Lyrics for Banana Co. as interpreted by shut

Banana Co. Lyrics
Oh Banana Co.
We really love you and we need you
And oh, Banana Co.
We'd really love to believe you

But everything's underground
We got to dig it up somehow
Yeah, yeah

Oh, she said, "No go"
She said she'd like to
She's seen you
But no, no go
She knows if you die then we all do

And everything's underground
We've got to dig it up somehow
Yeah, yeah
Everything's burning down
We got to put it out somehow
Yeah, yeah

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  • 18 Comments
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Matt_Bellamy
04-16-2002

Rated 0 
I'm a chiquita banana and I'm here to say, I am the best banana in the world today...etc etc

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Johnnybones
07-21-2002

Rated 0 
This is one of the wackest songs Radiohead has ever committed to tape... sounds like Randy Newman's idea of acoustic folk.

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kid A
03-10-2003

Rated 0 
I wish this was easier to find on CD :( its a great song. But I have no idea whats its about

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zZaKk_21
04-29-2003

Rated 0 
One of my favorites, and such a beautiful song.

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kaisute
06-09-2003

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It reminds me of the banana republic clothing... I don't know why... I vaguely remember it from the 80's, I don't even know if it's still around... but the song is beautiful. Maybe he misses his favourite shirt.

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Anopheles
06-27-2003

Rated 0 
Read "One Hundred Years Of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. There is a corrupt company in the book called the Banana Company.

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Crazy_Jellyfish
12-26-2004

Rated 0 
Well. I love Radiohead and one of the reasons are that they are quite difficult to understand!

I've heard some songs, where "bananas" refer to dildos or penises... Maybe it's something about woman and dildos - replacement tool for real love? I don't know... Not even sure if I believe it, but it may be a possibility. Probably just sounds juvenile :)

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MaxpowerSupreme
12-28-2004

Rated 0 
This song may be making references to the evolution theory. Banana Co. is a corrupt company that distributes the bananas, and we're the apes.

"Oh Banana co.
We really love you and we need you
And oh banana co.
We'd really love to believe you"

What he's probably saying is that we think we're so civilized in our day and age with all of the communities we've developed and the way of life we've established. We're no longer hunting out on the plain, but instead getting all our goods from the grocery store. In the end, though, we're just animals, and our way of life is probably killing us. Our consumerism has distracted us from what life really is.

"And everything's underground
We've gotta dig it up somehow
Yeah yeah
Everything's burning down
We gotta put it out somehow
Yeah yeah"
__________________________________

I don't know. It's just my 2 cents.

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twitchpie
04-15-2005

Rated 0 
anopheles has it - the song's about the Banana Company (aka United Fruit Company), a supremely corrupt company (with heavy ties to American politics and legislature) in South America that exploited the hell out of its workers, often killing hundreds of them, and then selling their innocent bundles of fruit to other countries.
so, yeah.... this song i'm assuming is from a worker's perspective saying how he'd love to trust the company but as history has shown it shouldn't be trusted.

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nowherenik
03-09-2006

Rated 0 
I agree with the South American banana trade idea. Though I think it can be extended beyond that. Banana co. may not be around anymore but Nike and the likes still are.

Oh she said "No go"
She said she'd like to
She's seen you
But no, no go
She knows if you die then we all do


Hmmm, the company may be exploting people but if it doesn't exist nor does the livlihood of both employees and comsumers. Bad pay and conditions is better than no pay.
She says no go.
A sympathiser to an extend but if the company dies so do the lives of the workers. One person vs many.

And everything's underground
We've gotta dig it up somehow
Yeah yeah
Everything's burning down
We gotta put it out somehow
Yeah yeah

The situation is not widely understood, consumers are blissfully unaware. It's not sustainable but no solutions are being sought or presented.

my 2 pesos.

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41MorningBell41
08-15-2006

Rated 0 
I agree with someone. Radiohead's songs are hard to disect! I'm thinkging Banana co. justs sounds cool and means something completely unrelated. Or it has no meaning. Some songs are like that.

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Dr. Tchock
06-17-2007

Rated 0 
I've seen a live recording (youtube) and at the end Thom says "that was for Indonesia... (cough) and all the people who have money invested there."

That seems to agree with the corrupt company idea, but in Indonesia not S. America. Anyone know if they grow bananas in Indonesia?!

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Citizen Pain
07-30-2007

Rated 0 
"But everything's underground/ We've gotta dig it up somehow."
I think that what this line means is that the revolution is "underground" and that: "we've gotta dig it up somehow" refers to the time when the revolution is set in motion.

If that's the case, then the line "But everythings burning down/ We've gotta put it up somehow" means that the revolution has failed, better luck next time.

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elGarzon
08-08-2007

Rated 0 
Anopheles has it right. This song was inspired by One Hundred Years of Solitude. But this part of the book was based on facts. "La Masacre Bananera" occurred in the late 1920's in Cienaga Colombia, where the national army paid off by The United Fruit Company killed hundreds or thousands of banana workers. http://www.columbiapoliticalreview.com/diego.htm



"But everything is underground

We got to dig it up somehow"

Gabriel Garcia Marquez grew up hearing this story from so many people, so many times that it became almost a myth and the actual number of victims got lost somewhere in the oral tradition of the Colombian coast.



"She knows [Ursula] if you die then we all do"

The United Fruit Company got into the little Colombian town with promises of prosperity and wealth for its people. It became the center of all for this town, to the point that after The United Fruit Company left, the town was complete lost without a path to follow.

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Gay Christmas Tree
10-03-2007

Rated 0 
A banana republic is a small country whose sole export is for example, bananas, and they're often under a dictator or military rule.

I have a feeling he's implying that either the UK or west in general are sometimes akin to a banana republic. It wouldn't shock me if our export was war.

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Ani_Smith
03-24-2008

Rated 0 
I agree with the general comments... the bit with the girl saying "No go" is a bit confusing... perhaps she is speaking to a friend of hers (maybe a local leader) who is considering revolution. And "she'd like too" because she has seen him, but she says "no go" because if they lose this person/leader everything will be lost. The idea is that they want revolution and freedom, but it really isn't going to work because, despite Banana Co being bad... they need it.

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Bird Flew
06-05-2008

Rated 0 
i hate it when someone comes up with an explanation so sound it explains every aspect of the song, and someone else goes "maybe it has no meaning".

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1 Reply
toleratethis
04-17-2009

Rated 0 
Just putting it out there, but Banana Co. sounds a lot like "been out of coke" when said out loud especially in this song. Now read the lyrics knowing that.

The more you know!

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