Originated from a surf rock group called the Crossfires, the Turtles delved into many genres such as breezy pop, psychedelic music, and folk rock. A precursor to the bubblegum pop of the late 60s and early 70s as well as a foil to the more self-consciously hip and "serious" acts of the era, the Turtles produced at least a dozen memorable, radio-friendly chart singles. Yet they remain best known for 1967's "Happy Together", which was their only chart-topping single.
The Turtles wound down their career in 1970.
The two prominent singers - Howard Kaylan ("Eddie") and Mark Volman ("Flo" a.k.a. "Phlorescent Leech") - collaborated with Frank Zappa for a short but very intensive period of one and a half years (between 1970-72) and were the cornerstone of what was known to be the Zappa "Vaudeville" band; two of the most famous achievements of that period being the albums Fillmore East β June 1971 and 200 Motels, the soundtrack of the film by the same name.
Chicken Little Was Right
The Turtles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Somebody came anβ² they took it away
Wrapped it up in a wire net
Took it away an' it ainβ²t back yet
We were waitin'
We were watchin'
Yes, we knew it all along
Put it in a place where dead worlds lie
Underneath a tombstone, ten miles high
Weβ²re so safe, so secure
Heaven knows weβ²re absolutely sure
Never grew up but now it's dead
Whatβ²d you suppose the epitaph read?
'Weβ²re so young, we're so good
Heaven knows we surely must endureβ²
We were waitin'
We were watchin'
Yes, we knew it all along
You were wrong
Now, itβ²s gone
And we saw the little squirrels
And we watched their thrifty deeds
Who prepared for winterβ²s needs
And we planted
Planted lemon seeds!
If that there world comes back again
We'll be there, so letβ²s be friends
We'll be waitinβ²
We'll be watchinβ²
Yes, we've been here all along
Oh so long, so so long
Ehhh, ehhh, ehhh
Lemons growin' on our tree
Lemonade for you and me
The Turtles's song "Chicken Litter Was Right" is a song about environmental consciousness, with some apocalyptic undertones. The lyrics describe the tragedy of someone taking away the world and wrapping it up in a wire net, without returning it. The imagery is of a dead world that has been buried under a tombstone. The chorus is almost accusatory, with the singer suggesting that they knew all along that this would happen, and that the person who took the world away was wrong. However, the tone changes towards the end of the song, as the singer talks about the little squirrels, and how they prepared for winter's needs. The singer then talks about planting lemon seeds, and how they will be waiting and watching for the world to return.
Despite its catchy beat, the song is a warning about the damage that humans have done to the environment. It was written in the 1960s, a time when environmental degradation was beginning to emerge as a serious issue. Interestingly, the song seems to suggest that nature will prevail, that even if humans destroy the world, nature will still find a way to thrive. The song is a call to action, a reminder that we must take care of the earth if we want it to take care of us.
Line by Line Meaning
Did ya hear what happened to the world today?
Have you heard what happened to the world today?
Somebody came anβ² they took it away
Someone came and took away the world
Wrapped it up in a wire net
They used a wire net to contain the world
Took it away an' it ainβ²t back yet
They took it away and it hasn't returned yet
We were waitin'
We were waiting
We were watchin'
We were watching
Yes, we knew it all along
We were aware of what was happening
You were wrong
You were incorrect
Put it in a place where dead worlds lie
They placed the world in a location where other dead worlds are
Underneath a tombstone, ten miles high
The location they placed the world is beneath a ten-mile high tombstone
Weβ²re so safe, so secure
We feel very safe and secure
Heaven knows weβ²re absolutely sure
We are completely certain
Never grew up but now it's dead
We never matured but now the world is dead
Whatβ²d you suppose the epitaph read?
What do you think the epitaph says?
'Weβ²re so young, we're so good
The epitaph reads 'We were young and we were good'
Heaven knows we surely must endureβ²
We must endure the loss of the world
And we saw the little squirrels
We saw the small squirrels
And we watched their thrifty deeds
We observed their resourcefulness
Who prepared for winterβ²s needs
They prepared for the necessities of winter
And we planted
We planted
Planted lemon seeds!
We planted lemon seeds
If that there world comes back again
If the world returns again
We'll be there, so letβ²s be friends
We'll be there, so let's be friends
We'll be waitinβ²
We'll be waiting
We'll be watchinβ²
We'll be watching
Yes, we've been here all along
We've been here all along
Oh so long, so so long
For a very long time
Ehhh, ehhh, ehhh
Sound effect
Lemons growin' on our tree
Lemons are growing on our tree
Lemonade for you and me
We can make lemonade with them
Writer(s): The Turtles
Contributed by David F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.