Mucky Pup began as a hardcore band formed in Bergenfield, New Jersey in 1985, when brothers John (drums) and Chris (vocals) Milnes joined up with Dan Nastasi (guitar) and former Hades member, Scott LePage (bass). The band went through various incarnations and several musical style changes while gaining minor success in both the USA and Europe. Arguably, their breakthrough moment occurred when Berke Breathed picked their songwriting contest entry for release with a 1987 Bloom County comic strip compilation. However, their European success, based on strong tours and charting for the 1989 A Boy in a Man's World album, surpassed all recognition achieved in their home country
The T.v.'s On Fire
Mucky Pup Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
NOT HA-HA FUNNY, BUT PECULIAR FUNNY
USUALLY WHEN A STRANGER APPROACHES
A RESPONSE ISN'T READY TO THE T.V.'s ON FIRE
HE'S WAITING FOR, AN ANSWER, A KNOWING SHRUG
OR MAYBE A GRUNT. SO I GO YEA AND HE GOES YEA
WE BOTH GO YEA
THE PRESSURE IS OVER
THERE WAS AN OBSERVER, TO THE LEFT AND BEHIND
SHE GAVE ME THE EYE, SHE SAW THE WHOLE DEAL
AND SAID YOU LOOK LIKE THE SKY
YOU LOOK LIKE THE SKY
THE PRESSURE IS OVER
THE T.V.'s ON FIRE
The opening lines of Mucky Pup's song The T.v.'s On Fire are sarcastic in nature. The singer acknowledges the unusual situation of a stranger approaching him, but the humor in the situation is not of the "ha-ha" kind. Instead, it is more of a peculiar humor. The stranger asks a question about a fire on the television, and the singer responds with a nonchalant "yeah," which seems to satisfy the stranger. The pressure is gone, and they can move on from the awkward encounter.
In the second stanza, an observer to the left and behind the singer is introduced. She is not part of the conversation, but her presence is felt. She gives the singer "the eye," indicating that she is paying attention to what is going on. She then comments that the singer looks like the sky. This could be interpreted in different ways – perhaps the singer's demeanor is calm and peaceful like a clear blue sky, or maybe there is something else about his appearance that reminds the observer of the sky. Whatever the case may be, the fact that the stranger and the observer are present in this scene creates a sense of tension underneath the humor.
Overall, The T.v.'s On Fire is a song about mundane social interactions that are laced with inner tension and potential danger. These interactions can be both humorous and uncomfortable at the same time, and the song captures this complexity in its lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
IT'S FUNNY THAT, YOU SAID THAT
I find it peculiar rather than funny that you made that statement
NOT HA-HA FUNNY, BUT PECULIAR FUNNY
Your statement is not humorous, but it caught my attention
USUALLY WHEN A STRANGER APPROACHES
Normally, when someone unknown comes to talk
A RESPONSE ISN'T READY TO THE T.V.'s ON FIRE
I don't know what to say when you tell me the TV is on fire
HE'S WAITING FOR, AN ANSWER, A KNOWING SHRUG
That guy is waiting for a response or even just a clue from me
OR MAYBE A GRUNT. SO I GO YEA AND HE GOES YEA
I give a simple affirmation and he does the same
WE BOTH GO YEA
We both agree
THE PRESSURE IS OVER, YEA THE PRESSURE IS OVER
The tension is gone, no more pressure
THERE WAS AN OBSERVER, TO THE LEFT AND BEHIND
Someone was watching from the left and behind me
SHE GAVE ME THE EYE, SHE SAW THE WHOLE DEAL
The woman looked at me, understood what just happened
AND SAID YOU LOOK LIKE THE SKY
She thought I looked like the sky and probably laughed a bit
THE PRESSURE IS OVER
No more tension
THE T.V.'s ON FIRE
The TV is truly on fire
Contributed by Aaliyah E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.