Current and Former Members include: Pat Fish aka The Butcher (founder), Max Eider (founder), Steve Valentine, Owen Jones, Curtis E. Johnson, Pat Beirne, Gabriel Turner, Dooj Wilkinson, Dave Henderson, Paul Mulreany, Richard Formby, Alex Green, Alex Lee, David J, Graham Fudger aka Felix Fudger, Julian Poole, Kevin Haskins, Kizzy O'Callaghan, Laurence O'Keefe, Nick Burson, Rolo McGinty, Colin, Sonic Boom, Alice Thompson, Peter Astor, Peter Crouch, Rodney Allen, and Joe Allen.
Official Website: http://www.jazzbutcher.com/htdb
The Human Jungle
The Jazz Butcher Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I'm ready to swear to that
The room is swaying like a boat
But I'm still afloat and that's a matter of fact
Let's address the last few facts we have today
See if any of them help in any way
Ask ourselves now, what would Dr. Korda say?
(Dr. Korda was the name of the character played by Herbert Lom in the early sixties T.V. series "The Human Jungle")
Chorus:
And you don't ask why
Give me the sex and travel down in the human jungle (x2)
Give me the sex and travel (x2)
Down in the human jungle
Every Tuesday half-past two
We investigate all the things that people are
See the boy who lost his shoe
See the zoo
See the babies ride in unmarked cars
Then the advert brothers stumble in
Watch the telly, do the ironing
All those ladies never learn a thing
What can you say when it comes on down
Chorus
Ba-da ba-da ba-ba bewitched
I'm a camera, I'm a clown
And every you make, I write it down
I know all about your house, I know all about your mouth
I know when, I've got to leave your town
He can help you to recovery
He knows the secrets of psychiatry
You're all now-a-go-go... certainly
But what'll it be when it comes on down?
Chorus
What can anybody do or say? (x8)
Chorus
.
. fade
The Jazz Butcher's "The Human Jungle" is a song that discusses the human condition, the psychological tribulations that people face, and the absurdity of daily life. The opening lines of the song reference the British television series "The Human Jungle" starring Herbert Lom. The song uses the title of the show as a metaphor for the complexities of life and describes how the room (life) is swaying like a boat, but the singer is still afloat (alive and coping with life). The song also references Dr. Korda, the main character from the series, who is a psychiatrist who helps his patients to recover from psychological issues.
The next verse of the song talks about investigating people's lives, from a boy who lost his shoe to watching the zoo or babies in unmarked cars. The lyrics then move onto the advertisement agency, where women never seem to learn a thing. The song then transitions into the chorus, "Give me the sex and travel down in the human jungle," which seems to imply that people are searching for pleasure and escape from the everyday difficulties of life.
The final verse of the song references the singer's omniscience, as they know everything about the lives of the people around them. This is followed by the suggestion that Dr. Korda knows the secrets of psychiatry and that everyone is living in a now-go-go society. The final chorus repeats the desire for sex and travel, but with the added line "What can anybody do or say?" which seems to imply a resignation to the chaos and absurdity of life.
Line by Line Meaning
The Human Jungle starring Herbert Lom was never this much fun
This party is more exciting than a TV show named The Human Jungle starring Herbert Lom.
And I'm ready to swear to that
He is so sure that the party is more fun than The Human Jungle that he is willing to take an oath.
The room is swaying like a boat
The room is spinning, and it feels like being on a boat in the water.
But I'm still afloat and that's a matter of fact
Despite the room spinning like a boat, he is still standing, which is a fact.
Let's address the last few facts we have today
Let's take a look at the few things that we know and examine them.
See if any of them help in any way
Determine if any of the facts that we know are helpful in some way.
Ask ourselves now, what would Dr. Korda say?
Imagine what Dr. Korda, the main character in The Human Jungle, would say in this situation.
Oh, what'll he say when it comes on down?
What will Dr. Korda say when things get even crazier?
Give me the sex and travel down in the human jungle (x2)
He wants to experience the wildness and excitement of the human world by indulging in sex and adventure.
Every Tuesday half-past two
This line is introducing a new scene or event that happens at the same time every week.
We investigate all the things that people are
They study and explore the various traits and behaviors of people.
See the boy who lost his shoe
Observe the boy who has lost his shoe.
See the zoo
Watch the chaos and disorder of the scene, observing people's emotions and experiences.
See the babies ride in unmarked cars
Observe the babies traveling in cars without any kind of identification or markings.
Then the advert brothers stumble in
Some advertising or commercial people abruptly and randomly make an entrance.
Watch the telly, do the ironing
Women are busy trying to do house chores while watching television.
All those ladies never learn a thing
The women have stayed uneducated and ignorant to the ways of the world.
What can you say when it comes on down
What do you say when the conflict or tension takes over the situation.
Bewitched ba-da ba-da ba-ba
This line doesn't have any discernible meaning and is likely intended to add a musical transition.
I'm a camera, I'm a clown
He is describing himself as both a camera and a clown, indicating that he is both an observer and a participant in the scene.
And every you make, I write it down
Every action that people make is being recorded and observed by him.
I know all about your house, I know all about your mouth
He knows all about the people, their homes, their private lives, and their secrets.
I know when, I've got to leave your town
He knows when it is time to leave the town and the people behind, even when he's privy to their secrets and lives.
He can help you to recovery
He can help you get better emotionally or mentally, possibly in a way that Dr. Korda could.
He knows the secrets of psychiatry
He knows how to treat emotional and mental disorders similar to a psychiatrist.
You're all now-a-go-go...certainly
Everyone is excited and full of life.
But what'll it be when it comes on down?
He's wondering how everyone will cope when the excitement and good times inevitably come to an end.
What can anybody do or say? (x8)
There don't seem to be any words or actions that will stop the inevitable end of the excitement and good times.
Contributed by Henry J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.