Gluttony
The Tiger Lillies Lyrics


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See him stuff his face he wants to be fulfilled
Yet each mouthful that he takes is just a bitter pill
That leaves a gaping hole of emptiness and grief
So the gaping hole will grow gluttonies’ deceit
He salivates and farts he gobbles and he slurps
Engorging the void within how resonant his burp
When he has finished how foul will be the shit
That he will emanate from his anal lips
The stinking rancid odour the fat from him hangs
Yet the emptiness within leaves hunger with its fangs




In aimless misery he gobbles and he farts
Until one day it does give out his fat and bloated heart

Overall Meaning

The Tiger Lillies's song "Gluttony" explores the theme of overindulgence in food and its consequences. The lyrics describe a character who is constantly trying to fill a void within themselves by consuming large quantities of food, but in reality, every mouthful they take leaves them feeling empty and unfulfilled. The more they eat, the more the emptiness grows, leading to a vicious cycle of gluttony and deceit. The character is so consumed with their desire to eat that they become blinded to the negative impact it has on their body, both in terms of their physical health (as evidenced by the foul odor and fat that emanates from them) and their emotional well-being (as illustrated by the "aimless misery" they feel).


The song's lyrics are made even more powerful by the Tiger Lillies's use of dark, haunting music to underscore their message. The clanging bells and discordant accordion melodies add to the feeling of unease and desperation that runs throughout the song, as if the music itself is trying to warn listeners of the dangers of excessive consumption.


Line by Line Meaning

See him stuff his face he wants to be fulfilled
The person is eating excessively because they believe it will bring them happiness and satisfaction.


Yet each mouthful that he takes is just a bitter pill
Despite his excessive consumption, the person is not finding any enjoyment or fulfillment from the food he eats. In fact, each bite only makes him feel worse.


That leaves a gaping hole of emptiness and grief
Despite his efforts to fill himself up with food, there is an emotional emptiness and pain inside him that remains unfulfilled and unresolved.


So the gaping hole will grow gluttonies’ deceit
The more the person eats to fill the emptiness inside him, the more he deceives himself into thinking that food can satisfy his emotional needs.


He salivates and farts he gobbles and he slurps
The person is consuming food with disgustingly excessive behaviors, such as salivating, farting, gobbling, and slurping.


Engorging the void within how resonant his burp
The more he eats, the more he fills the emptiness inside him, but it only causes him to burp with a sense of hollowness and futility.


When he has finished how foul will be the shit
After overeating, the person will produce excrement that is foul and unpleasant-smelling, a result of his excessive indulgence.


That he will emanate from his anal lips
The person will expel this unpleasant odor from his anus, a graphic reminder of his indulgence and lack of self-control.


The stinking rancid odour the fat from him hangs
In addition to the smell of his excrement, the person's excessive eating has caused him to have a lingering, unpleasant smell of fat and decay emanating from his body.


Yet the emptiness within leaves hunger with its fangs
Despite his efforts to fill himself up with food, the person's emotional emptiness still gnaws at him with the sharpness of hunger pangs.


In aimless misery he gobbles and he farts
The person continues to eat excessively and with disgustingly indulgent behavior, despite the fact that it doesn't bring him any true happiness or fulfillment.


Until one day it does give out his fat and bloated heart
The person's excessive indulgence is eventually going to lead to his physical downfall, with a heart that is weighed down and damaged by his overeating.




Contributed by Julia N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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