The Avalanches are an electronic music collective from Melbourne, Australia… Read Full Bio ↴The Avalanches are an electronic music collective from Melbourne, Australia. They are well known for their use of eclectic sampling, having created their debut album, Since I Left You (2000), entirely out of over 3,500 samples of obscure records, movies, and television shows. This is famously demonstrated on their hit single "Frontier Psychiatrist".

Before this, they were a hip-hop group with the single album Rock City and the EPy El Producto. After a 16 year hiatus, they released their sophomore album Wildflower (2016), which was followed by We Will Always Love You (2020).

2. A defunct American surf rock group
NOTE: The former band actually got their name from the latter, as The Avalanches' " Ski Surfin''" album was known to be their favorite album.
The Avalanches was an instrumental surf rock studio group, active in the 1960s, which included Billy Strange, Tommy Tedesco, David Gates (later of Bread) and Hal Blaine. In 1963 they recorded an LP Ski Surfin', which was re-released in 2007.

Im a Cuckoo
The Avalanches Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'm glad to see you
I had a funny dream
You were wearing funny shoes
You were going to a dance
You were dressed like a punk but you are too young to remember

Glad to see you
I'm outside the house

I'm not thinking well today
I've got no energy
I'm glad that you are waiting with me
Tell me all about your day

Breaking off is misery
I see a wilderness for you and me
Punctuated by philosophy
And a wondering how things could've been

I'm happy for you
You've made it hard for me
I counted on your company
You are staying with your friends tonight
I'm feeling sorry for myself
I keep taking everything to be a sign

I'm happy for you
Now I know this hurt is poison
Too sharp to be bled
I'm sitting on my empty bed
On my empty bed
At night the fever grows it's pounding pounding

I'd rather be in Tokyo
I'd rather listen to Thin Lizzy-oh
Watch the Sunday gang in Harajuku
There's something wrong with me, I'm a cuckoo

Scary moment, lovin' every moment
I was high from playing shows
We lost a singer to her clothes
My trouble raised its ugly head
I was revealed
And I was home in bed
I was a kid again

Jesus told me, go after every coin like it was the last in the world
And protect the wayward child
But I'm a little lost sheep
I need my Bo Peep
I know I need My Shepherd here tonight

Breaking off is misery
I see a wilderness for you and me
Punctuated by philosophy
And a wondering how things could've been

I'd like to see you
But really I should stay away
And let you settle down
I've got no claims to your crown
I was the boss of you
And I loved you
You know I loved you
It's all over now

I was there for you
When you were lonely
I was there when you were sad
I was there when you were bad
Now it's my time of need
I'm thinking, do I have to plead to get you by my side?

I'd rather be in Tokyo
I'd rather listen to Thin Lizzy-oh

Watch the Sunday gang in Harajuku
There's something wrong with me, I'm a cuckoo

Overall Meaning

The Avalanches’ song “I’m a Cuckoo” is a song about an individual who realizes that their relationship is coming to an end. They are confused about their feelings and are not quite ready to let go. The lyrics of the song showcase the singer grappling with their emotions as they come to terms with the fact that their significant other is moving on.

The lyrics are filled with a sense of melancholy and sadness, as they come to terms with the end of the relationship. The singer is confused about their emotions and the fact that the other person is going out and having a good time while they are stuck at home. The lyrics indicate that there is still a deep sense of love and attachment toward the other person, which makes it hard for the singer to move on.

One of the standout lines of the song is “Breaking off is misery, I see a wilderness for you and me, punctuated by philosophy”. This line beautifully sums up the sense of uncertainty and confusion felt by the singer. They know that the relationship needs to end, but they are not sure what the future holds for them.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm glad to see you
I am happy to see you.

I had a funny dream
I had a strange dream.

You were wearing funny shoes
In my dream, you were wearing unusual shoes.

You were going to a dance
In my dream, you were on your way to a dance.

You were dressed like a punk but you are too young to remember
In my dream, you were dressed like a punk, but you are too young to remember that era.

I'm happy for you
I am pleased for you and your success.

Breaking off is misery
Ending a relationship is painful and sad.

I see a wilderness for you and me
I see a challenging and uncertain future for us.

Punctuated by philosophy
Interspersed with deep thinking and pondering.

And a wondering how things could've been
Wondering how things might have been different if we had made different choices.

Now I know this hurt is poison
I now realize that this pain is harmful to me.

Too sharp to be bled
The pain is too intense to be relieved by typical methods like bleeding.

I'd rather be in Tokyo
I'd prefer to be in Tokyo right now.

I'd rather listen to Thin Lizzy-oh
I'd rather listen to Thin Lizzy music.

Watch the Sunday gang in Harajuku
I'd like to observe the Sunday gang in Harajuku, a neighborhood in Tokyo.

There's something wrong with me, I'm a cuckoo
There is something peculiar about me, like a bird with erratic behavior.

Scary moment, lovin' every moment
It's exhilarating and frightening at the same time.

We lost a singer to her clothes
One of our singers became more interested in fashion than music and left the band.

My trouble raised its ugly head
My problems surfaced and became apparent to others.

I was revealed
My true self was exposed.

Jesus told me, go after every coin like it was the last in the world
I believe that Jesus told me to pursue everything as if it were the most important thing in the world.

And protect the wayward child
I feel it is important to protect those who have lost their way.

But I'm a little lost sheep
I feel like a helpless and lost follower.

I need my Bo Peep
I need someone to guide me and show me the way.

Now it's my time of need
Now I am the one who needs help and support.

I'm thinking, do I have to plead to get you by my side?
I wonder if I have to beg for your help and companionship.

And let you settle down
I should allow you to establish yourself and find happiness.

I've got no claims to your crown
I have no right to interfere or control your life.

I was the boss of you
I used to be in charge of you.

And I loved you
I cared deeply for you.

You know I loved you
You are aware of how much I cared for you.

It's all over now
Our relationship has ended.

I was there for you
I was there to support you.

When you were lonely
When you were feeling isolated and alone.

I was there when you were sad
I was there to comfort you during times of sadness.

I was there when you were bad
I was there to help take care of you, even when you were unwell.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BOB KILDEA, CHRISTOPHER GEDDES, DARREN SELTMANN, MICHAEL COOKE, RICHARD COLBURN, ROBERT CHATER, SARAH MARTIN, STEPHEN JACKSON, STUART MURDOCH

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS