUMENTAL LOL????
honestly hip to the javabean is criminally underrated
like this song is SO GOOD
but most people will probably never know because its old
honestly these songs are as good as his current albums, which is something not all music creators can say.
9/10. bops hard as fuck
mick
i'd argue they're better, of course his newer albums are really good too !! but there's just something so nostalgic about the older ones?? this is just my opinion though :)
Gom.i
@mick fully agree