The band's lineup fluctuated significantly over their first nine years, though founding members Steven Ronald "Stevo" Jensen, guitarist Jan Nils Ackermann, and first consistent drummer Joe Escalante remained regular fixtures. Of the original members only Escalante has remained through all incarnations of the band. The current lineup of Escalante, Dave Quackenbush, Warren Fitzgerald, and Josh Freese has remained intact since 1990 and is considered by most fans to be far removed from the band's early 1980s incarnation. Since 2002 Escalante has released all of the band's albums through his Kung Fu Records label, with Fitzgerald generally producing.
Manimal
The Vandals Lyrics
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my higher mind runs counter to my procreative self.
Although it's not my doing, nature has its way insuring
that the species will be fruitful, no matter how I try to fight it.
God's the one who made me like this- understand I'm innocent.
The drive is stronger than I am- I'm just a man, I'm just a man.
I'm just pulled in two directions by the male condition.
There's no excuses, only reasons for what has brought us here.
I need to make it clear, so you can understand.
It's part of nature's plan. I'm just a man, I'm just a man.
It's hard to do the right thing, the hormones screaming,
pleading- with the need to seed and no relief because there's always more.
One hundred million daily, manufactured and ready for the journey to conception.
Not unlike a loaded gun.
God's the one who made me like this- understand I'm innocent.
The drive is stronger than I am- I'm just a man, I'm just a man.
She means nothing to me, I swear.
I'm just pulled in two directions by the male condition.
There's no excuses, only reasons for what has brought us here.
I need to make it clear, so you can understand.
It's part of nature's plan. I'm just a man, I'm just a man...
The Vandals's song "Manimal" explores the complex and often conflicting nature of human sexuality. In the song, the singer is struggling to reconcile his desire for sexual fulfillment with his desire to be a civilized, moral person. He expresses his frustration with the fact that his "higher mind runs counter to [his] procreative self," and notes that, despite his efforts to resist his natural instincts, "the drive is stronger than [he is]." The singer suggests that this conflict is rooted in the male condition, and that it is a fundamental part of human nature.
Throughout the song, the singer is attempting to justify his behavior by arguing that he is not responsible for his actions. He claims that he is "innocent" because God made him this way, and that his innate desire to reproduce is simply a part of "nature's plan." However, he also insists that he has no feelings for the woman he is involved with, and that his actions are not a result of any emotional attachment to her.
With "Manimal," The Vandals take on a subject that is often taboo in popular music, and they do so with wit, humor, and insight. While the song's lyrics are clearly focused on male sexuality, they also touch on broader themes related to the tension between our animalistic instincts and our desire to be civilized, ethical beings.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm trying to be civilized and need you girl to realize,
I'm attempting to act with manners and want you to understand my predicament.
my higher mind runs counter to my procreative self.
My intellect opposes my instinct to reproduce.
Although it's not my doing, nature has its way insuring that the species will be fruitful, no matter how I try to fight it.
It's not my fault, nature guarantees that the species will reproduce, regardless of my efforts to curb it.
God's the one who made me like this- understand I'm innocent.
I'm not responsible for my impulses, God created me like this.
The drive is stronger than I am- I'm just a man, I'm just a man.
My sexual drive is more potent than my self-control, and I'm just a human being.
She means nothing to me, I swear.
I genuinely don't care about her, trust me.
I'm just pulled in two directions by the male condition.
I'm torn between fulfilling my masculine traits and doing the right thing.
There's no excuses, only reasons for what has brought us here.
I'm not trying to justify my actions, just explain how we got into this situation.
I need to make it clear, so you can understand.
I must clarify this for you to comprehend adequately.
It's part of nature's plan. I'm just a man, I'm just a man.
Reproducing is part of nature's blueprint, and I'm just a man following it.
It's hard to do the right thing, the hormones screaming, pleading- with the need to seed and no relief because there's always more.
Overcoming my bodily impulses is challenging, the hormones are commanding me to reproduce, but there's no satisfaction as there's always more temptation.
One hundred million daily, manufactured and ready for the journey to conception. Not unlike a loaded gun.
My body produces millions of gametes ready to join with an egg, with a force like a loaded firearm.
Contributed by Isabella S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.