Ball of the Dead Rat
The Teeth Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴It's been too many nights
That you've been creeping around
Stumbling like a monkey
Through the underground
Ohh
And you don't wanna be alone

You got your cigarettes

You got your jujuyfruits
You can't stand yourself
So you take a substitute
Ohh
And no one liked it when you said
That when you die you're really dead
Those people laughing
So you left that stupid scene
And you made your way back home
Now you're crying
With your head on the telephone
Oh man
It'd sure be nice to have a girl to call your own

Do you remember when
You had it
Figured out
You coulda
Done no wrong
You coulda
Worked it out
Ohh
And now you've gazed at too many
Of the things you did last year
And the screenplay that you wrote down in a book
That no one saw cause they never looked
And the drawing you did when you were very small

And the photograph you hung up on the wall
They'll never catch you when you fall

Overall Meaning

The song “Ball of the Dead Rat” by The Teeth speaks of the anxieties of an individual who has been creeping around too much and is unable to bear the thought of being alone. The lyrics, “It's been too many nights that you've been creeping around, stumbling like a monkey, through the underground” metaphorically indicate the individual’s state of mind, with being a monkey, representing instability or disorder. The person in the song is seen as wandering, lost, and directionless. The lyrics “and no one liked it when you said, that when you die you're really dead,” highlight the person’s bleak view of life.

The individual tries to cope with the situation by using cigarettes and jujuyfruits as a temporary substitute to ease the pain of loneliness. The lines "You got your cigarettes, you got your jujuyfruits, you can't stand yourself, so you take a substitute," indicate that the person is trying to distract themselves from their inner turmoil. The song goes on to describe how the person is struggling with feelings of inadequacy and the desire to have a partner, "It'd sure be nice to have a girl to call your own."

The song touches on the universal themes of loneliness, loss, and anxiety that many people can relate to. The lyrics have a melancholic yet soulful quality that captures the complexity and depth of human emotions.

Line by Line Meaning

It's been too many nights
You've been sneaking around for a long time now.

That you've been creeping around
You've been moving around without being noticed.

Stumbling like a monkey
You have been walking awkwardly, like a monkey would do.

Through the underground
You've been moving through the hidden and secretive space.

Ohh
Expressing surprise, frustration or disappointment.

And you don't wanna be alone
You want to be with someone, you don't want to be alone.

You got your cigarettes
You have your cigarettes with you.

You got your jujuyfruits
You have your favorite candy with you.

You can't stand yourself
You don't like who you are.

So you take a substitute
You use something else to make yourself feel better.

Ohh
Expressing surprise, frustration or disappointment.

And no one liked it when you said
You said something that no one liked.

That when you die you're really dead
You expressed that you believe there is no afterlife.

Those people laughing
Those people made fun of you for your belief.

So you left that stupid scene
You left the place where the people were making fun of you.

And you made your way back home
You went back to your own place.

Now you're crying
You are now shedding tears.

With your head on the telephone
You are holding your head up with the telephone as you cry.

Oh man
Expressing surprise, frustration or disappointment.

It'd sure be nice to have a girl to call your own
You want to have a girlfriend.

Do you remember when
Do you recall the time when.

You had it
You had everything you wanted.

Figured out
You had it all planned out.

You coulda
You would have been able to.

Done no wrong
You wouldn't have made any mistake.

You coulda
You would have been able to.

Worked it out
You would have solved the problem.

Ohh
Expressing surprise, frustration or disappointment.

And now you've gazed at too many
You have looked at too many of these things.

Of the things you did last year
You are reflecting on the things you did in the past year.

And the screenplay that you wrote down in a book
You wrote a screenplay that's now in a book.

That no one saw cause they never looked
No one ever saw your screenplay because they never took the time to look at it.

And the drawing you did when you were very small
You drew a picture when you were very young.

And the photograph you hung up on the wall
You put a picture on the wall.

They'll never catch you when you fall
They will not help you when you need it.

Contributed by Alice Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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