It's the big show tongue tip tied to the roof of my mouth
Bad naughty little angels come rushin' out.
I don't know but I been told you never die and you never grow old.
I guess you guessed that I"d catch hell.

I just caught a cold but now I'm feelin' well.
It's the big show it's big show
Looked like we were photographed at gun point so I had to laugh.
Ha ha.

You said "I hope you live forever." Don't you wish that on me.
You said "don't be clever."
I don't know but I been told you never die and you never grow old.
It's the big show. It's the big show!

Three inch horses watching them drown (in the tar pits).
We're kneeling down.
They see us talking out both sides of our mouths.
Two faced monsters. aaawh.



Lyrics submitted by PLANES, edited by Ryuhza, sheionizes

Track duration: 04:13

"3 Inch Horses, Two Faced Monsters" as written by Brock

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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3 Inch Horses, Two Faced Monsters song meanings
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  • 0
    My Interpretation:some of times when it says "you never die and you never grow old" it sounds to me like Brock's saying "you never die WHEN you never grow old" which makes a lot more sense, its kind of like a burnout rather than fade away kind of thing. as far the whole song overall, i feel like the first couple of verses are obviously him talking to a girl and saying something she doesnt agree with and that makes him feel like she's a completely different person, hence the two headed monster thing. and he uses that as an example when it comes down to the last verse, that people generally suck and we as a species and civilization are getting sucked into a tar pit. where i see the three inch horses coming from, is that he's trying to say that things like animals or bugs that we just look at being small and insignificant are just watching us kill ourselves through the trappings of society, like feeling the need to agree on every topic with a significant other. obviously just my opinion, and someone mightve already said this but i didnt read all of the comments on this page, so whatever. sorry if my thoughts are too unorganized to read comprehensibly.
    Flag PartyBlasteron September 01, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:its about Mister Ed, an old black/white show from the early 60's. Hes commenting on man creating an artificial monster, much like "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelly-perhaps even basing his song off of it.
    Flag manicdepressivestoneron April 24, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:There's a line in Interview With the Vampire where he says, "You see that old woman? That will never happen to you. You will never grow old, and you will never die." Possibly where they got the, "I don't know but I been told, you'll never die and you'll never grow old."
    Flag AidanDieson December 13, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Tongue tip tied to the roof of my mouth
    (Bad naughty little angels come rushing out)

    -people talk about heaven and almighty. He has something to say, but he knows it will offend the people. In the end, however, he can't help it and discloses his doubts. The bad naughty little angles are hard truths like; lack of reason for faith, or closure to death. These angles are bad and naughty because most people don't want them, but they can save you from investing your life in a hope that something exists that most likely doesn't.

    I guess you guessed that I'd catch hell
    (I just caught a cold but now I'm feeling well)

    -The people that he diclosed his doubts to where defensive of their belief and told him that hell would come to him. Yet, hell did not come.

    I don't know but I been told
    (You never die and you'll never grow old)

    -His doubts are explained here. He cannot be certain that there is a heaven that will enable him to live forever in hapiness.

    You said, "I hope you live forever"
    (Don't you wish that on me
    You said, "Don't be clever")

    -the religious person sticks to his guns and wishes Isaac the ability to live forever in heaven even though he has doubts. However, Isaac then discloses that he does not want to live forever. The religious person then becomes defensive again and dismisses isaac's confession as a hope to be clever.

    Looked like we were photographed
    (At gunpoint, so I had to laugh)

    -We are stuck in fear of death. That cannot be a reason to devote your life to a stuctured faith.

    It's the big show, it's the big show

    Three inch horses watching them drown
    In the tar pit we're kneeling down

    They see us talking out both sides of our mouthes
    Two faced monsters

    -the big show refers the performances people give when they need to hide their own doubts in their religious beliefs. The truth is, most religious people do have doubts. Isaac doesn't want to hide his doubts.

    -Three inch horses is an oxymoron that is a symbol of faith. A horse is big and noble and beautiful. However these horses are only three inches tall. There may be some faith you have within you, but it is not as gigantic as you make it out to be. As well, when confronted, the faith drowns slowly: like in tar. We drown: wasting our time praying.

    -Everyone can see religious people agrandizing their belief, then asking themselves doubtful questions. Their faith sees both the believable and unbelievable (two faces).
    Flag Freddytheclosetmonsteron July 03, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:So this song is complete insanity at it's finest. Isaac Brock is one complex fellow. This is about his bipolar disorder. Tongue tip tied to the roof of my mouth, bad naughty little angels come a rushing out- is saying one thing, but meaning another. I guess you thought that i'd catch hell, Just caught a cold, but now i'm feeling well- meaning having mood swings, or split personalities. In between, metaphors, metaphors, metaphors. 3 inch horses, watch em drown, in the tar pits knealing down, they see us talking out the sides of our mouths, two faced monster. I think 3 inch horses are representative of all the people Isaac knows, and he is the two faced monster, talking under his breath, saying things to people that he doesn't mean. I listened to this song for the first time when i was on acid and inferred all of that, but listen to enough modest mouse and you'll pick up on Isaacs split personality theme too.
    Flag nativesolon July 02, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:It's the big show represents the show people put up in relationships... It's a big show that they put up.
    Flag Razorbacks12on March 24, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Studson offered a pretty convincing opinion.

    I always thought it had more of a religious meaning behind it. A lot of Isaacs lyrics draw question or skepticism into religion. These lyrics are present in:

    +3rd planet (The 3rd Planet is sure that they're being watched, by an eye in the sky that can't be stopped.. etc)

    +Willful Suspension of Disbelief ( You could keep diggin' down and down a thousand graves down without turnin' around or finding hell)

    +Ocean Breathes Salty (And maybe we'll get lucky and we'll both live again. Well I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. Don't think so. ) & (Good luck, for your sake I hope heaven and hell are really there, but I wouldn't hold my breath.)

    +Cowboy Dan (Fires his rifle in the sky and says 'GOD if I have to die, YOU will have to die') [To be fair, Isaac is depicting a character in this song]

    +Bankrupt on Selling (Well, all the apostles, they're sitting in swings saying, "I'd sell off my savior for a set of new rings And some sandals) & (And all of the angels, they'd sell off your soul for a set of new wings and anything gold)

    +and of course most notably Bukowski, which speaks for itself. These are just the lyrics I've picked up on as well, there could be others that have gotten by.

    In 3 inch horses, two faced monsters there are a couple lyrics which would be interpreted as towards religion.

    (I don't know but I been told you never die and you never grow old)
    (You said 'I hope you live forever.' Don't you wish that on me. You said 'don't be clever')

    He also references kneeling down, and talking out both sides of our mouths. And being two faced monsters. This could symbolize prayer. A lot of people can be two faced when it comes to religion. Claiming to be Christians or the like but their actions don't represent what it supposedly means to be one.

    This is at the very least how I've always interpreted it. At the very least, Isaac does have *some* kind of skepticism with religion, whether or not it is portrayed in this song is the question.

    In closing, I'd like to repeat that Studson's proposal is pretty compelling as well
    Flag Burmeyon January 27, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Well this is a decent song. although i did notice he uses the line "I don't know but I been told
    (You never die and you'll never grow old)" in atleast three songs i can think of off the top of my head. i think this song pretty much is just about people who are shitty people pretty much. its an alrite song, not one of modest mouses best songs.
    Flag iamdesireeiishoton October 16, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Well this is a decent song. although i did notice he uses the line "I don't know but I been told
    (You never die and you'll never grow old)" in atleast three songs i can think of off the top of my head. i think this song pretty much is just about people who are shitty people pretty much. its an alrite song, not one of modest mouses best songs.
    Flag iamdesireeiishoton October 16, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Well this is a decent song. although i did notice he uses the line "I don't know but I been told
    (You never die and you'll never grow old)" in atleast three songs i can think of off the top of my head. i think this song pretty much is just about people who are shitty people pretty much. its an alrite song, not one of modest mouses best songs.
    Flag iamdesireeiishoton October 16, 2009   Link

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