Cocoa Hooves by Glass Animals Lyrics Meaning – Unraveling the Lyrical Labyrinth
Lyrics
He turns his leather gripped cane
Those times you clapped and called for quiet
They’ve come to hold you, ain’t that nice?
He packs a fat oom paul to
Jib and make home-baked perfume
Sips froth from soft, warm joe
Snug eiderdown bedclothes
(I said it)
You know (I said it)
(I said it)
You know way that I hide (I said it)
Come on you hermit, you never fight back
Why don’t you play with bows and arrows?
Why don’t you dance like
You’re sick in your mind?
Why don’t you set your wings on fire?
You slick back that wiry mane
A neat tucked slice
Deep trees sleep on the dank lawn
And scratch the slate
You finger down that waxen line (I said it)
Between your breasts (I said it)
A squeaky pain upon each breath (I said it)
The plumbers left (I said it)
(I said it)
(I said it)
(I said it)
You know way that I hide for you (I said it)
Come on you hermit, you never fight back
Why don’t you play with bows and arrows?
Why don’t you dance like
You’re sick in your mind?
Why don’t you set your wings on fire?
Come on you hermit, why don’t you play nice?
Why don’t you toy with sex and violence?
Why don’t you stare back
Into my huge eye?
Why don’t you set my wings on fire?
Within the alt-electronica sphere, Glass Animals stand out for their sultry beats and poetic, often enigmatic lyrics. ‘Cocoa Hooves’ is a track that lingers, compelling listeners to dive deeper into its textured narrative. The song is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an infectious melody – a concoction only Glass Animals could brew.
But what lies beneath the allure of ‘Cocoa Hooves’ lyrics? It is not merely a song, but a convoluted tale told through abstract imagery, ambiguous characters, and rhetorical questions. This article seeks to unfurl the complexities of the song, revealing the layers that compose its intricate meaning.
An Ode to Inner Tumult
The enigmatic opening lines introduce us to an ‘old goat with a beard of Grey,’ a figure who seems to wield considerable influence, yet whose presence is subdued. The lyrics can be interpreted as a metaphor for the internal struggle between our primal urges and the social norms that constrain them. This battle manifests in a variety of symbols – the leather-gripped cane, the home-baked perfume, the warm joe – all conjuring images of comfort laced with restraint.
‘Cocoa Hooves’ might be a melodic representation of the human condition: longing for mischief within a structured existence. The smoke of the fat oom paul may symbolize veiled desires, while the snug eiderdown bedclothes suggest a reluctant conformity. Glass Animals masterfully entwine comfort with tension, prompting us to explore the comfort zones we are too fearful to leave.
The Haunting Refrain of Repetition
In ‘Cocoa Hooves,’ repetition is not just a musical device but a lens through which to examine the protagonist’s psyche. As the lyrical subject repeats ‘I said it,’ there is a poignant awareness of having voiced unacknowledged truths. This phrase acts as a confession, an admission, looping back upon itself as if to stress the significance of what has been declared.
The repetition carries a haunting quality, creating an echo chamber wherein lies, excuses, and realizations swirl and echo until they lose meaning. It embodies the cyclical nature of self-dialogue when in a state of denial or escape from reality. Each time ‘I said it’ reverberates through the verses, it bears the weight of unheeded warnings or ignored inner truths.
Call to Arms or Cry for Liberation?
The chorus has a rhythmic urgency that seems to challenge the protagonist’s passivity: ‘Come on you hermit, you never fight back.’ Here the hermit may represent the retreating self, hiding from the world’s demands or from the challenges it poses to one’s identity. The invitation to ‘play with bows and arrows,’ to ‘dance like you’re sick in your mind,’ suggests a yearning for uninhibited expression.
‘Why don’t you set your wings on fire?’ This incendiary inquiry stokes the theme of self-destruction as a form of rebirth, a phoenix-esque emergence from complacency. The song dares the listener to embrace chaos, to metaphorically ignite the innate potential within and let it blaze away the shackles of societal norms or personal anxieties.
Hidden Meanings in Whispers and Shadows
Amidst the provocative challenges and evocative descriptions, ‘Cocoa Hooves’ cloaks its heart in the subtle play between the lines. The ‘waxen line’ and the ‘squeaky pain upon each breath’ suggest the existence of a hidden boundary, a line of demarcation that presses painfully against the individual. The plumbers’ absence highlights a neglect of deeper issues, the internal faults that threaten to erode the structure of self.
In the penumbra of such lyrics, Glass Animals have sown intricacies only attentive ears can harvest. The song twists and bends under the force of its coded language, crafting a labyrinth of meaning where each turn is a potential revelation about human experiences, internal conflicts, and the complexities of identity and desire.
Memorable Lines that Map an Aching Soul
‘Cocoa Hooves’ etches its lyrics into memory with visuals that sear: the ‘slicked-back wiry mane,’ ‘deep trees sleep,’ and ‘dank lawn.’ These vivid images set a stage for inner turmoil and whispered reflections to take form, painting a dramatic backdrop against which the protagonist’s existential dance plays out.
Each memorable line is a tendril reaching out, inviting the listener to grasp and unravel their significance. The beauty of Glass Animals’ lyricism lies not in clear-cut answers, but in the invitation to ponder and interpret, to discover the ache and ardor of the soul that resonates within each note, each carefully chosen word.
