# What's the meaning of the song "Particle Man"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 1, 2003, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-meaning-of-the-song-particle-man/158309 "2003-03-01T03:29:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Victory\_Candescence](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Victory\_Candescence](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Victory_Candescence)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-meaning-of-the-song-particle-man/158309/1 "2003-03-01T03:29:28Z")
Title is question. ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-meaning-of-the-song-particle-man/158309/2 "2003-03-01T03:32:54Z")
Never heard of it. Do you mean _Particle Man_? By TMBG? ---
**Author:** ![Victory\_Candescence](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Victory\_Candescence](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Victory_Candescence)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-meaning-of-the-song-particle-man/158309/3 "2003-03-01T03:35:24Z")
Neurotik: Yes, that would be it. ---
**Author:** ![Ferrous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Ferrous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferrous)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-meaning-of-the-song-particle-man/158309/4 "2003-03-01T03:43:41Z")
And also, why does Triangle Man hate Person Man? ---
**Author:** ![Ferrous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Ferrous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferrous)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-meaning-of-the-song-particle-man/158309/5 "2003-03-01T03:51:21Z")
Seriously though, I doubt it means anything. It’s just silly for the sake of it. They’re known to do that… ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-meaning-of-the-song-particle-man/158309/6 "2003-03-01T03:52:08Z")
It’s quite obvious Universe man is God or a wave function representing an indeterminate yet benevolent smear of probability Triangle man is the devil or nature’s brutal indifference to man’s search for deeper meanings and patterns Person man is “man” and man is degraded Triangle man hates person man That’s all you need to know. ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-meaning-of-the-song-particle-man/158309/7 "2003-03-01T03:58:48Z")
You may want to get the thread title changed by a mod, **Recursion**. Just use the “Report this post to a moderator” link on the bottom right of each post. **Astro** has the most common interpretation, but [this interpretation](http://www.linkstew.org/noid/920.html) is probably my favorite: > [@](#): > > So a long time ago I came up with this interp of this catchy song. It was a dark and stormy night, after I had read E. Abbots Flatland, and I was listening to Flood, when it hit me. > > The short version: Particle man is based off of E. Abbots Flatland. > \ > Now then, on to the interp. The first thing to realize, is that two points can make a line, which is one dimensional. So, the minimum number of points required to create a two dimensional shape is 3, which makes a triangle. A square was used in Flatland, for some silly reason, but if you replace the square with triangles in the story, things begin to make more sense… now then, the line by line. > > “Particle man, particle man / Doing the things a particle can / What’s he like? It’s not important / Particle man / Is he a dot, or is he a speck? / When he’s underwater does he get wet? / Or does the water get him instead? / Nobody knows, Particle man” > > This entire first bit is about the 2d being observing the 1d being. the particle is the 1d being, who is going about it’s own business and completely unaware of the higher dimension observing it. The individual bits are relatively self explanatory, and I’ll save you all the effort of trying to understand my haphazard style of explaining things. And it continues from there. I like it. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-meaning-of-the-song-particle-man/158309/8 "2003-03-01T04:02:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ferrous \* > \*\*Seriously though, I doubt it means anything. It’s just silly for the sake of it. They’re known to do that… \*\* And a sendup of the Spiderman theme song. ---
**Author:** ![Victory\_Candescence](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Victory\_Candescence](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Victory_Candescence)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-meaning-of-the-song-particle-man/158309/9 "2003-03-01T04:09:06Z")
Mods: Can you change my title to “Particle Man” rather than “Universe Man”? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-meaning-of-the-song-particle-man/158309/10 "2003-03-01T04:12:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jeff Olsen \* > \*\*And a sendup of the Spiderman theme song. \*\* Don’t you be dissin’ [the Spiderman theme song](http://mywebpages.comcast.net/cpeek001/Spiderman.mp3) ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-meaning-of-the-song-particle-man/158309/11 "2003-03-01T04:59:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Recursion \* > \*\*Mods: Can you change my title to “Particle Man” rather than “Universe Man”? Thanks. \*\* As you wish. ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-meaning-of-the-song-particle-man/158309/12 "2003-03-01T05:02:22Z")
Triangle Man = change. (“delta” is used in scientific writing as a symbol for change. Change doesn’t like anybody, and change always wins. ---
**Author:** ![fizgig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f04885/32.png) [@fizgig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fizgig)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-meaning-of-the-song-particle-man/158309/13 "2003-03-01T05:05:06Z")
I think the salient question is: “when he’s under water does he get wet?” ---
**Author:** ![FaerieBeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e95f7d/32.png) [@FaerieBeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FaerieBeth)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-meaning-of-the-song-particle-man/158309/14 "2003-03-01T05:28:55Z")
My vote is going to go with: the water gets him instead. _currently located in Constantinople…er, Istanbul_ ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-meaning-of-the-song-particle-man/158309/15 "2003-03-01T05:33:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by astro \* > \*\*Don’t you be dissin’ [the Spiderman theme song](http://mywebpages.comcast.net/cpeek001/Spiderman.mp3) \*\* Hey, I’m not the one responsible for “Particle Man”! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![edwino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@edwino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwino)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-meaning-of-the-song-particle-man/158309/16 "2003-03-01T05:42:44Z")
The Animaniacs solved this one. It is about wrestling. Particle Man fights Traingle Man, Universe Man is the champion until he gets beat by Person Man. ---
**Author:** ![4\_4\_Guy\_of\_Dumbness](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/a9a28c/32.png) [@4\_4\_Guy\_of\_Dumbness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/4_4_Guy_of_Dumbness)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-meaning-of-the-song-particle-man/158309/17 "2003-03-01T05:50:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by edwino \* > \*\*The Animaniacs solved this one. It is about wrestling. Particle Man fights Traingle Man, Universe Man is the champion until he gets beat by Person Man. \*\* Shame. You’re thinking of _Tiny Toon Adventures_. I’ve got Direct from Brooklyn, Their music video tape, and it includes the two Tiny Toon videos as bonus material. Funnily enough, I think Flood is actually the weakest link in Their repertoire, except maybe for the Pink Album. But since you asked: Particle Man is the agricultural worker base. Person Man is the industrial proletariat. Triangle Man is the advancing bourgeois economic forces. And Universe Man is a really fat guy with a belt that slaps people. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-meaning-of-the-song-particle-man/158309/18 "2003-03-01T06:36:36Z")
It’s not important. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-meaning-of-the-song-particle-man/158309/19 "2003-03-01T10:43:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ferrous \* > And also, why does Triangle Man hate Person Man? I can answer this. Some college friends of mine were very early TMBG fans. (Well, early for the northwest, anyway; there are probably some Greenwich Village scenesters who go back farther.) They went to one of their concerts in the late-80s, (in Portland, coincidentally enough) back when they were still using the taped tracks for back-up. After the show they even got to talk with one or both of the Johns for a little while. And one of my friends asked them “why does Triangle Man hate everybody?” The answer, from the mouth of John, himself: “That’s just the kind of guy he is.” **ed** and \*\* N.B. of the O.\*\*, I have an animation cel from the making of that _Particle Man_ video. ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-meaning-of-the-song-particle-man/158309/20 "2003-03-01T11:05:38Z")
Although I haven’t read **Neurotik** ’s link, from the quoted section, I think whoever wrote it needs to re-read _Flatland_. In the book, Lineland is inhabited by 1-D beings, and the point is a 0-D being. That encounter always makes me sad; poor, pathetic Particle Man.