Steam Powered Giraffe - Please Explain (Audio)

Поділитися
Вставка
  • Опубліковано 10 січ 2025
  • The song "Please Explain" from the 2013 album "MK III" by Steam Powered Giraffe
    Purchase this song and the album MK III!
    CD:
    www.spgiraffes...
    iTunes:
    itunes.apple.c...
    Bandcamp:
    steampoweredgi...
    ________________________________________________________________
    “Please Explain” Lyrics
    Music & Lyrics by Samuel Luke
    Artwork by Samuel Luke
    Hatchworth:
    Gather round
    sit on down
    forget your worries
    what’s lost is found
    Purge the data
    break through strata
    dust off your CPU
    put it to a new use
    Rabbit:
    Been trying to get this one out
    for a good long while
    the centuries turn to the past
    still I lay beguiled
    Involuntary remarks
    for an old quandary a new
    Left in the dark
    what’s an old robot to do
    Please explain
    What to do with this wild goose
    if there’s nothing to chase (please explain, oh-oh-oh)
    What to do if the screw turns loose
    and there’s nothing to gain please explain it to me
    Hatchworth:
    If your moustache makes a sandwich
    serve it on a platter
    to lovely nouns they need a verb
    the panda climbs the ladder
    if my mouth was made for mimicry
    what’s a bronze robot to chew
    Gum in my gears
    and bat meat in my fancy shoes
    Please explain
    What to do with the panda on the roof
    Guess it makes for good imagery (please explain, oh-oh-oh)
    What to do with the bat meat in my fancy shoes (woah-oh-oh)
    I could sell it to the panda. Please explain it to me
    Spine:
    I do not need uranium
    or your fossil fuels
    Friction from curiosity
    powers my hydro-tubes
    Answers stem more questions
    and grow my algorithms anew
    H: They do?
    S: Yes they do
    If there’s no concepts to grasp
    what would I, robot, do
    Please explain
    What to do if the point is moot
    What’s a moot anyway (I don’t know)
    H: Is it the meat in my fancy shoes?
    R: Or the name of this wild goose?
    S: Guess we need some good-old-fashioned explaining
    All: Please explain it to me
    ________________________________________________________________
    Steam Powered Giraffe is a musical performance act located in San Diego California.
    You can download and purchase albums of the band's songs on iTunes, and other digital music distributors by visiting: www.steampowere...
    Other links:
    Website: www.SteamPowere...
    Facebook: / steampoweredgiraffe

КОМЕНТАРІ • 58

  • @KylePhibbs
    @KylePhibbs 8 років тому +104

    I'm forever impressed by Hatchworth's range.

  • @Xanthera
    @Xanthera 6 років тому +116

    This song is basically a nonsense poem set to an absolutely gorgeous melody and I love it

    • @gsgaming6976
      @gsgaming6976 5 років тому +7

      Actually the lyrics make perfect sense if you know how to interpret it.
      The first part is literally instructions for worship/meditation. The 2nd part is about trying to discuss/explain the "nature of god", "answer to the question of life, the universe, and everything" etc. The third part talks about what to do when you find yourself in unpleasant/weird situations, and the final part is, appropriately, the breakdown. I'm about to write out a full explanation, so check my comment above if you want it all explained.

    • @stephenhouse6223
      @stephenhouse6223 4 роки тому +8

      Interestingly enough, I am using this song as a topic for a series of projects in a humanities class. Looking at it through the lens of this class, there are numerous possibilities as to interpretations of the "nonsense" lyrics. There is the possibility of going the religious route as the previous reply states. I am going with other routes that focus on boredom and uselessness that is implied multiple times throughout the song. if you follow psychology, nonsense rarely is as simple as it seems.

  • @diehard2239
    @diehard2239 6 років тому +57

    Man i love the songs sam writes. They just have this uniquely wacky feel to em

  • @nopewhy9781
    @nopewhy9781 8 років тому +104

    moot
    subject to debate, dispute, or uncertainty, and typically not admitting of a final decision
    Here you go spine this is what a moot is

  • @peanutbutterjelly9753
    @peanutbutterjelly9753 3 роки тому +10

    This song sounds so quiet and laid-back, but the lyrics are so chaotic that they're almost violent.

  • @ZayrekGaming
    @ZayrekGaming 8 років тому +60

    "The grasshopper becomes the dandelion" That made me laugh

    • @gsgaming6976
      @gsgaming6976 5 років тому +6

      Kinda weird that it is a metaphor for death, huh?

  • @max_the_mantis5173
    @max_the_mantis5173 5 років тому +16

    I'm 19 and I will always love this band!

  • @gsgaming6976
    @gsgaming6976 5 років тому +18

    So, for anyone who thinks this song is nonsense, I'd very much like it if you Please let me Explain it to you, cuz the lyrics actually make perfect sense if you know how to interpret it (I am 100% serious here)
    1st, let me explain that some of the concepts in the song are heavily influenced by Taoist/Buddhist principles. One of the central principles of Taoism is that the Tao (or way) that can be explained is not the eternal Tao. We, as finite beings, literally cannot express the infinite, tho we long to try.
    Keeping that in mind, lets go through a line by line breakdown of the song.
    Part 1 - Instructions on meditation.
    Gather round = Another word for this is "congregate". As in, a religious congregation.
    Sit on down = The first step in meditation.
    Forget your worries = Clearing your mind, literally the second step of meditation.
    What's lost is found = The end result of meditation. According to Buddhism we are already enlightened, we have just forgotten and need to practice meditation and mindfulness to remember.
    Purge the data = Forget what you think you know.
    Break through strata = Break through to a new level of understanding
    Dust off your CPU (Brain)
    Put it to a new use (last 2 lines are pretty self-explanatory)
    Part 2 - The name and nature of God, or the divine, or the Tao, whatever you want to call it.
    "Been trying to get this one out for a good long while, the centuries turned to the past, still I lay beguiled"
    We've been trying to preach to others about the nature of God/ the Divine forever, but we're no closer to explaining it or convincing others of our beliefs in the modern day than we were thousands of years ago.
    "Involuntary remarks for an old quandry anew, left in the dark what's an old robot to do"
    We can't help but to try and explain this age old question. Each new generation tries to explain it, but without clear answers/evidence we don't know how.
    "What to do with this wild goose if there's nothing to chase"
    What do I do with all the energy and motivation I have to pursue this question if I'm already an enlightened and divine being?
    "What to do if the screw turns loose and there's nothing to gain? Please explain it to me"
    What do I do if I am running myself ragged trying to find these answers but I ultimately never will. There's nothing to gain from pursuing the question, but I want to anyways.
    Part 3 - How to deal with unpleasant or absurd situations.
    "If your mustache makes a sandwich serve it in a platter"
    If you find yourself "eating" something unpleasant that you yourself made/caused, pretty it up as best you can. Serve your mustache sandwich on a pretty platter instead of eating it plain
    "Two lovely nouns they need a verb, the panda climbs the ladder"
    Life and society have all these rules we have to follow, but even sometimes when you follow the rules you run into really strange situations. Sometimes you run into these situations ESPECIALLY if you follow all the rules.
    "If my mouth was made for mimicry what's a bronze robot to chew?"
    If your mouth is the "fountain" for your heart and mind (this is in the New Testament somewhere, I forget exactly where), the place that spreads what is inside your heart and mind to the rest of the world, what concepts should you take into yourself (ingest) to then spread outwards
    "Gum in my gears and bat meat in my fancy shoes"
    No matter what you do, sometimes everything is just going to go wrong.
    "What to do with the panda on the roof? Guess it makes for good imagery"
    What to do with the absurd situations you find yourself in sometimes? Maybe all you can do is sit back and enjoy the view.
    "What to do with the bat meat in my fancy shoes? I could sell it to the panda, please explain it to me"
    What do you do with all the things that seem to go wrong sometimes? Well, maybe someone else can find a way to make the things that frustrate you into something useful. Do what you can to find those people and pass on the unpleasant things in your life to those who will make good use of them
    Interlude
    "Keep those legs high!" = Exercise
    "Breath through your mouth and nose!" = Many cultures stress the importance of breathing techniques, many disagree on what exactly is the right technique tho
    "The Grasshopper becomes the Dandelion, people are soooooo impressed now"
    This last one can be interpreted a couple different ways. The first is basically a message about personal growth, think of an old martial arts movie. "Oh, you have learned much young grasshopper". You should be practicing and improving to better yourself, not impress others.
    Another way to interpret this line is a metaphor for death. The grasshopper literally becomes the dandelion by dying and becoming a part of the earth. Only now do people realize how awesome the grasshopper really was, once his time is gone.
    Part 4 - The breakdown
    "I do not need uranium or your fossil fuels, friction from curiosity powers my hydro tubes."
    Uranium = plants, fossile fuel = energy from dead animals. In other words, it is not food that sustains me, it is simply a zest for life itself and the desire to experience new things.
    "Answers stem more questions and grow my algorithms anew"
    No matter how much I learn, each new answer will lead to more questions and something new to discover.
    "If there's no concepts to grasp what would I, robot do."
    If I'm already a perfect divine enlightened being, what is it I should be learning about.
    "What to do if the point is moot? What's a moot anyway-ay. I don't know. Is it the meat in my fancy shoes, or the name of this wild goose? Guess we need some good old fashioned explaining, please explain it to me,
    What should I do if I never find the answer to my questions about the nature of life? What is the nature of life anyways? Is it all the bad/unpleasant things that happen to me (the meat in my fancy shoes?) or is it the name and nature of god and all that is good in the world (the name of the wild goose I am chasing)?
    Please explain it to me. Really, I don't know and its driving me batty. Do you have any better answers?
    ......... SO yeah, that is my breakdown! For anyone who previously though the song was nonsense I hope you enjoyed that. This is legit one of my favorite songs ever, and in my opinion the most intelligent philsophical/religious joke I have ever heard.

    • @byzantineempire2129
      @byzantineempire2129 4 роки тому +1

      G&S Gaming thank you, it makes perfect sense.

    • @samhears
      @samhears 4 роки тому +14

      This is an awesome analysis and just goes to show that music/songs can be a reflection of ourselves. I originally wrote this while The Jon was still a robot (only minor lyrical changes to fit Hatchworth) and I was just trying to write something from the robot characters perspective as I saw them at the time. However I can't dispute any of your analysis of the lyrics and I commend your thoroughness. I do believe robots (in real life and as characters portrayed by people) are the better part of ourselves much in the way spiritual leaders and gods can be. Also enlightenment is our ability to question everything. So thanks again for getting on this mutha'f'n level!

  • @jaarbahd9062
    @jaarbahd9062 8 років тому +15

    Incredible piano work.
    Everyone already knows the singing is great, as usual.

  • @dandundun
    @dandundun 8 років тому +24

    This is the song that plays during an acid trip.

  • @FidgetTyme
    @FidgetTyme 8 років тому +37

    Loving the new songs. I keep trying to catch them. very helpful with my rediscovery of myself. Fell down a rabbit hole and still rediscovering the world since I came back out of a ward. Keep up with the good work.

    • @GoldenRuler092
      @GoldenRuler092 6 років тому +5

      You know rabbit-hole could be taken as a pun with this band.

  • @angelartiyalvt9574
    @angelartiyalvt9574 8 років тому +29

    Not my favorite SPG song, but I love some of the imagery it paints in my mind.

  • @elsaprahl502
    @elsaprahl502 5 років тому +8

    2:47 lol, I've never heard farts as a robot sound before!

  • @CORNSiLK
    @CORNSiLK 2 роки тому +2

    2:19 makes me think a SPG workout would be pretty fun

  • @bethanyblueberry
    @bethanyblueberry 8 років тому +7

    This is one of my favourites from MKIII. Such a fun song!

  • @SilverGemini
    @SilverGemini 8 років тому +11

    This song is so randomly stuck in my head most days but I love it. :)

  • @SilverGemini
    @SilverGemini 8 років тому +28

    Is it the meat in my fancy shoes?

    • @SilverGemini
      @SilverGemini 8 років тому +3

      Airship007Johnston If you were correcting me, I wasn't wrong.
      Please explain
      What to do if the point is moot
      What’s a moot anyway (I don’t know)
      H: Is it the meat in my fancy shoes?
      R: Or the name of this wild goose?

    • @bippity_boppity_cinnabonni2533
      @bippity_boppity_cinnabonni2533 7 років тому

      Linsey Houser come in my gears...

  • @sammi4982
    @sammi4982 8 років тому +11

    Ha! Lyrics are like the coolest nursery rhyme ever!

    • @protozo2689
      @protozo2689 8 років тому +1

      It does sound like a nursery rhyme, doesn't it.... Cool!

  • @StephanieCrawford333
    @StephanieCrawford333 8 років тому +4

    This makes me so happy.

  • @Airship007Johnston
    @Airship007Johnston 8 років тому +18

    Fun fact: in the beat boxing part someone farted while they were recording

    • @reesemcgeese824
      @reesemcgeese824 8 років тому +4

      i honestly wouldnt be surprised with these guys :)

  • @WilderGrimm
    @WilderGrimm 8 років тому +9

    I love this one so much
    It's just so random, I love it

  • @slackjaw1060
    @slackjaw1060 8 років тому +6

    This is the song that plays in my head all the time, also HATCHWORTH's first song(I think). Can't wait to see what you guys do on your next album-RED MATTER GearBOX

    • @silversamm
      @silversamm 8 років тому +1

      Not at all he already has a few, like the pulls and fancy shoes

    • @slackjaw1060
      @slackjaw1060 8 років тому +3

      No I mean the first song he wrote...like the beginning of Hatchworth

    • @samhears
      @samhears 3 роки тому +3

      @@slackjaw1060 I wrote it before I was Hatchworth so yes, first song I made for SPG

  • @penguingogglez
    @penguingogglez 4 роки тому +3

    This song is so much fun and I love it

  • @meredythwithay5187
    @meredythwithay5187 6 років тому +40

    Funny how the title of a song that's complete nonsense is Please Explain.

    • @gsgaming6976
      @gsgaming6976 5 років тому +4

      Actually the lyrics make perfect sense if you know how to interpret it.
      The first part is literally instructions for worship/meditation. The 2nd part is about trying to discuss/explain the "nature of god", "answer to the question of life, the universe, and everything" etc. The third part talks about what to do when you find yourself in unpleasant/weird situations, and the final part is, appropriately, the breakdown. I'm about to write out a full explanation, so check my comment above if you want it all explained.
      The joke is essentially Taoist. One of the central principles of Taosim, sometimes spelling Daoism, is that the Tao that can be explained is not the eternal Tao. As finite beings we cannot express the infinite. But we always want to try and explain and understand.
      So, please explain the unexplainable. We can't, but we continue to try because that is the absurd nature of life.
      Honestly its the most intelligent philosophical/religious joke I've ever heard.

  • @DoodlieDorks
    @DoodlieDorks 8 років тому +5

    yes

  • @WHI_Player
    @WHI_Player 8 років тому +4

    Cool sounding really love this!!

  • @Polygonetwo
    @Polygonetwo 8 років тому +4

    Well this song is just lovely.

  • @she-lockholmes964
    @she-lockholmes964 8 років тому +2

    In love with this ;3;

  • @protozo2689
    @protozo2689 8 років тому +11

    this is my favourite song but i was probably high off fanta when i first heard it

  • @TheNerdyGirlie
    @TheNerdyGirlie 8 років тому +4

    I love this song!

  • @sam-ds3nh
    @sam-ds3nh 8 років тому +7

    can't wait until I rust with you 😁

  • @theblackmafiatheboyzz1231
    @theblackmafiatheboyzz1231 8 років тому +1

    Dude are they ever gonna go to Massachusetts becomse I would go

  • @TGCRed
    @TGCRed 8 років тому +5

    This is my favourite song~

    • @gsgaming6976
      @gsgaming6976 5 років тому

      Ikr! its the most intelligent philosphical/religious joke I have ever heard.

  • @marufideos
    @marufideos 8 років тому +1

    yaaas

  • @lauraebk
    @lauraebk 2 роки тому

    2:36

  • @tamarleader9696
    @tamarleader9696 4 роки тому +2

    Bat meat? Hatchy, watch out from the Corona virus!
    Also, misheard lyrics: "cum in my gears".
    And I was like, "no way. They are family friendly. The won't say *that*"

  • @smegleymunroe863
    @smegleymunroe863 6 років тому +3

    Is it just me, or does this sound like a song about getting REALLY high?

    • @gsgaming6976
      @gsgaming6976 5 років тому +1

      It's actually a philosophical/religious joke about how to talk about the name/nature of God, the Divine, etc, and how to live your life. Check my long ass comment above if you wanna see the explanation.

    • @tamarleader9696
      @tamarleader9696 5 років тому +1

      In other words, yes. It is about getting high.

  • @kielysarah727
    @kielysarah727 8 років тому +4

    ayy notification squad cx

    • @kielysarah727
      @kielysarah727 8 років тому +1

      but this is a great song either way harmonics are 10/10 cx

    • @Arabesque42
      @Arabesque42 8 років тому +1

      +Kiely Sarah AYYYYY

  • @marvelasquez607
    @marvelasquez607 8 років тому +2

    los amo chicos!!!