When live he has a loop pedal that allows him to record a loop live and then sing/play over the top of the loop. Watch this YouTube video for an idea.
Aside from solo performance he is also well known for the many bands he has been involved with - most notably Totally Gourdgeous, Oxo Cubans and Bomba.
Lots of his songs are available free as MP3 on his Myspace and his website: http://www.malwebb.com/
"You're a freak" said Ani DiFranco of Mal (really!)
"He's like Bobby McFerrin, Aphex Twin and Cole Porter playing scrabble" - B.Freely
Little Green Fruit
Mal Webb Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But you insist on clinging to the highest twig
Well I plead and I pray, oh how I beseech you
Tell me how on earth I can ever reach you
Little green fruit up in the tree
Little green fruit come down to me
I'm going crazy wondering what I have to do
Oh oh oh, little green fruit come down to me
Your powers of deception are beyond belief
How can such a luscious fruit look so much like a leaf
Well I give you a chop and I'm sure you drop
But when I get the bag down, you're still up the top
I know for certain if I left you there
All the birdies would flap down to get their share
You'd be pecked and rotten when you hit the ground
And for no guacamole would you be bound
The lyrics to Mal Webb's song Little Green Fruit perfectly capture the frustration and powerless feeling one can experience when something they desire is just out of reach. The fact that the object of desire is a piece of fruit adds a comedic and relatable touch to the song. The singer in the song desperately wants the little green fruit, which is hanging on the highest twig of a tree. Despite pleading and praying, they can't seem to figure out how to reach it. The fruit seems to be playing tricks on them, looking like a leaf and refusing to fall when chopped. The singer knows that leaving the fruit on the tree will result in it being eaten by birds, never to fulfill its full potential. The chorus of the song, "Little green fruit come down to me," is a simple yet powerful plea that adds emotional depth to the song.
The lyrics in this song can also be seen as a metaphor for the pursuit of any goal or desire. The little green fruit symbolizes something that is just out of reach, and though the singer desperately wants it, their attempts to attain it are frustrating and unsuccessful. The song touches on themes of perseverance and the idea that sometimes achieving our goals requires us to get creative and try new approaches. Additionally, the fact that the fruit is green and not yet matured could represent the idea that sometimes we need to be patient in our pursuits, acknowledging that good things take time to develop.
Line by Line Meaning
You hang in the tree looking ripe and big
The fruit is hanging on a tree and seems ready to be picked and eaten
But you insist on clinging to the highest twig
The fruit is hanging on the highest branch, making it difficult to reach
Well I plead and I pray, oh how I beseech you
The singer is begging the fruit to come down from the tree
Tell me how on earth I can ever reach you
The singer wants to know how to get the fruit down from the tree
Little green fruit up in the tree
The fruit is small and green, growing on the tree
Little green fruit come down to me
The singer is asking the fruit to come down from the tree
I'm going crazy wondering what I have to do
The singer is starting to get frustrated and anxious about how to get the fruit down
I've got a stiff neck from waiting for you
The singer has been waiting for the fruit to fall for a long time and their neck is sore from looking up
Oh oh oh, little green fruit come down to me
The singer is still pleading for the fruit to come down from the tree
Your powers of deception are beyond belief
The fruit looks like a leaf, making it difficult to distinguish from the other foliage on the tree
How can such a luscious fruit look so much like a leaf
The singer is questioning how the fruit can be so well-hidden on the tree
Well I give you a chop and I'm sure you drop
The singer has tried hitting the branch to make the fruit fall, but it hasn't worked
But when I get the bag down, you're still up the top
Even after trying to make the fruit fall, it's still hanging at the top of the tree
I know for certain if I left you there
The singer is aware that if they don't get the fruit soon, it will spoil on the tree
All the birdies would flap down to get their share
The birds will eat the fruit if it is left to hang on the tree
You'd be pecked and rotten when you hit the ground
If the fruit is left on the tree for too long, it won't be good to eat when it falls
And for no guacamole would you be bound
The singer doesn't want the fruit to go to waste and would like to make guacamole with it
Contributed by Eliana W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.