The Tiger Lillies are a three-piece band, formed in 1989 by singer-songwrit… Read Full Bio ↴The Tiger Lillies are a three-piece band, formed in 1989 by singer-songwriter Martyn Jacques and based in London.
Currently Martyn Jacques, Adrian Stout, Adrian Huge (Past member Phil Butcher)

Their surreal style has been described as dark, darkly humorous, strangely humorous, Brechtian, and gypsy cabaret. They are also notorious for singing controversial songs involving bestiality, prostitution and blasphemy.

The Tiger Lillies were originally buskers, playing songs about the criminals, pimps and whores of Soho, London, England. Over time, the band became involved in several theatrical productions around the world, including the critically acclaimed Shockheaded Peter. Known for their intense, outlandish, and dark performances, they have garnered both controversy and critical acclaim.

Also "The Tiger Lillies", "The Tigerlilies" and "The Tigerlillies" may refer to Indie rock band from Cincinnati, Ohio that formed in 1989.

Bio:
Cincinnati's power pop stalwarts the Tigerlillies formed in 1989 and set out to fuse glam rock, roots rock, and post-punk into an aesthetic they called "More Pop than Jesus." Led by vocalist/guitarist Pat Hennessy, the band also included former members of the Chrome Cranks, the Candy Snatchers, and G.G. Allin & the Murder Junkies before settling on the lineup of Hennessy, guitarist/vocalist William Weber, bassist Brian Driscoll, and drummer/vocalist Steve Hennessy.

Discography:
Deep (1992)
Space Age Love Songs (1997)
Ceci N'est Ces Pop (2003)

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Envy
The Tiger Lillies Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Don’t forget to envy every man
His suffering and his torment is a lifetime planned
So don’t forget to envy something that don’t exist
A phantom of your fantasy that writhes and licks and twists

Look he’s got a big car you’d like to fuck his wife
You’d like to have his money, you’d like to have his life
So you burn with envy soon you’ll burn in hell

Soon you’ll burn … oh well

You be nasty to him, you be so unkind
Every kindness you become blind
So you burn with envy soon you’ll burn in hell
Soon you’ll burn, soon you’ll burn … oh well

If only you had this or that then it would be fine
You’d like to take it from him he’s just a filthy swine

Stab the bastard in the back it’s just what he deserves
He’s just a little toerag he’s just a little turd

Overall Meaning

The Tiger Lillies's song Envy may seem like just another angry song about jealousy and resentment, but there's actually a lot more to it than that. The lyrics start by urging the listener to envy every man, but not for the reasons one might think. Instead of envying someone for their possessions or accomplishments, the song suggests envying their suffering and torment. The idea seems to be that everyone has their own struggles and hardships that we can't see from the outside, so we shouldn't be quick to judge or assume that someone's life is better than ours.

The next verse takes a darker turn, as the singer describes someone who is consumed by envy and desires to take what others have. They want to "f*ck his wife," take his money, and have his life. The imagery of burning in hell is used to suggest that this kind of envy is a sin or moral failing that will ultimately lead to one's own downfall. The lyrics then describe how envy can turn someone into a cruel and nasty person who is blind to kindness.

Overall, Envy is a cautionary tale about the dangers of comparing oneself to others and letting jealousy and resentment take over. It urges listeners to appreciate what they have and recognize that everyone has their own struggles, rather than envying and resenting those who appear to have more.

Line by Line Meaning

Don’t forget to envy every man
Remember to be jealous of every man

His suffering and his torment is a lifetime planned
His pain and misery are predetermined

So don’t forget to envy something that don’t exist
Don't forget to be envious of something that's not real

A phantom of your fantasy that writhes and licks and twists
An imaginary creation of your mind that contorts and moves sensuously

Look he’s got a big car you’d like to fuck his wife
He has an expensive car and you desire to sleep with his wife

You’d like to have his money, you’d like to have his life
You want his wealth and his life

So you burn with envy soon you’ll burn in hell
You feel consumed by envy, leading to your demise

You be nasty to him, you be so unkind
You treat him with malice, being extremely cruel

Every kindness you become blind
You are blinded to any kindness he may show

If only you had this or that then it would be fine
If only you had those things, your life would be better

You’d like to take it from him he’s just a filthy swine
You want to steal it from him, thinking he's disgusting