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When problems overwhelm us and sadness smothers us, where do we find the will and the courage to continue? Well, the answer may come in the caring voice of a friend, a chance encounter with a book, or from a personal faith. For Janet, her help came from her faith but it also came from a squirrel. Shortly after her divorce, Janet lost her father, then she lost her job, she had mounting money problems. But Janet not only survived but she worked her way out of despondency and now she says life is good again. She told me that late one autumn day when she was at her lowest, she saw a squirrel storing up nuts for the winter. One at a time, he would take them to the nest. And she thought, if that squirrel can take care of himself with a harsh winter coming on, so can I. Once I broke my problems into small pieces, I was able to carry them, just like those acorns, one at a time.
Take all your problems
And rip 'em apart
oh oh uh uh oh
Carry them off
In a shopping cart
oh oh uh uh oh
Another thing
You should've known from the start
oh uh uh uh uh oh
The problems in hand
Are lighter than at heart
oh uh uh uh oh oh
Be like the squirrel, girl
Be like the squirrel
oh oh uh uh oh
Give it a whirl, girl
Be like the squirrel
oh oh uh uh oh
And another thing
You have to know in this world
oh oh uh uh oh
Cut up your hair
Straighten your curls
Well, your problems
Hide in your curls
Oh oh uh uh oh
Oh oh oh oh
Take all your problems
And rip 'em apart
oh oh uh uh oh
Carry them off
In a shopping cart
oh oh uh uh oh
Another thing
You should've known from the start
oh uh uh uh uh oh
The problems in hand
Are lighter than at heart
oh uh uh uh oh oh
Be like the squirrel, girl
Be like the squirrel
oh oh uh uh oh
Give it a whirl, girl
Be like the squirrel
oh oh uh uh oh
And another thing
You have to know in this world
oh oh uh uh oh
Cut up your hair
Straighten your curls
Well, your problems
Hide in your curls
Oh oh uh uh oh
Oh oh oh oh
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If you remeber one 'Flaming Lips' song named "Thank you Jack white for the fiber optic Jesus that you gave me" you will notice that Flaming Lips and Jack White would use some ironic statements to criticize some religious and conservative society members.
It is very clear to me, when I hear the Litte Acrons introduction that kind of idea.
That song musically also reminds me of the Nirvana Nevermind style, very heavy guitar riffs and teenage rebel style.
Thank you Jack White for that great song that you gave us!
Cheers.
That's just my interpretation though... 8^)
"His name's Mort Crim, he's an anchorman. And that was a complete accident. Somebody had given me a bunch of reel to reel tapes and they were full with radio ads and commercials and things. And I was recording, on one track, a piano part that you hear in the background at the beginning, and when I played it back, on the other track was that story. That was just how... how you're hearing it on the album is just how I heard it when it first happened... it was an accident, so... I wrote the rest of the song based around that story, cause I loved that story, it was so great. There's these sort of morality tales.. he has some radio show where he does these "morality tales" or whatever.. and it was great. So we recorded the song and I took it back to Detroit and I found him, went to his office, Mort Crim's office and played it for him to get permission to see if we could put it on the record, thinking he was gonna hate it... but he really like it, so... we were glad. [laughs]"
PS: If you want to see what this musical genius is capable of, rent the movie "It might get Loud" It's powerful stuff.
oh uh uh uh oh oh
is titillating??
"Carry them off in a shopping cart"
"The problems in hand
Are lighter than at heart"
"Straighten your curls
Well, your problems
Hide in your curls "
"Give it a whirl, girl"
The way that western society advertises material possesions as solutions to a much more deeply rooted problem.
The whole self help tape kinda fits the bill as well
Just my two cents :D
The fact that it starts out with that kind of weird, not stripsy self help introduction seems to set it up- and then moves to rather heavy rock and roll with a kind of sarcastic edge.
To me, it almost seems to say that the "acorn" analogy completely trivializes complex problems- because "the problems at hand are lighter than at heart." We're complex creatures.
@huambo- I immediately thought that the "cut up your hair/straighten your curls" line was a reference to youth- kind of the curly-headed cherubic image. I think this also adds to the sarcastic message that everything will be fine if you just get over yourself and stop being emotional. Maybe. I don't know.