He regularly does solo work, and returns again and again to bands he has formed like The Soft Boys and The Egyptians. Hitchcock is an avid and able collaborator with people like director Jonathan Demme, actor Alan Rickman, country/folk duo (and longtime Hitchcock fans) Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, The Venus 3, R.E.M.'s Peter Buck, Young Fresh Fellows' frontman Scott McCaughey, Andy Partridge of XTC, Nick Lowe, former Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones, Jon Brion, and Grant-Lee Phillips, as well as Ministry's Bill Rieflin.
Hitchcock's musical and lyrical styles have been influenced by his appreciation of Bob Dylan, Gregory Corso, The Byrds, Country Joe & The Fish, and Syd Barrett.
Hitchcock's lyrics are an essential component of his work, and tend to include surrealism, comedic songs, characterisations of English eccentrics, plant roots, insects, trains, dreams, and melancholy depictions of everyday life. His themes include what many psychologists view as the roots of modern neurosis - namely, death, sex, and eating. (As if in recognition of these themes, he released an EP in 2007 called "Sex, Food, Death and Tarantulas".)
Don't You
Robyn Hitchcock Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But you just pick your nose and squint
Don't you don't you
Don't you understand?
The bees are swarming round the coffin
But you just blink your eyes and sneeze
Don't you don't you
The fish are spawning in the basin
But you just tweak your hairs and yawn
Don't you don't you
Don't you understand?
Don't you understand
I'm down there on my knees?
Listen to me, please
With my head in a bucket of sand
The worms are crawling through your body
But you just smirk and pose for snaps
Don't you don't you
Don't you understand?
In “Don't You,” Robyn Hitchcock highlights the theme of ignorance or lack of concern in society. He uses various animal mating and breeding habits to symbolize important events that require attention, but the subject in question just ignores them. Although the verses seem nonsensical, the song's meaning is to communicate a message to people who often ignore the world's vital events and rely on superficial things that have a very small impact on their lives. These events may range from environmental destruction (“the bees are swarming around the coffin”), cultural erosion (“the frogs are mating on the table”), to serious health issues (“the worms are crawling through your body”), and so on. The chorus of the song, “Don't you understand?,” asks the listener if they can't see the significance of the events occurring around them or if they just do not care.
The second part of the chorus, “I'm down there on my knees,” suggests that Robyn is pleading with a person who is indifferent to the world around them. He is hoping that the listener will see through what he's singing and understand the importance of opening their eyes to the world's significant events. It hints at the need for the listener to comprehend the significance of the message and act accordingly. Additionally, the song paints a vivid portrayal of ignorance and indifference in society as it fails to confront the significant issues.
Line by Line Meaning
The frogs are mating on the table
There are important things happening right in front of you, but you choose to ignore them.
But you just pick your nose and squint
You are oblivious to the world around you, lost in your own self-absorption.
Don't you don't you
Can't you see? Are you blind to what's happening?
Don't you understand?
I'm trying to get through to you, to make you see what's really going on here.
The bees are swarming round the coffin
Even in the midst of death, life goes on around us.
But you just blink your eyes and sneeze
You are unaffected by the world around you, unaware of the significance of the moment.
The fish are spawning in the basin
Life is renewing itself, continuing on as it always has.
But you just tweak your hairs and yawn
You are too caught up in your own shallow concerns to see the beauty and significance of what's happening.
Don't you understand?
I'm begging you to wake up and see what's happening here!
Don't you understand
I'm down there on my knees?
I'm pleading with you, trying to get you to understand the importance of what's happening.
Listen to me, please
With my head in a bucket of sand
I'm desperate to get through to you, even if it means humbling myself.
The worms are crawling through your body
Life and death are intertwined, and even in our bodies there is a cycle of renewal.
But you just smirk and pose for snaps
You are too focused on your own vanity and self-image to grasp the bigger picture.
Don't you don't you
Don't you understand?
Please, please, please, wake up and see what's happening all around you!
Contributed by Ryan L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.