In late 2010 the band's bandcamp account featured their single ‘Ffunny Ffrends’, a sort of alien beatnik pop music that echoed 60s psychedelia and krautrock minimalism with just a hint of gentle weirdness that suggested its roots might equally lie in the verdant indie of the equally distant New Zealand scene.
Ruban Nielson is a New Zealand native who transplanted to Portland, Oregon, USA with his band The Mint Chicks. UMO was a project conceived as Ruban’s escape hatch to a new musical dimension where his vision of junkshop record collector pop could be realised in a sound that recalled Captain Beefheart, Sly Stone and RZA jamming on some kids TV theme too dark to ever be broadcast.
The eponymous UMO debut album was released in 2011 on Fat Possum Records, followed by II (2013), Multi-Love (2015), Sex & Food (2018), IC-01 Hanoi (2018) and V (2023).
The World Is Crowded
Unknown Mortal Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Did your doctor prescribe me, baba?
(Woo) The world is crowded
Did your doctor prescribe me for what ails you, dear?
Yes you did
She made me buy her a chameleon
With each eye on a different sun
In another life did she blow my brains out?
(Woo) The world is crowded
Did your doctor prescribe me, baba?
(Woo) The world is crowded
Did your doctor prescribe me for what ails you, dear?
Yes you did
She found me in Robot Restaurant
Now I'll give her whatever she want
Would she listen to a recording of my silly voice
On the last day of her life?
(Woo) The world is crowded
Did your doctor prescribe me, baba?
(Woo) The world is crowded
Did your doctor prescribe me for what ails you, dear?
Yes you did
"The World is Crowded" by Unknown Mortal Orchestra is a song that is open to interpretation. At its core, the song is about feeling isolated in a crowded world, and finding solace in someone who is able to offer a cure for loneliness. The lyrics "Did your doctor prescribe me?," "Did your doctor prescribe me for what ails you, dear?," and "Yes you did" suggest that the singer has found someone who recommended them as a remedy for the listener's loneliness.
The song also touches on themes of unrequited love and obsession. The lines "She made me buy her a chameleon/With each eye on a different sun" and "In another life did she blow my brains out?" suggest that the singer is captivated by someone who is elusive or unpredictable. The line "Would she listen to a recording of my silly voice on the last day of her life?" further emphasizes the singer's desire to be accepted by this person.
Overall, "The World is Crowded" is a melancholy song that captures the feeling of being alone in a crowded world. The lyrics evoke a sense of longing and desperation, but also hint at the possibility of finding connection in unexpected places.
Line by Line Meaning
(Woo) The world is crowded
The world is full of people and things, making it difficult to stand out or find your place.
Did your doctor prescribe me, baba?
Did you choose me as a remedy for what troubles you, my love?
(Woo) The world is crowded
The world is overwhelming, and it's hard to focus on anything with so much going on.
Did your doctor prescribe me for what ails you, dear?
Did you seek me out to cure your pain, my beloved?
Yes you did
You did indeed choose me to be your cure, and I am here for you.
She made me buy her a chameleon
She asked me to buy a chameleon that changes with its surroundings, reflected in her own life.
With each eye on a different sun
The chameleon's fluidity and ability to adapt reminds her of the multiple perspectives she holds.
She made me watch Evangelion
She introduced me to a show about alienation, tragedy, and the confusion of humanity.
In another life did she blow my brains out?
In a parallel universe, could her dark side have ended me? Or is this all just a fantasy?
She found me in Robot Restaurant
She discovered me in a surrealistic place, where androids and humans merge into one another.
Now I'll give her whatever she want
Her fascination with the uncanny draws him to her completely. He wants to fulfill her every desire.
Would she listen to a recording of my silly voice
He wonders, will she cherish a reminder of his flawed, vulnerable side?
On the last day of her life?
Perhaps on the day of her death, he'll want her to remember him at his most human.
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Written by: Carl Kody Nielson, Ruban Nielson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Suneetg
(Woo) The world is crowded
Did your doctor prescribe me, baba?
(Woo) The world is crowded
Did your doctor prescribe me for what ails you, dear?
Yes you did
She made me buy her a chameleon
With each eye on a different sun
She made me watch Evangelion
In another life did she blow my brains out?
(Woo) The world is crowded
Did your doctor prescribe me, baba?
(Woo) The world is crowded
Did your doctor prescribe me for what ails you, dear?
Yes you did
She found me in Robot Restaurant
Now I’ll give her whatever she want
Would she listen to a recording of my silly voice
On the last day of her life?
(Woo) The world is crowded
Did your doctor prescribe me, baba?
(Woo) The world is crowded
Did your doctor prescribe me for what ails you, dear?
Yes you did
ICO
Lyrics:
(Woo) The world is crowded
Did your doctor prescribe me, baba?
(Woo) The world is crowded
Did your doctor prescribe me for what ails you, dear?
Yes you did
She made me buy her a chameleon
With each eye on a different sun
She made me watch Evangelion
In another life did she blow my brains out?
(Woo) The world is crowded
Did your doctor prescribe me, baba?
(Woo) The world is crowded
Did your doctor prescribe me for what ails you, dear?
Yes you did
She found me in Robot Restaurant
Now I’ll give her whatever she want
Would she listen to a recording of my silly voice
On the last day of her life?
(Woo) The world is crowded
Did your doctor prescribe me, baba?
(Woo) The world is crowded
Did your doctor prescribe me for what ails you, dear?
Yes you did
MaxResDefault
(Wooo) The world is crowded
Did your doctor prescribe me, baba?
Wooo) The world is crowded
Did your doctor prescribe me for what ails you, dear?
She made me buy her a chameleon
With each eye on a different sun
She made me watch Evangelion
In another life did she blow my brains out?
(Wooo) The world is crowded
Did your doctor prescribe me, baba?
Wooo) The world is crowded
Did your doctor prescribe me for what ails you, dear?
She found me in Robot Restaurant
Now I’ll give her whatever she want
Would she listen to a recording of my silly voice
On the last day of her life?
(Wooo) The world is crowded
Did your doctor prescribe me, baba?
Wooo) The world is crowded
Did your doctor prescribe me for what ails you, dear?
Ava
The world is crowded
Did your doctor prescribe me, baba?
(Woo) The world is crowded
Did your doctor prescribe me for what ails you, dear?
Yes you did
She made me buy her a chameleon
With each eye on a different sun
She made me watch Evangelion
In another life did she blow my brains out?
The world is crowded
Did your doctor prescribe me, baba?
(Woo) The world is crowded
Did your doctor prescribe me for what ails you, dear?
Yes you did
She found me in Robot Restaurant
Now I’ll give her whatever she want
Would she listen to a recording of my silly voice
On the last day of her life?
The world is crowded
Did your doctor prescribe me, baba?
(Woo) The world is crowded
Did your doctor prescribe me for what ails you, dear?
Yes you did
Jay
The world is crowded
Did your doctor prescribe me, baba?
(Woo) The world is crowded
Did your doctor prescribe me for what ails you, dear?
Yes you did
She made me buy her a chameleon
With each eye on a different sun
She made me watch Evangelion
In another life did she blow my brains out?
The world is crowded
Did your doctor prescribe me, baba?
(Woo) The world is crowded
Did your doctor prescribe me for what ails you, dear?
Yes you did
She found me in Robot Restaurant
Now I’ll give her whatever she want
Would she listen to a recording of my silly voice
On the last day of her life?
The world is crowded
Did your doctor prescribe me, baba?
(Woo) The world is crowded
Did your doctor prescribe me for what ails you, dear?
Yes you did
ᅲᅲ
The world is crowded
Did your doctor prescribe me, baba?
(Woo) The world is crowded
Did your doctor prescribe me for what ails you, dear?
Yes you did
She made me buy her a chameleon
With each eye on a different sun
She made me watch Evangelion
In another life did she blow my brains out?
The world is crowded
Did your doctor prescribe me, baba?
(Woo) The world is crowded
Did your doctor prescribe me for what ails you, dear?
Yes you did
She found me in Robot Restaurant
Now I’ll give her whatever she want
Would she listen to a recording of my silly voice
On the last day of her life?
The world is crowded
Did your doctor prescribe me, baba?
(Woo) The world is crowded
Did your doctor prescribe me for what ails you, dear?
Yes you did
joe bama
The world is crowded
Did your doctor prescribe me, baba?
(Woo) The world is crowded
Did your doctor prescribe me for what ails you, dear?
Yes you did
She made me buy her a chameleon
With each eye on a different sun
She made me watch Evangelion
In another life did she blow my brains out?
The world is crowded
Did your doctor prescribe me, baba?
(Woo) The world is crowded
Did your doctor prescribe me for what ails you, dear?
Yes you did
She found me in Robot Restaurant
Now I’ll give her whatever she want
Would she listen to a recording of my silly voice
On the last day of her life?
The world is crowded
Did your doctor prescribe me, baba?
(Woo) The world is crowded
Did your doctor prescribe me for what ails you, dear?
Yes you did
cody natalini
✨"Honey bee" is technically the first song I heard I think but, "Puzzles" was the song that made me actually look to see who I was listening to.
In contrast to a lot of their work "Honey Bee" has one of the cleanest mixes. Almost too clean for how I hear UMO in my head🤷✨
David Povinelli
This band is underrated.
Mike R
i love how the beat just plays out in the last 50 seconds. so good
magnus
In 2019 this is still some of the best music around. Incredible.
Betty Spaghetti
2022
Andrew Alderson
Aug. 2023
Gabriel Williamson
They sound so good live
Sc0ttynzl
love this bass line !
Liam Francis Burgess
Before the singing kicks in, I am getting major Rainy Day Dream Away Vibes. Also that guitar lick at 1:26 is so reminiscent of Jimi :) Ruban has said he tunes his guitar down to E flat because that's what Jimi used to do. And he started doing it just because, well if Jimi did it, it's obviously the way guitars were meant to be tuned. haha. It clearly does sound and feel much better in my opinion. Also his lyrics are quite cosmic in the same way hendrix lyrics were ive noticed.
Rainy day, dream away
Ah let the sun take a holiday
Flowers bathe an' ah see the children play
Lay back and groove on a rainy day.
I am so flippin stoked that this album is out. I was close to praying for this to happen. haha. YUS
Fabian Rasti
so true dude