Matilda
Tacks the Boy Disaster Lyrics
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You're watering the garden and no one's around
Don't be a stranger we're living in danger
Or worse, in a cabin with trees all around
Where we'll be stuck there inside
Nowhere to hide
I'll ask for your help
The season will change
Matilda, Matilda, what's gotten into ya
You're watering the garden no plants in the ground
Don't be a stranger we're living in danger
Or worse, in a cabin with trees all around
Where we'll be stuck there inside
Nowhere to hide
I'll ask for you help
The season will change
I'll wait for the rain to quiet me down
Ah
, Tacks the Boy Disaster's song "Matilda" is a call to a loved one named Matilda who seems to be aimlessly watering a garden. The song establishes an immediate sense of unease with the repetition of the phrase, "Matilda, Matilda, what's gotten into ya?" The chorus repeatedly pleads for Matilda to not be a stranger and reminds her of the danger they are living in. The danger is unspecified, leaving the listener to fill in their own apprehensions. The second verse switches from a garden to a cabin, with the same trees that encircle them. The repetition of the claustrophobic imagery is used to show the fear of being trapped with no place to hide. The line "I'll ask for your help, the season will change" shows that the singer hopes for a time when things will become easier, but for now, they wait for the rain to quiet them both down.
The lyrics of "Matilda" can be interpreted in myriad ways, and the song's ambivalence creates a sense of urgency that draws the listener into the story. But one possible interpretation could be that "Matilda" is a metaphor for the human condition: living in a world that seems to be ever more dangerous, where we're all surrounded by trees and unable to escape them. As we water the garden with no plants in the ground, we're left feeling aimless and alone. The songs calls to ask for help hints that we need a connection with others to get through these darker times. The seasonal change metaphor could also signify the fact that events in life come and go like the weather.
Line by Line Meaning
Matilda, Matilda, what's gotten into ya
Addressing Matilda and asking what is causing her behavior
You're watering the garden and no one's around
Observing Matilda's actions of watering the garden when no one is there
Don't be a stranger we're living in danger
Encouraging Matilda to stay close as they are living in a dangerous situation
Or worse, in a cabin with trees all around
Highlighting a potential dire situation of being trapped in a cabin surrounded by trees
Where we'll be stuck there inside
Emphasizing the sense of confinement and being trapped
Nowhere to hide
Expressing a feeling of helplessness and vulnerability
I'll ask for your help
Offering the possibility of mutual aid and assistance
The season will change
Anticipating the natural cycle of time passing
I'll wait for the rain to quiet me down
Expecting the rain to have a calming effect on inner turmoil
Matilda, Matilda, what's gotten into ya
Repeating the initial inquiry to accentuate concern
You're watering the garden no plants in the ground
Critiquing Matilda's actions, as they are not productive or necessary
Don't be a stranger we're living in danger
Reinforcing the need for community and mutual trust in a perilous environment
Or worse, in a cabin with trees all around
Reiterating the possibility of being trapped in a dangerous surrounding
Where we'll be stuck there inside
Repeating the sense of confinement and being trapped
Nowhere to hide
Reemphasizing the feeling of helplessness and vulnerability
I'll ask for you help
Restating the offer of mutual aid and assistance
The season will change
Echoing the anticipation of the natural cycle of time passing
I'll wait for the rain to quiet me down
Repeating the expectation of the rain having a calming effect on inner turmoil
Ah
A musical interlude or vocal expression of emotion
Contributed by Dylan D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.