Currently incarnating as Die Antwoord
Y-Front
Watkin Tudor Jones Lyrics
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Sitting in a Tree
S-C-H-E-M-I-N-G
Devil got a pitchfork
Soldier got a gun
Home alone always means a lot of fun
Ready, steady jump
Noise coming from the shed
Like bang, bang on a drum
Head for the shed,
Shit's getting weird
Soldier open door
Little arab kid with a beard
"shut up" says soldier,
"go sit in the corner.
That's it, no more blood and water"
Devil grabs the petrol,
Heads off to the kitchen
"fuck" says soldier,
"you better quit your bitchin'"
Little bearded arab boy is in the corner twitchin'
Plus a little arab girl in a black ninja robe
Soldier grabs a bit of rope,
Ties it round their necks
Then puts bags over their heads
And leads 'em out the shed
Chinaman pointing
There's a hellcat floating
In my livingroom
Giving me the heebie-jeebies
Jet to the cupboard quick
Fetch me a broomstick
Hit 'em in the tummy-tum
Die scum
Why front?
Little devil
Strapped with the bible
Lights some candles
And kicks a backwards recital (woo!)
Little forehead spinning,
Sniffing fumes
Pentagram flares up
In the livingroom
With a "woof"
Devil's heart going
"doof, doof doof"
Big black form appears with a poof
Devil gets a fright like
"holy guacamole"
Through the kitchen out the backdoor
To run and tell his homie
Things are still heating up at the back of the shed
Arab kids on their knees with their hands on their head
Devil having trouble speaking, taps soldier on the back
"Ah! jesus, don't do that, I'll have a heart attack!"
"There's a really big fucking hellcat floating in the living room!"
"What!?"
"Come with a broomstick quick, let's go!"
Make big noise.
Bounce.
Play rough.
Break stuff.
"Oh, thank you"
"Don't mention it. You're afraid?"
"It's true. Why front?"
"Be yourself."
The song "Y-Front" by Watkin Tudor Jones seems to be about the strange and fantastical experiences of two individuals - a soldier and a devil - as they engage in various activities. In the song's opening lines, the two entities are seen sitting together in a tree, scheming. The devil has a pitchfork, and the soldier has a gun. They appear to be "home alone," which means that they have the opportunity to engage in some sort of activity that they find enjoyable.
There is then a brief moment in the song where things become frenzied. A loud noise is coming from a shed, leading the soldier and devil to head over to investigate. There, they encounter two Arabic children - a boy and a girl - and proceed to tie them up with rope and bags. The ensuing chant of "why front?" (a slang term that means to be fake, or to put on a show) implies that the soldier and devil are reveling in their perceived superiority over the children, and are perhaps engaging in some form of sadistic play.
Later in the song, the devil lights some candles and performs a backwards recital, in which an occult symbol (a pentagram) flares up in the living room. A "big black form" then appears, which startles the devil, causing him to flee. Meanwhile, the soldier and devil continue to make big noise, play rough, and break stuff. The song's closing lines, "It's true. Why front? Be yourself," might be interpreted as a commentary on the idea of authenticity, or being true to one's self.
Line by Line Meaning
Soldier and Devil
A soldier and a devil are in the same team.
Sitting in a Tree
They are hanging out together, enjoying each other's company.
S-C-H-E-M-I-N-G
They are making plans, and scheming on how to execute them.
Devil got a pitchfork
The devil has a pitchfork, representing his evil nature.
Soldier got a gun
The soldier has a gun, representing his lethal nature.
Home alone always means a lot of fun
They are planning to have some fun by themselves, with no one else around.
Ready, steady jump
They are ready to take action.
Land with the thump
Their actions are coming with force and repercussion.
Noise coming from the shed
There is a disturbance happening in the shed.
Like bang, bang on a drum
The noise is loud and repetitive like a drum beat.
Head for the shed
They are investigating the noise and heading towards the shed.
Shit's getting weird
Things are starting to get strange and abnormal.
Soldier open door
The soldier opens the door to the shed.
Little arab kid with a beard
There is a young Middle Eastern child in the shed with a beard.
"shut up" says soldier,
"go sit in the corner.
That's it, no more blood and water"
The soldier tells the child to be quiet and sit in the corner, abstaining from any further action and/or conflict.
Devil grabs the petrol,
Heads off to the kitchen
The devil goes to the kitchen to get some petrol.
"fuck" says soldier,
"you better quit your bitchin'"
Little bearded arab boy is in the corner twitchin'
Plus a little arab girl in a black ninja robe
Soldier grabs a bit of rope,
Ties it round their necks
Then puts bags over their heads
And leads 'em out the shed
The soldier disregards the devil's complaints, and ties up the children, putting bags over their heads, and leads them out of the shed.
Chinaman pointing
There's a hellcat floating
In my livingroom
Someone is pointing to a hellish figure floating in their living room.
Giving me the heebie-jeebies
The figure is making them feel uncomfortable and fearful.
Jet to the cupboard quick
Fetch me a broomstick
Hit 'em in the tummy-tum
Die scum
They grab a broomstick and attack the hellcat.
Why front?
Why act differently than who you truly are?
Little devil
Strapped with the bible
Lights some candles
And kicks a backwards recital (woo!)
The devil, ironically, is holding a bible and reciting a chant backwards.
Little forehead spinning,
Sniffing fumes
Pentagram flares up
In the livingroom
With a "woof"
The devil is dazed and confused from inhaling fumes, as a pentagram symbol appears in the living room with a menacing sound effect.
Devil's heart going
"doof, doof doof"
Big black form appears with a poof
The devil's heart rate increases drastically, as a dark figure appears out of nowhere.
Devil gets a fright like
"holy guacamole"
Through the kitchen out the backdoor
To run and tell his homie
The devil runs away in fear, going to tell his friend what happened.
Things are still heating up at the back of the shed
Arab kids on their knees with their hands on their head
Devil having trouble speaking, taps soldier on the back
"Ah! jesus, don't do that, I'll have a heart attack!"
The situation with the tied-up children is still tense, and the devil tries to get the soldier's attention, fearing a heart attack.
"There's a really big fucking hellcat floating in the living room!"
"What!?"
"Come with a broomstick quick, let's go!"
The devil tells the soldier about the big hellcat in the living room, and they prepare to fight it off.
Make big noise.
Bounce.
Play rough.
Break stuff.
They make loud noises, play forcefully, and break things while attacking the hellcat.
"Oh, thank you"
"Don't mention it. You're afraid?"
"It's true. Why front?"
"Be yourself."
After the fight, they thank each other, and the soldier tells the devil to be true to himself and not pretend otherwise.
Writer(s): Pharrell Williams Copyright: Songs Mp O.B.O. Pharrell Williams
Contributed by Aiden L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.