Too Many Puppies
Primus Lyrics
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Too many puppies are trained not to bark.
At the sight of blood that must be spilled so that we may maintain
Our oil fields.
Too many puppies.
Too many puppies.
Too many puppies are taught to heal.
Too many puppies are trained to kill.
Sleek animal pelts.
Too many puppies.
Too many puppies.
Too many puppies.
Too many puppies.
Skinny was born in a bathtub
And he grew so incredibly thin
Even the tide from the eyedropper sucked him in
Skinny never knew any questions
Skinny never looked alike
Skinny sold somethin' every single night
Skinny sold a soldier to me
Skinny sold the wife
Skinny sold a suction cup and a knife
Skinny found a hello dolly record in the house.
Sold it to a truck driver in the night.
Too many puppies with guns in their hands.
Too many puppies in foreign lands.
Are dressed up sharp in suits of green and placed upon the war machine.
Too many puppies are just like me.
Too many puppies are afraid to see.
The visions of the past brought to life again,
Too many puppies, too many dead men.
"Too Many Puppies" by Primus is a lyrically powerful song with a strong message related to animal cruelty, war, and greed. The song contains various literary devices such as alliteration, repetition, and metaphors. The opening line of the song, "Too many puppies are being shot in the dark," reflects animal cruelty, how innocent animals are being used for experimentation or being hunted in the dark, without any accountability. The succeeding line, "Too many puppies are trained not to bark," expresses how people are being silenced to witness the maltreatment of animals, and are restrained and manipulated to keep silent, despite the injustice around them.
The following lines, "At the sight of blood that must be spilled so that we may maintain our oil fields," may indicate a connection between animal cruelty and war, how violence and the bloodshed of innocent creatures are connected with conflicts over access to oil. The phrase "money belts that buy mistresses sleek animal pelts," depicts how people's greed and lust for power fuel animal and human exploitation. The repetitions of the phrase "too many puppies" highlight the seriousness of the situation.
The second half of the song portrays a character named "Skinny," who sells different things every night, from soldiers to knives. The lyrics depict how the character is selling things that are hurting or destroying others, possibly a metaphor for weapons dealers, and how their neutral stance enables them to turn a blind eye to the consequences of their actions. The last stanza repeats the first few phrases of the song, creating a cohesive message that connects animal cruelty, war, and human greed.
Line by Line Meaning
Too many puppies are being shot in the dark.
There are too many innocent beings who are being killed without reason, in places where there is no light or transparency.
Too many puppies are trained not to bark.
A lot of people are taught to be silent about the wrong things that happen around them.
At the sight of blood that must be spilled so that we may maintain Our oil fields.
The only reason we justify killing so many puppies is because we want to keep our oil fields running at any cost.
Too many puppies.
This is repeated to emphasize that there are indeed too many innocent beings getting killed for no reason.
Too many puppies are taught to heal.
Not all innocent beings are killed, some are trained to serve those in power by healing them.
Too many puppies are trained to kill.
A lot of innocent beings are trained to be soldiers and execute orders to kill others.
On the command of men wearing money belts that buy mistresses Sleek animal pelts.
Soldiers get their orders from the rich and powerful, who get their wealth through immoral ways.
Too many puppies.
This is repeated again to keep reinforcing the message that too many innocent beings are being killed and trained to kill
Skinny was born in a bathtub, And he grew so incredibly thin,Even the tide from the eyedropper sucked him in Skinny never knew any questions, Skinny never looked alike
Skinny was a character who never got a fair chance at life, he never asked any questions, and just went along with the flow.
Skinny sold somethin' every single night Skinny sold a soldier to me, Skinny sold the wife, Skinny sold a suction cup and a knife Skinny found a hello dolly record in the house. Sold it to a truck driver in the night.
Skinny resorted to illegal activities to make ends meet, he was even involved in the sale of people, a dangerous weapon and a crime involving stolen property.
Too many puppies with guns in their hands. Too many puppies in foreign lands. Are dressed up sharp in suits of green and placed upon the war machine.
There are too many soldiers (many of them young and inexperienced) fighting on foreign soil, who are dressed up in their uniforms, and put on the front-line of the war machine.
Too many puppies are just like me. Too many puppies are afraid to see. The visions of the past brought to life again, Too many puppies, too many dead men.
There are too many people who can relate to Skinny and his situation, and are afraid to confront the injustices happening around them. These injustices remind us of our past errors and we are seeing too many innocent people getting killed in the process.
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: LES CLAYPOOL, REID L. III LALONDE, TIMOTHY W. ALEXANDER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind