Mr. Grieves

Frank Black on Mr. Grieves:

"It’s about the end of the world I guess. Mr Grieves is the Death character of mythology. The ‘man in the middle’ is Dr Doolittle, because if you could speak to the animals you would be the great link between mankind and the animal world. There’s this theory that if not smarter than us, animals are aware of what’s going on and if we could communicate with them, they could give us the answer of the future and make everything ok. But I’m assuming that a nuclear winter will mean that Mr Grieves is going to win in the end."

I like Mr. Grieves being a medium for the dead idea better, but whatever.

Hmm, I think I just realized what this song was about and it's sorta chilling actually. This song seems to be talking about a person who believes in grieving for the dead and would even go as far as trying to find a "middle man" or a physic type person who "talks like doolittle" to the dead for them. "You can cry you can mope, but can you swing from a good rope" That line is what really got me, it seems to suggest that you can do whatever you want to grieve while you are on Earth and all, but in reality, are you willing to off yourself in order to join your loved one? This song might be talking in fact about that action.

Mistigris is another name for the Joker in a deck of cards when it is wild; although it originally referred to the Jack of spades in French. Both are trickster figures.

correction - it's old Neptuna's only daughter. first verse is about how old neptuna's daughter is dead (duh). donnu about the second one third one implies that death is finnaly getting some rest and last one says that yea yea, you can grieve, but can you kill yourself? doesn't make sense... and all that "hope everything is allright" is like this person who speaks to a griever, trying to comfort him, or see if everything is allright

Yes, but the Doolittle booklet also says "you're lovely, tan belly" for "Dead." My point is that it's full of typos. Like saying that Joey sings backup vocals.

This seems to be about death and grieving - sort of saying, sure you can face death when someone else is dying and you are grieving, but can you face your own death.

I love the start, with the insane singing/laughter.

I heard this was a theme song for suicide. Like, "Do you have another opinion?" and stuff. How people say no one should kill themselves but in reality the victim sometimes has to make the choice if they're feeling that depressed. But I could also see how it could be asking if you can grieve and also face your own death.

suicide seems to fit this song very well. when black says "you can cry you can mope, but can you swing from a good rope [as in a noose]", it's like he's challenging the listener.

By the way, 'Neptuna' was a ship built during the great depression. It was destroyed during the Japanese air raid on Darwin, 19 February 1942, and 45 people died -

'what's that floating in the water oh neptune's only daughter'

'got bombed got frozen got finally off to a finally dozing'

Well, here's what I had gathered before reading the quote kindly provided by antileche above:

Mr Grieves is about (among other things?) evolution.

"You can cry, you can mope, but can you swing from a good rope?"

Meaning "being highly evolved, we can feel and emote, but we had to give up physical bonuses (of our nearest ancestors) like the ability to swing between trees."

"Pray for a man in the middle; one that talks like Doolittle"

This expresses the desire to be able to talk to animals, praying for a human - to - animal translator AND/OR it refers to "the missing link" in the evolutionary chain.

"I believe in Mr. Grieves" must just mean "I believe man evolved from the sea (to apes)"

"Do you have another opinion" challenges creationists?

"What's that floating in the water? Old Neptuna(e)'s only daughter"

Tough one, but possibly something to do with Neptune/Poseidon being god (Father) of the seas and water and oceans, and his "only daughter" being our first multi-celled or otherwise complex aquatic ancestor.

++++++++++++++++++++++

So would say I got kind of close, although I never thought about it as "end of the world". From that perspective, I think most of the above still works.

You might notice similar themes (comaraderie with non-humans +/or the sea) in TONs of his songs, such as "Wave of Mutilation," "ANA," "The Sad Punk," "Where Is My Mind," "Monkey Gone To Heaven," "Caribou," "Bird Dream of the Olympus Mons," "Palace of the Brine," "Oh My Golly!," "Velouria" and "All Over The World."