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.
I Wanna Be
The Turtles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Get right in this mudafucka
Taste all the colors
Like bitch imma hide this summer
Yuh
You won't even know what the fuck I be on
Life a fever dream still gon dream on
I see the stars and they colored all blue
I feel the Air and its telling the truth
Can't keep track of my time cause I'm too spaced out
I bite my lip closed case now
Cause I can't feel my face now yuh
Anything goes straight out the coast
I swear to god when I say im a ghost
It glitter it glows
I don't control bitch like where the fuck are my clothes
Fuck being cool I don't wanna fit in
I just been focused on getting it in
How you too busy forget you got friends
Sage in the room cause I need me a cleanse
Oh you need charge but my phone low percent
0h you gon talk but I don't comprehend
I'm feeling her and think she get the hint
Y'all been asleep like come fuck with the kid
Fuck being cool I don't wanna fit in
I just been focused on getting it in
How you too busy forget you got friends
Sage in the room cause I need me a
We just set the vibe in this mudafucka
Get right in this mudafucka
Taste all the colors
Like bitch imma hide this summer
Yuh
You won't even know what the fuck I be on
Life a fever dream still gon dream on
I see the stars and they colored all blue
I get to vibing on me and now you
I feel the Air and its telling the truth
The Turtles' song "Can't You Hear The Cows" speaks to the idea that two individuals in a relationship can become too intertwined with each other, losing sight of their individuality. The opening lines, "There's something that I just can't seem to get off my mind and it's this, girl: we've let it go too far," set the tone for the rest of the song. The singer is fixated on the idea that he and his partner have become too close and have lost touch with who they are as individuals. The line "we're too young to have tied ourselves to each other's arms" suggests that the two young lovers have perhaps been too hasty in committing themselves to each other.
The singer goes on to explain that he loved his partner and the two were inseparable, "one together," but he has come to realize that "two cannot stay one forever." It is clear that he is conflicted as to how he feels about their relationship, and perhaps he is unsure of where to go from here.
In the final lines of the song, the repetition of "we've forgotten who we are" drives home the message that the singer and his partner have lost touch with their individuality. The repetition of "too young to have tied ourselves" suggests regret, as if the singer wishes they had taken things slower.
Overall, "Can't You Hear The Cows" is a song that explores the weight of commitment and the importance of maintaining one's individuality within a partnership.
Line by Line Meaning
There's something that I just can't seem to
I have something on my mind that's really bothering me
Get off my mind and it's this, girl:
I can't stop thinking about this, and I want to share it with you
We've let it go too far.
Our relationship has reached a point where we can't turn back
We're too young to have tied ourselves to
We got too serious too quickly, and we weren't ready for it
Each others' arms.
We've become too dependent on each other
We've forgotten who we are.
Our relationship changed us, and we lost sight of our individual identities
I loved her; the two of us were one plus one:
I cared for her deeply, and we were inseparable
One together, but I found
We were a team, but I realized something wasn't right
That two cannot stay one, stay one forever.
We can't continue as we were, because we're two separate people
Each others' minds!
Our relationship has become all-consuming, and we've lost our own sense of self
Too young to have tied ourselves
We weren't ready for the commitment we made to each other
Have tied ourselves
We've become too entangled in each other's lives
Lyrics Β© O/B/O DistroKid
Written by: Justin Lacuesta
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@walleyeman50
Is it me or was the world a better place in the 60βs and 70βs?
@Themanwhocameback2
A far, far better place.
@hilaryjuliecoxon5434
It was definitely a better world!
@lotstodo
It had good things for sure. But the past always looks rosy. We also had the Vietnam War and gross hippies spitting on veterans. And Charles Manson, so things weren't perfect.
@ValleyoftheRogue
It was.
@bellinghammond
It was better when white Republicans were running the nation and the hippies were just gnawing away the edge of it
@michaellazzeri9439
This is sadly, one of THE most underrated groups in rock history. These guys were fantastic.
@mastrofnone8025
I couldnt agree more.
@muffs55mercury61
I couldn't agree more. They had a great sound and the hits to prove it.
@tomglase5333
criminally underrated