Ween – Transdermal Celebration

Know something about this song or lyrics? Add it to our wiki.
Send "Transdermal Celebration" Ringtone to Cell

Transdermal celebration
Caused a slight mutation in the rift
It toppled down a nation
And left the people runnin' for the hills
But the mutants that I see
Shine their beauty unto me
I wish you could see them

Tectonic tribulations
Formed a crust of green beyond the reef
Waves fell in formation
Caused the plants to bend with spiked leaves
I'm growing with the land
Time has taken my hand
And let me touch them

Hey, hey, a million miles to mark A
Lay on the lawn
He's already home
When the morning rain hits his face. . .

Transdermal celebration
Jets flew in formation I could see them
Dropping their crustaceans
Leaving trails of flame in their wake
But where is the mutation
That once told me it was safe?
I can't find him

Hey, hey, a million miles to mark A
Lay on the lawn
He's already home
When the morning rain hits his face. . .

Send "Transdermal Celebration" Ringtone to Cell


Lyrics submitted by Chronobrain

Track duration: 03:26


Transdermal Celebration song meanings
Add your thoughts

32 Comments

sort form View by:
  • 0
    Lyric Correction:I belive instead of 'a million miles to mark A', it could be 'million miles to Margate' which is in New Jersey, not too far from Newhope. I live about 20 minutes from Newhope, so that's what caught my ear and seems to make sense.
    Flag cmcburgesson June 07, 2012   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:I've never really focused on the lyrics, but from the title alone I've always liked to believe it was about sex (remember, take into account I didn't listen to the lyrics) It seems most everyone that's commented has taking the "trans" part in transdermal in the transcending, existential, progression of shit and what not. I took it in the merging of the 'dermals', like epidermal. You know, like in fucking. :) And fucking is definitely a reason to celebrate and even a celebration in itself. Shit, one of the best celebrations in my opinion. So great that if i must, i'll master....er....um...celebrate by myself :D
    Flag Phothermuckeron March 20, 2011   Link
    • 2 Replies
  • 0
    General Comment:I remember when I first heard this song years ago. I saw the video the first time I heard it and instantly knew it was the best song I had heard by Ween. I never really analyzed the video very greatly at first and took it's meaning as a literal one; just as if it were the narrator of the music video itself. I did see a message in it though because after every time I watched it and listened to the lyrics that spoke of toppling the nation to replace with the green of the world it always reminded me of the beauty of rebirth. Looking at it again now it's easy to see the songs theme. rufonz is definitely right about this song. I think the rest of you may be over thinking it if you disagree. The message the song send seemed to come to me subconsciously; it can't possibly be that hard to see the meaning. The sadness of death and the beauty of rebirth. An incredible and epic song.
    Flag Nikku7on August 06, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:LSD absorbed through the skin and empathy with the hallucinatory images around the protagonist is what this song deals with.
    Flag hoimangon July 19, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:No one has specifically mentioned the mutating effects of nuclear weapons and the 'crust of green beyond the reef (as in the tests at Bikini atoll and possibly Japan?), which is the only part I couldn't reconcile with my first interpretation of the song when I first started analyzing it; I initially thought it was about the tsunami (WAVES fell in formation, a slight mutation in the rift, tectonic tribulation, left the people runnin for the hills, plants bending in response to an impending cataclysmic event like cows laying down before a storm). Seemed patently obvious except that the tsunami happened after Quebec came out. Seemed almost prophetic to me at the time, but barring that it's either about nuclear destruction and the aftermath or just a torrent of sub-conscious, not strictly symbolic imagery by gener. Not that I don't think he's brilliant and capable of such powerful, imaginitive, interpretive writing, but I wonder if Gener really intends these themes, like the ones we're positing here; cause if he did, it's incredibly skilled use of occluded imagery to evoke a specific idea. I still can't shake the earthquake/tsunami theme though.
    Flag firehorse66on September 18, 2009   Link
  • +2
    General Comment:Too many Ween fans instantly assume every song is about drugs. Most aren't and I don't think this one is.

    I think it's about the continuation of life after death and evolution, and just being a small part of it.

    The whole song the lyrics are about the changing of skin, transdermal in the sense of taking a new form, not a "through skin" kinda way like a nicotine patch. And he keeps talking about mutants, mutation being key to the evolution of species. As they evolve over time.

    I think it's about how our lives are so short but we're a part of a larger cycle of life, death, rebirth, and evolution. The video nails it.
    Flag rufonzon August 02, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I always believed this song was about the end of the world via a massive world war. Reading the lyrics, you can clearly see references about natural disasters that were caused by the war. The mention of the jets in formation dropping bombs is another clear example of how this song was written about the aftermath of war and not something they simply wrote 'when they were high'. Not all songs written by Ween reference drug use or are about drug use at all. Just because someone does drugs, doesn't mean it's the only topic they think/read/write about.

    Since the song is called Transdermal Celebration, I assumed it was targeting the use of biological warfare and how it would be used in modern warfare.
    Flag Imajikaon April 14, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:The phrase "Transdermal Celebration" makes me think of evolution past Homo sapiens into homo superior.
    Flag pumkinhedon November 26, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think its about War.
    "But the mutants that I see".. The mutants being governments.
    "Shine their beauty unto me".. Sharing there supposed knowledge. Telling everyone its for the good of the country
    "I wish you could see them".. But we still have no idea why we're at war.

    "Jets flew in formation. I could see them. Dropping their crustaceans. Leaving trails of flame in their wake".. To me thats an obvious war reference.

    "a million miles to mark A".. sounds like military slang

    "But where is the mutation. That once told me it was safe? I can't find him".. Once the war is over or nearly over and the damage is done, the people/governement who started the war are no where to be seen.

    Probably way off, but at least its only a way off opinion.


    Flag stevothedevoon November 18, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Creed parody. lmao

    =]
    Flag HighAsAHorseon September 12, 2008   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

Back to top
explain