Richard "Ribbs" Gibbs was the keyboard player for the New Wave band Oingo B… Read Full Bio ↴Richard "Ribbs" Gibbs was the keyboard player for the New Wave band Oingo Boingo from 1980 to 1984. He was also a session player, performing on over 150 albums for artists as diverse as War, Tom Waits, Robert Palmer, and Aretha Franklin. He also started the band Zuma II, which had an eponymously titled record released by Pasha/CBS Records. He has appeared live with Korn, The Staples, Chaka Khan, and Oingo Boingo.

Like his former bandmate Danny Elfman, Gibbs has embarked on a life of scoring movies and television shows. He has written the scores for over fifty films (Dr. Dolittle, Step Into Liquid, Say Anything and Queen of the Damned, among others) and acted as musical director and composer for various television shows, including Muppets Tonight!, The Simpsons, and the Battlestar Galactica miniseries/series.

He most recently worked with the indie-pop band Eisley, recording and producing their second full-length album Combinations at his Woodshed studio in September of 2006.

Joy to the World
Richard Gibbs Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Jeremiah was a bullfrog
Was a good friend of mine
I never understood a single word he said
But I helped him a-drink his wine
And he always had some mighty fine wine
Singin'

Joy to the world

All the boys and girls now
Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea
Joy to you and me

If I were the king of the world
Tell you what I'd do
I'd throw away the cars and the bars and the war
Make sweet love to you
Sing it now

Joy to the world
All the boys and girls
Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea
Joy to you and me

You know I love the ladies
Love to have my fun
I'm a high life flyer and a rainbow rider
A straight shootin' son-of-a-gun
I said a straight shootin' son-of-a-gun

Joy to the world
All the boys and girls
Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea
Joy to you and me

Joy to the world
All the boys and girls
Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea
Joy to you and me

Joy to the world
All the boys and girls
Joy to the world
Joy to you and me

Joy to the world
All the boys and girls now
Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea
Joy to you and me

Joy to the world
All the boys and girls
Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea
Joy to you and me

I want to tell you
Joy to the world
All the boys and girls
Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea
Joy to you and me

Joy to the world
All the boys and girls
Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea
Joy to you and me

Joy to the world
All the boys and girls

Overall Meaning

The song "Joy to the World" by Richard Gibbs has lyrics that are both simple and complex at the same time. The opening lines set the stage for the rest of the song, "Jeremiah was a bullfrog, was a good friend of mine, I never understood a single word he said, but I helped him a-drink his wine." This lyric could be interpreted in many ways, but most people see Jeremiah as a metaphor for someone who is irreverent and a little bit wild. The line "I never understood a single word he said" represents the disconnect that can happen between people who have different lifestyles and personalities. But helping him a-drink his wine shows that despite their differences, the singer and Jeremiah had a shared joy in life.

Then comes the main chorus of the song, "Joy to the world, all the boys and girls now, joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea, joy to you and me." This chorus is a celebration of happiness and freedom. It's a call to enjoy life and appreciate the wonders of the world around us. The next set of lyrics, "If I were the king of the world, tell you what I'd do, I'd throw away the cars, and the bars, and the war, make sweet love to you," further shows the singer's desire to free the world of its troubles and share a connection with someone special.

Overall, "Joy to the World" is a song that encourages people to embrace the joy and wonder of life. It's a call to appreciate the simple things and find happiness in the world around us. The song has a timeless quality that has resonated with people for decades.

Line by Line Meaning

Jeremiah was a bullfrog
I had a good friend named Jeremiah who was a carefree and happy-go-lucky person

Was a good friend of mine
I had a strong friendship with Jeremiah and we shared many good times together

I never understood a single word he said
Jeremiah was often hard to understand, but I still enjoyed his company

But I helped him a-drink his wine
Despite not always understanding Jeremiah, I enjoyed sharing wine with him and being his friend

And he always had some mighty fine wine
Jeremiah was known for having good taste in wine and always shared it with me

Singin' Joy to the world All the boys and girls now Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea Joy to you and me
We sang a joyful tune about bringing happiness and celebration to all people, animals and places in the world

If I were the king of the world Tell you what I'd do I'd throw away the cars and the bars and the war Make sweet love to you Sing it now
If I had great power and influence, I would eliminate negative and harmful things like cars, bars and war, and instead prioritize love and connection between people

You know I love the ladies Love to have my fun I'm a high life flyer and a rainbow rider A straight shootin' son-of-a-gun I said a straight shootin' son-of-a-gun
I enjoy spending time with women and having a good time. I like to live life to the fullest and be fearless, but am also reliable and honest

I want to tell you Joy to the world All the boys and girls Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea Joy to you and me
I want to emphasize again the importance of spreading joy and positivity to all people and creatures on earth

Joy to the world All the boys and girls Joy to the world Joy to you and me
Let us all have joy and celebration in our lives, and share that with each other

Joy to the world All the boys and girls now Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea Joy to you and me
Once again, let us all cherish joy and bring it to all corners of the world, both on land and in the sea

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: HOYT AXTON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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