ABC
The Tiger Lillies with Kronos Quartet Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To include in the icing on top of a bun.
B is for bats that swoop out of the air
And squeaking inaudibly catch in one's hair.
C is for cord of a moderate length,
To hang oneself from it requires no great strength.
D, E, F, G, H, I.
K is for Kris with a blade that is wavy,
L's for a letter that lay in a trunk,
Its contents explain how the dinghy was sunk.
M is for madhouse where is confined
A lady whose friends say she's out of her mind.
NOP.
Q is for quilt wrapped around a dead torso,
A sick-making sight could hardly be more so.
R is for Ray's wicked invention,
Dissolves at a distance the parts you don't mention.
S is for suicide so it would seem,
But then who was it uttered that unfinished scream.
T, U, V, W, X.
Y is for yonder where something is lying,
Which proves, seen close, to be somebody dying.
Z is for zero, the hour of doom,
It will strike any minute but no-one knows whom.
The Tiger Lillies with Kronos Quartet's song "ABC" is a clever and macabre exploration of the alphabet, offering unsettling ideas and dark themes for each letter. The lyrics specifically focus on death, murder, and suicide, which gives the song a foreboding and eerie atmosphere. From the very beginning, we're presented with the image of someone adding arsenic to the icing on a bun, setting the tone for the rest of the song. It's as if the song is taking us on a journey through a twisted version of the alphabet, where every letter is connected to death and despair.
Each letter that is presented has its own unique story or image. For example, "C" is for cord, which can be used to hang oneself. "M" is for madhouse, reflecting on the theme of mental illness. "R" is for Ray’s wicked invention, which dissolves parts of the body you don't want to mention. There are even more unsettling images presented, including a quilt wrapped around a dead torso (Q), and someone dying in the distance (Y). The song builds suspense and intrigue by ending with "Z is for zero, the hour of doom, It will strike any minute but no-one knows whom."
Overall, The Tiger Lillies with Kronos Quartet's "ABC" is a standout example of dark cabaret music, with lyrics that are both fascinating and unsettling. The song is a brilliant exploration and subversion of the alphabet, using each letter to offer a gruesome and foreboding image.
Line by Line Meaning
A is for Arsenic someone thought fun
Using poison for amusement purposes, someone thought it was a fun idea
To include in the icing on top of a bun.
Specifically, they decided to mix it with icing on a baked good.
B is for bats that swoop out of the air
Drawing attention to how bats fly through the air.
And squeaking inaudibly catch in one's hair.
Not only this, but they can make a sound so high-pitched that humans can't hear it, and they can get tangled up in human hair.
C is for cord of a moderate length,
This line explains the meaning behind the letter C.
To hang oneself from it requires no great strength.
Additionally, it's an easy and accessible tool for suicide.
D, E, F, G, H, I.
These letters are skipped, as they don't have anything specific or interesting to say about them.
K is for Kris with a blade that is wavy,
This line highlights a specific type of knife, which has a wavy blade.
One wonders why somebody smeared it with gravy.
However, it's unclear why someone would put gravy on it.
L's for a letter that lay in a trunk,
This line is drawing attention to a specific letter that was found in a chest.
Its contents explain how the dinghy was sunk.
The letter contains information about how a small boat was destroyed.
M is for madhouse where is confined
This line points out the existence of a specific place where those deemed crazy or mentally unstable get held.
A lady whose friends say she's out of her mind.
It mentions one particular woman who has been sent there.
NOP.
These letters are skipped, as they don't have anything specific or interesting to say about them.
Q is for quilt wrapped around a dead torso,
This line references a specific type of blanket wrapped around a deceased person.
A sick-making sight could hardly be more so.
It's a gruesome and upsetting image.
R is for Ray's wicked invention,
This line references someone named Ray who has created something evil or dangerous.
Dissolves at a distance the parts you don't mention.
It's designed to dissolve any evidence left behind that someone doesn't want discovered.
S is for suicide so it would seem,
The letter S is associated with the idea of killing oneself.
But then who was it uttered that unfinished scream.
Though it's not clear who exactly gets left hanging with this unfinished sound.
T, U, V, W, X.
These letters are skipped, as they don't have anything specific or interesting to say about them.
Y is for yonder where something is lying,
'Yonder' is another word for 'over there', and this line draws attention to something lying in that direction.
Which proves, seen close, to be somebody dying.
Upon closer inspection, it's revealed that it's actually a person who is dying or has already died.
Z is for zero, the hour of doom,
This line is drawing attention to the number zero, which it associates with a feeling of destruction and death.
It will strike any minute but no-one knows whom.
However, it's unclear when or where it will happen, nor who will be affected.
Contributed by Vivian S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.