suburbia overture
Will Wood and the Tapeworms Lyrics

White picket fences
Typical, suburban homes with cosmetic fencing

Barbed wire and trenches
The reality of living in the suburbs is not as safe and secure as it seems

Trick or treat. Merry Christmas
The consumerism associated with holidays in the suburbs

Howdy neighbor. Thank you Jesus
The surface-level friendliness and fake religiosity of suburban communities

What is he building in that painted lady
The curiosity and gossip that runs rampant in small suburban neighborhoods

A participation trophy wife or blonde, blue-eyed baby
The societal pressures and expectations of starting a family and the desire for the perfect spouse and child

Wide-eyed and wired
Living life in a constant state of anxiety and stress

The snap-crackle-pop of the Geiger
Living in a potentially dangerous environment with radiation and pollution, as represented by the Geiger counter

Camouflage billboards for lead-lined Brooks Brothers
The destructive effects of marketing, advertising, and capitalism on suburban life

You elbow the jukebox and sing "Duck and Cover"
The false sense of security and shelter that suburban life provides

And breed out our incisors, feed on white wine and Pfizer
The effects of Western consumerism on lifestyle, as shown through the emphasis on dental makeovers and pharmaceuticals

It don't look like survival, but buy now or die
The message of capitalism and consumerism is to buy and consume more, despite the consequences

Suburbia
The name for this superficial, anxious way of life

You're not alone
The idea that many others are living the same way

The lights are on
The appearance of happiness and contentment

But no one's home
The truth beneath this façade

So, welcome home
An ironic welcome to a place that is far from welcoming

Meyers-Briggs, OK-ULTRA
A reference to personality testing and government mind control experiments, further highlighting the anxiety and paranoia of suburban life

Takes a village to fake a whole culture
The effort people put into pretending their culture and lifestyle are perfect and better than others

Your ear to the playground, your eye on the ball
The focus on children's activities and safety in the suburbs

Your head in the gutter, your brains on the wall
The reality of drug addiction and substance abuse in the suburbs

Home is where the heart is
The surface-level sentiment that suggests that homes are filled with love and warmth

You ain't homeless, but you're heartless
The idea that suburban life can turn people cold and detached, despite their comfortable homes

It's the safest on the market
The emphasis on safety and security, although this is not always true

But you still gotta watch where you park it
Even in safe areas, there are still potential dangers to be aware of

So give me your half-life crisis
The longing for something genuine and real in a superficial world

I can tell that you know where paradise is
The search for something that feels like paradise or true happiness

Where parasites don't care what your blood type is
The rejection of societal and cultural norms

Only pheromones and serotonin decide
The idea that emotions and chemistry are more important than societal expectations

If it's true that a snowflake only matters in a blizzard
A metaphor that highlights the idea that individuals are more significant when they band together with others

Everyone knows that nobody knows that
A commentary on the uncertainty and falsehoods that surround suburban life

Everybody's all up in my, everybody's all up in my
The invasion of privacy and constant scrutiny in a small community

Everybody's all up in my business
The constant judgment and gossip in suburban neighborhoods

Where you belong
An apparent sense of belonging in a community

Chameleon peacocks are talk of the town
The emphasis on appearances and status symbols in the suburbs

Well word gets around on
The rapid spread of gossip and rumors in close-knit communities

Hit Number Stations
References to secret radio stations and conspiracy theories that are rumored to exist

He comes radiation
The dangers of living near radiation and other environmental risks

The dog bites the postman while basement eyes dream
The presence of danger and fear in suburban neighborhoods, with many hidden behind closed doors

Of a night at the drive-in with an AR-15
The glorification of violent, dangerous behavior

I dropped my eyeballs in the bonfire, we fucked on a bed of nails
An absurd, nonsensical line that reflects the surreal nature of suburban life

I caught Kuru from your sister and died laughing in jail
A completely nonsensical line that further drives home the surreal nature of the song

Smell those screaming teenage sweetbreads on the 4th of July grill
A reference to the tradition of grilling meat on holidays, with the added element of teenage angst and rebellion

Smile and wave, boys. Kiss the cook
The traditional gender roles and expectations in suburban households

Live laugh and love. Please pass the pills
The use of pharmaceuticals to cope with the stresses of suburban life

It's only culture. It's only culture
The idea that many aspects of suburban life are simply cultural norms and expectations

It's only culture – sulfur, smoke, and soot
Suburbia's pollution and environmental impact, alongside the other cultural expectations

You learned to torture house cats. Like vultures
The cruelty and abuse that can occur in suburban homes

You cocked and sucked your lack of empathy
The point that suburban life can lead to sociopathy and a lack of empathy for others

Pulled the trigger with your foot to prove you've got
A commentary on the toxic masculinity and pride present in suburban neighborhoods

Blood. Didn't they want your blood
The consuming, damaging aspects of suburban life

So why apologize for being blue and cold
An indictment of the pressures and expectations of suburban life

Blood. Didn't they want your blood
A repetition of the theme of consuming and destroying aspects of life

So don't apologize for being blue and cold
A call to be true to oneself and not apologize for not fitting in with suburban norms

Were you Nabokov to a Salinger
A reference to two famous writers, questioning whether the listener is an intellectual like Nabokov or more simple like Salinger

Were you Jung to Freud or Dass to a Leary
A similar question, asking whether the listener is more analytical and intellectual or less so

Were you mother, daughter, subject, and author
Questioning the listener's sense of identity

You don't make the rules, you just write them down and
The idea that those in power make the rules and the rest of us are simply followers

Do it by the book you throw around
Following the rules and expectations that are thrust upon us

Do you know the difference between blazing trails and slash-and-burn
The question of whether one is making meaningful progress or simply destroying everything in their path

Going against the grain and catching splinters
The difficulties of going against societal expectations and suffering the consequences

You pull out your Rorschach like a paint-by-numbers treasure map
Using the Rorschach test to try to find meaning and direction in a confusing world

The ink upon on your jigsaw piece traces you back to your fingerprints
Every action and decision you make can ultimately be traced back to you

Well Lot he had his lot in life, Job his job and I guess you'll too, and die
A statement about the inevitability of death and the cyclical nature of life

The Lord looked down, said, "hey, you're only mortal"
A reference to the Bible and the idea that humans are imperfect and mortal

Giveth and taketh away 'till things come out a certain way
The belief that fate and external forces play a role in our lives

Leave you wondering when they might go back to normal
The uncertainty and possibility of things returning to a state of normalcy