801
The Moss Lyrics


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Well, legend has it that the moss grows on the north side of the trees
Well, legend has it that when the rain
Comes down, all the worms come up to breathe
Well, legend has it that when the
Sunbeams come, all the plants they eat them with
Their leaves
Well, legend has it that the world spins
Round on an axis of twenty-three degrees.
But have you heard the story of the rabbit in the moon
Or the cow that hopped the planets, while straddling a spoon
Or she, who leapt up mountains, while whistling up a tune
And swapped her songs with swallows, while riding on a broom.
Well we can all learn things both many and a-few
From that old hunched woman who lived inside a shoe
Or the girl that sang all day and by night she ate tear soup
Or, the man who drank too much and got the brewers' droop.
Come listen up all ye fair maids to how the moral goes
Nobody knew and nobody knows
How the pobble was robbed of his twice five toes
Or how the dong came to own a luminous nose
Or how the jumblies went to sea in a sieve that they rowed
And came to shore by the chankly bore, where the bong trees grow
Where the jabberwocky's small green tentacles do flow
And the quanglewangle plays, in the rain and the snow.
But have you heard the story of the rabbit in the moon
Or the cow that hopped the planets, while straddling a spoon
Or she, who leapt up mountains, while whistling up a tune
And swapped her songs with swallows, while riding on a broom.
Well we can all learn things both many and a-few
From that old hunched woman who lived inside a shoe
Or the girl that sang all day and by night she ate tear soup
Or, the man who drank too much and got the brewers' droop.
Well, legend has it that the moss grows on the north side of the trees
Well, legend has it that when the rain
Comes down, all the worms come up to breathe
Well, legend has it that when the
Sunbeams come, all the plants they eat them with
Their leaves
Well, legend has it that the world spins
Round on an axis of twenty-three degrees.
But have you heard the story of the rabbit in the moon
Or the cow that hopped the planets, while straddling a spoon
Or she, who leapt up mountains, while whistling up a tune
And swapped her songs with swallows, while riding on a broom.
Well we can all learn things both many and a-few
From that old hunched woman who lived inside a shoe




Or the girl that sang all day and by night she ate tear soup
Or, the man who drank too much and got the brewers' droop.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to The Moss's song "801" are a collection of legends and folktales, with a focus on the power of storytelling and the lessons that can be learned from them. The song opens with the well-known legend that moss grows on the north side of trees, before moving on to describe other stories such as the idea that worms come up to breathe when it rains, and plants eat sunbeams with their leaves. The song then mentions a variety of other tales, including the rabbit in the moon, a cow that hopped planets while straddling a spoon, and a woman who leapt up mountains while whistling a tune and swapped songs with swallows while riding on a broom.


The song emphasizes that we can learn both "many and a few" things from these stories, and acknowledges that even the most fantastical tales contain valuable lessons. The lyrics reference a hunched woman who lived in a shoe, a girl who sang all day and ate tear soup by night, and a man who drank too much and got the brewer's droop. The song concludes with a repetition of the opening verse, further emphasizing the idea that these legends and myths are an integral part of human understanding of the world.


Overall, "801" is a celebration of storytelling and the richness of human imagination. The song suggests that there is much to be gained from listening to legends and folktales, even if some of the stories seem outlandish. It encourages listeners to embrace these tales as a way of exploring the world and understanding our place within it.


Line by Line Meaning

Well, legend has it that the moss grows on the north side of the trees
There is a folklore that moss typically grows on the north side of trees.


Well, legend has it that when the rain Comes down, all the worms come up to breathe
According to an old tale, worms wriggle out of the ground when it rains to gasp for air.


Well, legend has it that when the Sunbeams come, all the plants they eat them with Their leaves
According to a myth, plants consume sunlight through their leaves.


Well, legend has it that the world spins Round on an axis of twenty-three degrees.
A belief exists that the earth rotates on its axis tilted at 23 degrees from the plane of its orbit.


But have you heard the story of the rabbit in the moon Or the cow that hopped the planets, while straddling a spoon Or she, who leapt up mountains, while whistling up a tune And swapped her songs with swallows, while riding on a broom.
Have you ever heard the tales of the rabbit in the moon, a cow that hopped on planets balancing on a spoon, or a lady who jumped up mountains while whistling and sang with swallows while flying on a broomstick?


Well we can all learn things both many and a-few From that old hunched woman who lived inside a shoe Or the girl that sang all day and by night she ate tear soup Or, the man who drank too much and got the brewers' droop.
We can learn a lot from stories of an old hunched woman who lived in a shoe, a girl who sang all day and ate tear soup by night or a man who drank too much and ended up with brewers' droop.


Come listen up all ye fair maids to how the moral goes Nobody knew and nobody knows How the pobble was robbed of his twice five toes Or how the dong came to own a luminous nose Or how the jumblies went to sea in a sieve that they rowed And came to shore by the chankly bore, where the bong trees grow Where the jabberwocky's small green tentacles do flow And the quanglewangle plays, in the rain and the snow.
Listen carefully, all you ladies, and understand that we do not know how pobble lost his toes or how the dong possesses a glowing nose. In addition, we do not know how the jumblies sailed in a sieve or how the quanglewangle plays in the rain and snow.




Writer(s): Tyke James

Contributed by Brooklyn P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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