# There were plants and birds and rocks and things - lyrics **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 16, 2019, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-were-plants-and-birds-and-rocks-and-things-lyrics/844957 "2019-12-16T19:59:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2019, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-were-plants-and-birds-and-rocks-and-things-lyrics/844957/21 "2019-12-17T15:14:52Z")
> [@SmartAleq](#): > > I look at America about the same way as I do Soul Coughing–the vocals are more like another instrument rather than being intended to convey a lot of specifically verbal meaning. Soul Coughing uses vocals like percussion, America uses them like a woodwind section. I mean, nobody expects scat singing to make sense, right? Same thing, seems a bit more like traditional vocals but it’s not, really. Yeah, I won’t bother trying to defend the lyrics since even America has said some of the nonsensical stuff is just there because it sounded good but I do enjoy the overall package. Alligator lizards in the air, indeed. ---
**Author:** ![SykoSkotty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@SykoSkotty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SykoSkotty)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2019, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-were-plants-and-birds-and-rocks-and-things-lyrics/844957/22 "2019-12-17T15:26:55Z")
> [@DaveRaver](#): > > I’m trying to decipher the final verse: > > The ocean is a desert with its life underground > And a perfect disguise above > Under the cities lies a heart made of ground > But the humans will give no love > > Any thoughts? “The ocean is a desert with its life underground and a perfect disguise above” = oceans and deserts are basically the same thing, one uses sand, the other uses water, and all the life in the ocean is beneath the surface (same as underground), and the water at the surface makes for a perfect disguise to all the oceanic life below because you can’t see much of it - just the surface as far as the eye can see. “Under the cities lies a heart made of ground but the humans will give no love” = Cities, which are man-made, are the opposite of oceans and deserts. Nothing underneath the surface, just dead ground with no soul, and we as humans fail to see this. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2019, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-were-plants-and-birds-and-rocks-and-things-lyrics/844957/23 "2019-12-17T15:40:36Z")
> [@SykoSkotty](#): > > “The ocean is a desert with its life underground and a perfect disguise above” = oceans and deserts are basically the same thing, one uses sand, the other uses water, and all the life in the ocean is beneath the surface (same as underground), and the water at the surface makes for a perfect disguise to all the oceanic life below because you can’t see much of it - just the surface as far as the eye can see. > > “Under the cities lies a heart made of ground but the humans will give no love” = Cities, which are man-made, are the opposite of oceans and deserts. Nothing underneath the surface, just dead ground with no soul, and we as humans fail to see this. That’s pretty good. I thought it was simply the cue for the song to start over in my head. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2019, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-were-plants-and-birds-and-rocks-and-things-lyrics/844957/24 "2019-12-17T15:56:31Z")
The thing I’ve never understood is the rings. There was sand and hills and rings. What kind of rings is he talking about? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2019, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-were-plants-and-birds-and-rocks-and-things-lyrics/844957/25 "2019-12-17T15:58:17Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > The thing I’ve never understood is the rings. There was sand and hills and rings. What kind of rings is he talking about? The kind that rhyme with things? So ‘things’ represents everything else he saw, and ‘rings’ represents all the words that would have rhymed with those things he saw. Saves a lot of time. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2019, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-were-plants-and-birds-and-rocks-and-things-lyrics/844957/26 "2019-12-17T15:59:05Z")
> [@Author\_Balk](#): > > So, what would “things” be? He already covered animals, vegetables and minerals. > To his credit, he couldn’t even remember his own name. Cause there ain’t no one for to give him no pain. > I do like the song. He’s a city boy. How can he be sure there isn’t another category out there. Better to be sure. I mean, it’s all so friendly, man. Don’t want to leave anything unappreciated. ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2019, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-were-plants-and-birds-and-rocks-and-things-lyrics/844957/27 "2019-12-17T16:08:55Z")
I like imagery in song lyrics, but sometimes they can be jarring and provoke your consciousness with questions (“did he say alligator lizards in the air???”). Dylan was very good at imagery. Imagery, fantasy, whimsey give a song a dimension of depth and put you in another place. The opposite is realism which I don’t care for (“telling stories 'bout you on the tee ball team”). And the pronoun songs - you, me, I, us… tiresome after awhile. And we’re at post 27 and no-one has mentioned “The tropic of Sir Galahad”? Love America. AHWNN is not my favourite, but Tin Man, Sister Golden Hair, Ventura Highway are terrific. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2019, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-were-plants-and-birds-and-rocks-and-things-lyrics/844957/28 "2019-12-17T16:11:35Z")
_“In the Desert, you can’t remember your name, 'cause there ain’t no one for to give you no pain”_ Give me a Fucking Break! Did you _really_ just sing that??? ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2019, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-were-plants-and-birds-and-rocks-and-things-lyrics/844957/29 "2019-12-17T16:11:51Z")
> [@K364](#): > > . . . > > And we’re at post 27 and no-one has mentioned “The tropic of Sir Galahad”? > > . . . . Aha! HE brought the rings! ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2019, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-were-plants-and-birds-and-rocks-and-things-lyrics/844957/30 "2019-12-17T16:17:48Z")
> [@K364](#): > > And we’re at post 27 and no-one has mentioned “The tropic of Sir Galahad”? [It has been discussed before](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=14391). Like someone else in that thread I thought for a long time it was “the topic of Sir Galahad”. It’s pretty clearly pronounced as “tropic” in the song, but I have such a hard time understanding most lyrics I was sure I was off again. But it is “tropic”. The clear pronunciation of the lyrics is one of the reasons I like America, but they do have lyrics that make you wonder if you heard it right. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-were-plants-and-birds-and-rocks-and-things-lyrics/844957.md?page=1)