Sad Peter Pan
Red Red Meat Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

It's the plan of most
To discover that magnificent ghost
When did I get perverted
And my innocent eyes diverted from the view so grand
Imbued with distractions
I'm greedy like Senior Babbitt
I'm just chasing that electric rabbit
I'm a reluctant rebel
I just want to be Aaron Neville
With a crown on my head
And my denim shirt all dark with sweat
I'm just pushing the paint around
On advice from your lying mouth
You touched me and then you ran
And left a sad Peter Pan




All alone and awkward
But a transformation, I swear it will occur

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Red Red Meat's song "Sad Peter Pan" are about the singer's search for something grander in life and his struggles with distractions and the corruption of his innocence. The song starts off with a reference to the common goal of discovering something magnificent, but the singer laments that he has somehow become perverted and distracted from the grand view. He compares himself to Senior Babbitt, a character from a Sinclair Lewis novel, who had a similar experience, and speaks of his desire to chase an elusive electric rabbit, obviously referencing the rabbit from Alice in Wonderland.


The singer then speaks of his reluctance to rebel against society and his desire to be like Aaron Neville, a well-known soul singer. He hints at a crown on his head, perhaps a reference to royalty or success, and a denim shirt dark with sweat, suggesting physical exertion and hard work. However, instead of achieving his aspirations, he feels like he is just pushing the paint around, a metaphor for going through the motions and not really achieving anything.


The song then takes a darker turn, with the singer accusing someone of touching him and then running away, leaving him alone and feeling like a sad Peter Pan. However, he ends the song on a hopeful note, promising that a transformation will occur. The lyrics are cryptic and open to interpretation, but they seem to be about the struggles of chasing success and the fleeting nature of life.


Line by Line Meaning

It's the plan of most
Many people seek to find something magnificent.


To discover that magnificent ghost
To find something transcendent and elusive.


When did I get perverted
When did my values and goals become corrupted and confused.


And my innocent eyes diverted from the view so grand
When did I lose sight of the big picture and get distracted.


Imbued with distractions
Filled with many things that take my focus.


I'm greedy like Senior Babbitt
I am selfish and wanting more like a fictional character known for his greed.


I'm just chasing that electric rabbit
I am pursuing something intangible and fleeting like a rabbit driven by electrical impulses.


I'm a reluctant rebel
I don't want to follow the norm, but it's hard for me to break away from it.


I just want to be Aaron Neville
I aspire to be a great and successful musician like Aaron Neville.


With a crown on my head
I want to be recognized and celebrated for my talents and achievements.


And my denim shirt all dark with sweat
I want to work hard and put in effort in pursuing my goals.


I'm just pushing the paint around
I am experimenting and exploring creatively.


On advice from your lying mouth
I have been misled and given bad advice.


You touched me and then you ran
Someone had a significant impact on me but then left me.


And left a sad Peter Pan
I am left feeling like a lost and lonely child who can't grow up.


All alone and awkward
I feel isolated and uncomfortable in my current state.


But a transformation, I swear it will occur
I believe that change and growth are possible and will happen in the future.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: VIC CHESNUTT

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Most interesting comment from YouTube:

tropicwave1

Sad Peter Pan
Vic Chesnutt

It's the plan of most
To discover that magnificent ghost
When did I get perverted
And my innocent eyes diverted from the view so grand
Imbued with distractions

I'm greedy like Senior Babbitt
I'm just chasing that electric rabbit
I'm a reluctant rebel
I just want to be Aaron Neville
With a crown on my head
And my denim shirt all dark with sweat

I'm just pushing the paint around
On advice from your lying mouth
You touched me and then you ran
And left some sad Peter Pan
All alone and awkward
But a transformation, I swear it will occur

Songwriters: Vic Chesnutt
Sad Peter Pan lyrics © BMG Rights Management US, LLC

PP



All comments from YouTube:

Tom 4V

The original song by Vic Chestnutt is wonderful, and the Pumpkins really did it justice .. I used to listen this cover for hours.. brings back a lot of memories

keLso

One of my favorite Pumpkins songs of all time in addition to Starla, Mayonaise, Space Boy, The Aeroplane flies high.

Keith Christopher Kosiewicz

playlist https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJr-XLUvFVU-QojwM0_9cw1g70kN6q6aA

keLso

Modern Electric Recordings I know that.. as does any true pumpkins fan. But I am still saying that it is one of my favorite pumpkins songs of all time, as in, they performed it, and I love it.

tropicwave1

Sad Peter Pan
Vic Chesnutt

It's the plan of most
To discover that magnificent ghost
When did I get perverted
And my innocent eyes diverted from the view so grand
Imbued with distractions

I'm greedy like Senior Babbitt
I'm just chasing that electric rabbit
I'm a reluctant rebel
I just want to be Aaron Neville
With a crown on my head
And my denim shirt all dark with sweat

I'm just pushing the paint around
On advice from your lying mouth
You touched me and then you ran
And left some sad Peter Pan
All alone and awkward
But a transformation, I swear it will occur

Songwriters: Vic Chesnutt
Sad Peter Pan lyrics © BMG Rights Management US, LLC

PP

Aidan Mahoney

vic chesnutt was incredible

Anthony Untalan

Thank you for uploading good quality audio. 💚

Geo Folkers

Great song :)

ncndnz

here for the Red Red Meat and Vic Chesnutt aspects of this more than Pumpkins, ngl. but tbf, Billy Sounds nice on this one.

TelEyre

Here for Vic CHesnutt and staying

More Comments

More Versions