The Mentals' music is characterised by poppy, accessible and well-crafted melodies and lyrics, and almost all their work showcases their ironic, satirical and self-deprecating sense of humour. They are arguably one of the most typically 'Australian' of rock groups, with their music and their satirical, good-time image deeply rooted in the milieu of Australian suburbia, despite the fact that two key members (the O'Doherty brothers) were in fact immigrants from New Zealand. The group's art school background and visual design skills also made them pioneers of the music video form in Australia in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and their videos rank as some of the funniest and most imaginative produced in Australia at that time.
The "classic" lineup of the group, which boasted four songwriters and lasted more than twenty years, was:
* Martin Plaza (né Martin Murphy) -- vocals, guitar
* Reg Mombassa (né Chris O'Doherty) -- lead guitar, vocals
* Andrew "Greedy" Smith -- vocals, keyboards, harmonica
* Peter O'Doherty -- bass, vocals
* Wayne "Bird" De Lisle (né David Twohill) -- drums
This article continues at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_As_Anything
Let's Cook
Mental As Anything Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let's cook
Let's eat
Let's eat
Let's growl
Let's growl
Let's work
Let's work
Let's cook
Let's eat
Let's eat
Let's growl
Let's growl
Let's work
Let's work
Let's cook
Let's cook
Let's eat
Let's eat
Let's growl
Let's growl
Let's work
Let's work
At first glance, the lyrics to Mental As Anything's song Let's Cook might seem nonsensical, but upon closer inspection, they reveal a hidden meaning about the primal human desire for sustenance and labor. The repetition of "Let's cook, let's eat, let's growl, let's work" suggests a cyclical pattern of human behavior: we work to obtain the ingredients we need to cook, we eat to sustain ourselves, we vocalize our satisfaction with a growl, and then we work again to repeat the process.
By using these simple phrases, Mental As Anything captures the essence of what it means to be human in a humorous and relatable way. The song's upbeat tempo and catchy melody also reinforce its message of the joy and satisfaction that comes from cooking and eating.
Overall, Let's Cook is a lighthearted but thoughtful exploration of the human experience. While it may seem like a simple song on the surface, its lyrics have a deeper significance that speaks to our most primal instincts and desires.
Line by Line Meaning
Let's cook
Let's get things started and create something great
Let's eat
Let's enjoy the fruits of our labor and savor the moment
Let's growl
Let's express our hunger and desire for success
Let's work
Let's put in the necessary effort to achieve our goals
Writer(s): MARTIN MURPHY
Contributed by Adrian C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
jackfriend4u
what the B-52's is to the USA, what Split Enz is to New Zealand, what Madness is to England. Mental As Anything was/is to Australia. just great, fun, party rock/pop, that never fails to bring a smile to the face and a tap to your toe.
musicmadinoz
Great summary there, I could never really pinpoint what the genre is, just silly eccentric mad fun i guess
Cleopatra Oatcake
What a great bass line and vocal by Martin! The first Mentals song I ever heard in the '80s.
Phil C
This band…..they brought the fun, the irreverence, the silliness, spontaneity, the joy & the exuberance to the 80s & the music still delivers it in 2023.
Australia’s greatest & a national music/cultural treasure!
Sins Playlists
miss our greedy !!! one of the best bands ever ! and one of the best men R.I.P
Tammy McLeod
My all time favourite daggy Mentals song. Was just thinking of Greedy the other day and saw they were going to be down in Melbs doing some gigs and meant to buy a ticket. Now I'll just have to remember those I did go to. Vale Greedy, you were bloody awesome <3. I don't think your spirit got lost either... you'll be up there with Chet and Martin, new members to the big band in the sky!
John Kennedy
One of my all time favourite songs. Champion song for the depth of lyrics - five words? Kept me alive on long road trips. Hard not to listen and get the bod moving. Thanks fellas.
Masteraster
awesome! me too!
Jeremy Young
Trips
Nick Hoare
Favourite song for crazy silly dancing in the kitchen with my little girls! Brilliant.