I'm Impressed

Yeah, folks seem to be on the right track with the interpretation here

The threats are impressive, in that they inspire enough fear to force the person being threatened into cooperation. But the "gorilla pounds his desk" and the "Torpedo in the vest' are showing the idea of the person inspiring this fear as being impressive in brute power, but not in finer thinking. They are impressive, and scary, but inspiring fear is not the same as inspiring loyalty and respect.

The gorilla is impressive in strength and ferocity, but beyond immediate orders in which disobedience is met with violence, one wouldn't want to take his words as any sort of wisdom. The torpedo in the vest is possibly a war general, impressive in destructive force, but nothing more than a tool for war. So he's 'remembering the exits in back of him' so when things go wrong he can get the hell out of Dodge.

The video has been released, if you're curious: tinyurl.com/39yoaf

As for the interp, this is obviously about people being controlled by aggression. Point in case:

• Gorillas beating their chest to maintain dominance
• that same gorilla becomes a metaphor for a loud and harsh boss, pounding his desk
• Generalisimo, being a military leader barking orders
• Godzilla scaring Japanese into docility
• Nature's violence

The writer appears to be indicating that he can always run away, regardless of the foe ("the exit's in back of me"), though he doesn't - he feels weak with fear ("My legs are not following," "I fall to bits"). "Five good reasons to follow him," is talking about that old schoolyard threat --- "I'll give you one, two, three, four, five good reasons," while putting down a finger for each number, until you have a fist.

The only thing I'm unclear on is the "torpedo in the vest" line. Unless it's somehow a submarine reference? Might is right? Not sure.

This song is about the humbling realization that there are things bigger and more powerful than yourself. For instance, the gorilla, Godzilla, or the tornado from the West. The narrator is inspired by events to rimend that the exit's in back of him, meaning that he is humbled by that which makes him want to escape.

I agree with Sir Larrikin and ThunderBoy's very insightful and thought-provoking points on looking at the lyrics. But in response to Sir Larrikin, I'd probably say that the "torpedo in the vest," 'barking his orders' is a military leader threatening his followers to stay under him. You'd be pretty threatened by a torpedo, and a shiny-badged vest would be a symbol of his being a military leader.

A little serious for TMBG...then again, it's not the first time they've done serious songs (A Self Called Nowhere, Museum of Idiots)

A little serious for TMBG...then again, it's not the first time they've done serious songs (A Self Called Nowhere, Museum of Idiots)

I really like this song

I'm impressed that we have gorillas in offices, in uniforms. These people controle a little to much of peoples lives. They well tell you reasons to kill for them but really their agenda is have you not protest against it. (I think torpedo in a vest means a leader/dictator/general is always standing straight and they sertinaly aren't standing straight like flowers, the wicked basterds) because they is like that

"Torpedo" is archaic slang for a mob hitman.

It's the second circuit baby. xD I love this song