Like a White Bat in a Box Dead Matters Go On
Melt-Banana Lyrics


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Check out if you see one just in case,
Dead matters go on and on and on

Check if you see one
Check just in case
Its dead

See, a white bat in a box
Its skinny like a bone
His name is 'pain'
What a name he got! its pity like alone

"where did my eyes go?" he goes
"where's my cave?" he goes
So I go, "you don't have one"
So I go, "you don't have one"
He just stays

Hide in a pain
Hide in a pain
Hide in a jail, like a lofty shack
Hide in a pain
Hide in a pain
Hide in a wail, like a lofty shack
Dead matters go on

See, a white frog on a shelf
Its stinky like a cheese
His name is 'shame'
What a name he lost! its waste like blame

"when is my meal?" he goes
"when can I swim?" he goes
So I go, "you won't get one"
So I go, "you won't get one"

Hide in a pain
Hide in a pain
Hide in a jail, like a lofty shack
Hide in a pain

Hide in a pain
Hide in a wail,
But I don't wanna burn it down
Dead matters go on

First one was dead
Next one was a crap
Third one was killed
No one wants the next one

Fourth one was a pig
Fifth one was damned
Next one was a freak
Who the hell wants the next one?

Just it goes on...
Who the hell wants the next one?

See, a white skull on the wall
Its shinny like a god
His name is 'greed'
What a good name he got!

Its just like how he used to be
"where's my soul?" he weeps like
"where's my gold?" he rages

So I go, "you just sold one"




So I go, "you don't need one"
'Cause you're dead

Overall Meaning

"Like a White Bat in a Box Dead Matters Go On" is a song by Melt-Banana, a Japanese noise rock band known for their frenzied and experimental sound. The lyrics of the song talk about dead matters going on perpetually, and the futility of searching for meaning or purpose in things that are already gone. The first stanza talks about a white bat in a box and how it's just dead matter that keeps going on. The second and third stanzas describe a white frog on a shelf and a white skull on the wall, respectively, using the same pattern of questioning and rejecting their existence.


In the fourth stanza, the lyrics shift to talking about "ones" that are unwanted or dead. The words "crap," "killed," "damned," and "freak" are used to describe these "ones," which could refer to people, things, or ideas. The repetition of the question "who the hell wants the next one?" suggests a sense of hopelessness or frustration with the never-ending cycle of life and death.


The last stanza focuses on the white skull on the wall, which represents greed. The skull's question about the whereabouts of its soul and gold suggests that it was consumed by its own greed and now regrets it. The singer's answer is that the skull doesn't need gold or a soul since it's already dead.


Overall, "Like a White Bat in a Box Dead Matters Go On" is a surreal and cryptic song that touches on themes of mortality, futility, and greed. Its lyrics are open to interpretation, and the song's frenzied music adds to its sense of chaos and confusion.


Line by Line Meaning

Check out if you see one just in case,
Take a look around, be careful, and see if you find anything that might be concerning.


Dead matters go on and on and on
Even after something has died, the consequences or the effects of that death continue indefinitely.


See, a white bat in a box
Imagine a white bat in a box.


Its skinny like a bone
The bat is very thin, almost as thin as a skeleton.


His name is 'pain'
The bat is named 'pain'.


What a name he got! its pity like alone
The name 'pain' is a sad or unfortunate name, similar to feeling lonely.


"where did my eyes go?" he goes
The bat wonders where its eyes have gone.


"where's my cave?" he goes
The bat wants to know where its home is.


So I go, "you don't have one"
The artist tells the bat that it doesn't have a home or a space.


He just stays
The bat remains where it is, without any action or movement.


Hide in a pain
Find comfort or solace in feeling pain or sadness.


Hide in a jail, like a lofty shack
Find comfort or solace in confinement or imprisonment, like in a tall, imposing structure.


Hide in a wail, like a lofty shack
Find comfort or solace in crying or wailing, like in a tall, imposing structure.


See, a white frog on a shelf
Imagine a white frog on a shelf.


Its stinky like a cheese
The frog smells very bad, like a smelly cheese.


His name is 'shame'
The frog is named 'shame'.


What a name he lost! its waste like blame
The name 'shame' is a lost or inappropriate name, similar to feeling guilty for something that isn't your fault.


"when is my meal?" he goes
The frog wonders when it will receive food.


"when can I swim?" he goes
The frog wants to know when it can go swimming.


So I go, "you won't get one"
The artist tells the frog that it won't receive food or the opportunity to swim.


Hide in a wail,
Find comfort or solace in crying or wailing.


But I don't wanna burn it down
The artist doesn't want to destroy the source of comfort or solace.


First one was dead
The first thing mentioned was already dead.


Next one was a crap
The second thing mentioned was garbage or of low value.


Third one was killed
The third thing mentioned was murdered or died violently.


No one wants the next one
The fourth thing mentioned is undesirable, and no one wants it.


Fourth one was a pig
The fourth thing mentioned was a pig.


Fifth one was damned
The fifth thing mentioned was cursed or doomed.


Next one was a freak
The sixth thing mentioned was an oddity or an abnormality.


Who the hell wants the next one?
The final thing mentioned is so undesirable that nobody wants it, even with a curse word.


See, a white skull on the wall
Imagine a white skull on a wall.


Its shinny like a god
The skull is shiny, almost like it's divine.


His name is 'greed'
The skull is named 'greed'.


What a good name he got!
The name 'greed' is an appropriate or fitting name for the skull.


Its just like how he used to be
The skull is reminiscent of how its owner used to be.


"where's my soul?" he weeps like
The owner of the skull is upset and asks where his soul is.


"where's my gold?" he rages
The owner of the skull is angry and asks where his gold is.


So I go, "you just sold one"
The singer tells the skull that it sold its soul, likely for riches or money.


So I go, "you don't need one"
The singer tells the skull that it doesn't need a soul anymore, since it's dead.


'Cause you're dead
The skull is dead, so it doesn't need a soul or anything else.




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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