They got to the part with the cattle and the creeping things
Said "I'm pretty sure we've heard this one before"
And don't it all end up in some revelation
With four guys on horses and violent red visions
Famine and death and pestilence and war?
I'm pretty sure I heard this one before

Well, you in the corner with a good looking drifter
Two cups of coffee and ten packs of sugar
I heard Gideon saw you in Denver, he said you're contagious
Silly rabbit, tripping is for teenagers
Murder is for murderers and hard drugs are for bartenders
I think I might have mentioned that before

He's got the pages in his pockets
That he ripped out of the Bible from his bed stand in the motel
He likes the part where the traders get chased out from the temple

I guess I heard about original sin
I heard the dudes blamed the chick
I heard the chick blamed the snake
And I heard they were naked when they got busted
And I heard things ain't been the same since
You on the streets with a tendency to preach to the choir
Wired for sound and down with whatever
I heard Gideon did you in Denver

She's got a cross around her neck
That she ripped off from a schoolgirl in the subway
On a visit to the city
She likes how it looks on her chest with three open buttons
She likes the part where one brother kills the other
She has to wonder if the world ever will recover
'Cause Cain and Abel seem to still be causing trouble

She said I was seeing double for three straight days
After I got born again
It felt strange but it was nice and peaceful
And it really pleased me to be around so many people
Of course, half of them were visions
Half of them were friends from going through the program with me
Later on we did some sexy things
Took a couple photographs and carved them into wood reliefs

Hey, but that's enough about me
Come on, tell me how you got down here into Ybor City

He said I got to the part about the exodus
And up to then I only knew it was a movement of the people
But if small town cops are like swarms of flies
And blackened foil is like boils and hail
I'm pretty sure I've been through this before

It seemed like a simple place to score
And it seemed like a simple place to score
It seemed like a simple place to score
Then some old lady came to the door
Said McKenzie Phillips doesn't live here anymore


Lyrics submitted by iagoAdmirer, edited by rhysthuryn2003

Cattle and the Creeping Things Lyrics as written by Tad Jason Kubler Craig Finn

Lyrics © Reservoir Media Management, Inc.

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Cattle and the Creeping Things song meanings
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  • 0
    General Comment

    probably the greatest song ever written.

    heysailoron October 11, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    probably the greatest song ever written.

    heysailoron October 11, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    also brilliant. goddamn, this whole album make me feel so good. christian mysticism from the eyes of working-class kids.

    thomas doyleon October 14, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    blake-eyed brilliance.

    thomas doyleon October 14, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    blake-eyed brilliance.

    thomas doyleon October 14, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    blake-eyed brilliance.

    thomas doyleon October 14, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    1. Craig Finn's personal involvement with the two A. During childhood his involvement with music showed two vastly different aspects of life. I. Raised catholic in suburbs of Twin Cities, environment there a. Sheltered, living (as suburbs were intended to supply) b. Family raised children in strict catholic environment II. Went to punk shows at First Ave, environment there a. Nightlife crowd, addicts, drunks, urban decay b. Punk pseudo-doctrine of rebellion B. People he knew through his involvement with the music scene of the mid-nineties I. Further experience with punk crowd and people met a. Nightlife crowd and all that comes with it b. Now more firsthand involvement and interaction with the scene as opposed to spectator's point of view held previously II. Some people he knew later cleaned up through AA or NA and contrast of before and after a. AA and NA require acceptance of higher power as part of program b. Contrast of previous interactions with them as compared with clean living Christian versions.

    i am smiley pope (10:12:32 PM): 2. Significance of name "Gideon" and how this illustrates message A. Background on significance of name I. Gideon the prophet. a. Similar to most new testament prophets b. In the book of Judges, he refocuses Israelites who were worshipping idols II. Modern day Christian sect of Gideons International a. Evangelical Christian group b. distribute bibles, most famously leaving bibles in motels B. Gideon's contrasts and connections to significance of name I. ties to Gideon the prophet in his actions. "He likes the part where the traders get chased out of the temple." a. An action that occurs in every book of the New Testament (Jesus chasing merchants and non worshipers from temples) b. Idea of Jesus refocusing worshipers mirrors actions of Gideon the prophet. c. Shows that something about those passages reverberate for Gideon II. Contrast with sect of Gideon's, "He's got the pages in his pocket that he ripped out of the bible in the bed stand in the motel." a. Irony of Gideon ripping pages from bible left by Gideon's. b. At the same time he is taking pages of a bible for personal use, showing internal conflict shown

    1. Significance of name "Holly" (short for Halleluiah) and how this illustrates message A. Significance of the name I. As a cry of exaltation a. Joyous word in praise of god as opposed to more somber phrases with the same meaning b. Literally translated from Hebrew as "Praise Yah!" "Yah" being short for Yahweh (pronounced Jehovah) B. Holly's actions and contrasts to classical significance of word. I. Significance of passage "She's got the cross around her neck that she ripped off from a school girl in the subway on a visit to the city" a. Much like Gideon, she too mixes the piety of wearing a cross around ones neck, and the sin of theft
      b. Also, use for accenting her cleavage lies in contrast to typical sentiments II. Significance of Holly's being born again a. Entire passage reference to line in the song "Banging Camp"- "He said take a hit; hold your breath and I'll dunk your head. Then when you wake up again, you'll be high as hell and born again. b. Use of the word "program" possibly AA or NA reference, making her finding of god and being born again fit nicely c. Fits into concept of living in sin with the guise of purity, or failing in your search for salvation
    JesusIsAfterYouon November 09, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    she said: i was seeing double for 3 straight days after i got born again

    Craig Finn's all-time greatest lyric

    jagstangon March 19, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I love when Craig changes the line to "I heard Gideon FUCKED you in Denver" more venom!

    bitta2sweeton March 14, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    this song as many references to over hold steady/lifter puller song. "hard drugs are for bartenders. i think i might have mentioned that before" is a reference to certian songs on Almost killed me. "with 4 guys on horses, and violent red visions famine and death and pestilence and war. i'm pretty sure i heard this one before." is from the lifter puller song 4dix.

    mechpope13on February 18, 2009   Link

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