Track #2 on Andrew Bird’s fourth full-length studio album Armchair Apocrypha.
This song seems to talk about our attempts to understand loneliness, isolation and cruelty. At the same time, these attempts are somewhat artificial, hence the images of bunsen burners and Petri dishes. Even with all that...
[Verse 1]
He's keeping busy as he's bleeding stones
His machinations and his palindromes
It was anything but hear the voice
Anything but hear the voice
It was anything but hear the voice
That says that we’re all basically alone
[Verse 2]
Poor Professor Pynchon had only good intentions
When he put his Bunsen burners all away
And turned into a playground, a Petri dish
Of single cells would swing their fists
At anything that looks like easy prey in this
Nature show that rages every day
It was then he heard his intuition say
[Chorus]
We were all basically alone
And despite what all his studies had shown
What was mistaken for closeness
Was just a case of mitosis
And why do some show no mercy
While others are painfully shy
And tell me, doctor, can you quantify
‘Cause he just wants to know the reason
The reason why
[Verse 3]
Why do they congregate in groups of four
Scatter like a billion spores
And let the wind just carry them away
How can kids be so mean
Our famous doctor tried to glean
As he went home at the end of the day
In this nature show that rages every day
It was then he heard his intuition say
[Chorus]
We were all basically alone
Despite what all his studies had shown
That what's mistaken for closeness
Is just a case of mitosis
Sure fatal doses of malcontent through osmosis
And why do some show no mercy
While others are painfully shy
Tell me doctor, can you quantify
The reason why
Imitosis was written by Andrew Bird.
Imitosis was produced by Ben Durrant & Andrew Bird.
Andrew Bird released Imitosis on Tue Mar 20 2007.