Mungo City
Spacehog Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Welcome to this empty ministry of plenty
As I'm sure you know
We're clearly on display here
To remind you, should you stray from here
Or decide to roam

Dossers dream of gossamer
And kissing with tongues
Well, they're falling in love with anyone
Races from all places and all under one sun,
well it sure was no fun
So I got up and ran, ran, ran from Mungo City

Mungo City, where are you?
You make us grey when skies are blue
Mungo City, in the sky
Keeps a watchful eye on you and I

(Well) Don't think you're even thinking
Even though you're thinking: keep it underground
They're sending out distress codes
And playing with your mind though
You won't hear a sound

Nazis in the Japanese cars from Japan
Well, they're falling in love, if only they can
I'm telling you the tribesman wouldn't stand for this, man
Well, it sure was no scam
So I got up and ran, ran, ran from Mungo City

Mungo City, where are you?
You make us grey when skies are blue
Mungo City, in the sky
Keeps a watchful eye on you and I
Mungo City, where are you?
You make us grey when skies are blue




Mungo City, in the sky
Keeps a watchful eye on you tonight

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Spacehog's "Mungo City" are cryptic and open to interpretation. The opening lines suggest that the song is a commentary on our modern society, specifically the consumerist culture that dominates it. The "ministry of plenty" refers to a society that over-consumes and produces more than it needs. The next line, "We're clearly on display here," possibly refers to how we are constantly monitored by technology and social media. The line "To remind you, should you stray from here, or decide to roam" could be interpreted as how we are encouraged to stay within the confines of the system, and not stray from it.


The chorus references Mungo City, which is not a real place, but rather a metaphor for the insidious systems that control us. The line "You make us grey when skies are blue" could be interpreted as how these systems remove the color and excitement from our lives and reduce us to drones. The mention of "them" sending out distress codes and playing with our minds suggests a lack of control over our own lives.


The second verse continues with the theme of control and lack of agency. The mention of "Nazis in the Japanese cars from Japan" could represent the idea that oppressive systems can come from unexpected places. The line "I'm telling you the tribesman wouldn't stand for this, man" suggests that there are people who are oppressed and resisting, but the singer chooses to run away from it all.


Overall, "Mungo City" seems to be a protest against the systems of control that dominate modern society. The lyrics are open to interpretation, but the metaphors and imagery suggest a lack of agency and control over our own lives.


Line by Line Meaning

Welcome to this empty ministry of plenty
We've arrived at a place that is supposed to provide abundance, but it's devoid of anything useful.


As I'm sure you know
I'm certain you're already aware of the situation we find ourselves in.


We're clearly on display here
It's evident that we're being watched and observed.


To remind you, should you stray from here
This display is intended to keep us from wandering too far off or getting too comfortable.


Or decide to roam
If we choose to explore, we'll likely run into issues.


Dossers dream of gossamer
The homeless have dreams of luxury and delicacy, which are seemingly unattainable.


And kissing with tongues
They yearn for intimate connections with others.


Well, they're falling in love with anyone
The homeless are desperate for affection and will take it from anyone who offers it.


Races from all places and all under one sun, well it sure was no fun
People from diverse backgrounds were brought together, but it resulted in a miserable experience.


So I got up and ran, ran, ran from Mungo City
The artist had enough and left the bleak environment as quickly as possible.


Mungo City, where are you?
The singer is questioning the location and purpose of this oppressive place.


You make us grey when skies are blue
Even on a bright and sunny day, this place manages to suck the life out of everything and bring people down.


Mungo City, in the sky
This place is high up and possibly even in the clouds.


Keeps a watchful eye on you and I
The oppressive forces of this place are constantly monitoring and controlling people within it.


(Well) Don't think you're even thinking
The singer warns others not to get too comfortable or too deep in thought, as it may have consequences.


Even though you're thinking: keep it underground
Even if you're trying to keep a thought to yourself, this place may be able to detect it and punish you for it.


They're sending out distress codes
The forces of this oppressive place are alerting each other of potential issues and enforcing their control.


And playing with your mind though
They are intentionally messing with people's mental states and causing confusion and distress.


You won't hear a sound
The oppression is silent and subtle, but still effective.


Nazis in the Japanese cars from Japan
Oppressive forces come from unexpected places and may not align with what's expected or assumed.


Well, they're falling in love, if only they can
These forces may have ulterior motives, but they still seek affection and connection like anyone else.


I'm telling you the tribesman wouldn't stand for this, man
The artist implies that people who value their culture and traditions would resist this oppressive force.


Well, it sure was no scam
This experience was not a hoax or a trick. It was very real and very distressing.


So I got up and ran, ran, ran from Mungo City
The artist had enough and left the bleak environment as quickly as possible.


Mungo City, where are you?
The singer is questioning the location and purpose of this oppressive place.


You make us grey when skies are blue
Even on a bright and sunny day, this place manages to suck the life out of everything and bring people down.


Mungo City, in the sky
This place is high up and possibly even in the clouds.


Keeps a watchful eye on you tonight
The forces of this oppressive place are constantly monitoring and controlling people within it, even at night.




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@CubanB47

Welcome to this empty ministry of plenty
As I'm sure you know
We're clearly on display here
To remind you should you stray from here
Or decide to roam

Dossers dream of gossamer
And kissing with tongues
Well, they're falling in love with anyone
Races from all places though all from under one sun,
Well it sure was no fun
So I got up and ran, ran, ran, from Mungo City

Mungo City - Where are you?
You make us grey when skies are blue
That Mungo city, in the sky
Keeps a watchful eye on you and I

(well) Don't think you're even thinking
Even though you're thinking: keep it underground
They're sending out distress codes
And playing with your mind though
You won't hear a sound
Nazis in the Japanese cars from Japan
Well, they're falling in love if only they can
I'm telling you the tribesman wouldn't stand for this, man
Will, it sure was no scam
So I got up and ran, ran, ran from Mungo City

Mungo City -Where are you?
You make us grey when skies are blue
That Mungo city, in the sky
Keeps a watchful eye on you tonight

Mungo City -Where are you?
You make us grey when skies are blue
Mungo city, in the sky
Keeps a watchful eye on you tonight

Mungo City -Where are you?
You make us grey when skies are blue
Mungo city, in the sky
Keeps a watchful eye on you tonight

Mungo City -Where are you?
You make us grey when skies are blue
Mungo city, in the sky
Keeps a watchful eye on you tonight

Mungo City -Where are you?
You make us grey when skies are blue

Mungo City -Where are you?
You make us grey when skies are blue

Mungo City -Where are you?
You make us grey when skies are blue



All comments from YouTube:

@akubura

I cannot believe this I've been trying to find this song for 20 years, heard it on the radio once when I was a teenager and loved it but never heard it again. When google came out, I tried various means to try to find it but for some reason thought he was saying "Mongoose city where are you? When skies are grey, we call for you." So of course Google was like "wtf?" This morning I had the itch again and started googling and found it finally! The lyrics are totally different but still a great song! I've added you to Spotify and will never forget it again!

@cbgames3945

I remember it from Beavis and Butthead. I have them on tapes with the original music. :)

@ponyong2090

Brillant song

@catsofsherman1316

Great album

@robertmiller3765

There's not a lot of spacehog on spotify...

@mruncreative

Same! My gf in college had this song on a mix and I have never been able to find it since. Today I randomly searched bc Resident Alien came up on amazon music recommendations and here it is finally!

5 More Replies...

@ObiWanGinobiliTopFan

Underappreciated, practically unknown, lost in the shuffle, yet still 🤟🔥🤟🔥 and timeless.

@starquinones2746

So true. Well said.

@magchill1376

The video we saw in the 90's, lost, thought of, gladly find and see again

@jmanfu01

Always thought this was their best song. I graduated HS in 97, perfect timing for 90s music scene. Most of the definitive influential music had beed kicked out by 96. Looking back now, I really think this song was the epitomy of 90s alt rock. Weird, catchy, amazing vocals, and not very commercial at the time. By the time this came out there was an active push by the industry into the boy band era.

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