Alanis Morissette's Song: Knees of my Bees

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the meaning and interpretation of the lyrics from Alanis Morissette's song "Knees of my Bees." Participants explore the implications of specific phrases and the overall message conveyed through the lyrics, with a focus on cultural references and wordplay.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions the specific meaning of the song title and lyrics, expressing confusion over the cultural references.
  • Another participant dismisses the lyrics as "utter cobblers," suggesting a negative view of their coherence or quality.
  • A participant references the expression "the bees' knees," proposing that Morissette may have twisted this phrase into something nonsensical.
  • Another viewpoint suggests that lines like "We share a culture same vernacular" and "You are a wordsmith" could indicate an inside joke between the subjects of the song.
  • One participant humorously interprets the lyrics as suggesting that the person being sung about has such charisma that it affects even the bees, referencing a historical anecdote about Dolly Parton impacting the honey market.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing interpretations of the lyrics, with no consensus on their meaning or coherence. Some find value in the wordplay, while others critique it.

Contextual Notes

There are varying assumptions about cultural references and the intent behind the lyrics, which remain unresolved. The discussion reflects a mix of personal interpretations and cultural commentary.

Monique
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Does that title have any specific meaning?

The lyrics of this song by Alanis Morissette puzzle me :confused:
We share a culture same vernacular
Love of physical humor and time spent alone
You with your penchant for spontaneous advents
For sticky and raspy, unearthed and then gone

You are a gift renaissance with a wink
With tendencies for conversations that raise bars
You are a sage who is fueled by compassion
Comes to nooks and crannies as balm for all stars

You make the knees of my bees weak, tremble and buckle
You make the knees of my bees weak

You are a spirit that knows of no limit
That knows of no ceiling who baulks at dead-ends
You are a wordsmith who cares for his brothers
Not seduced by illusion or fair-weather friends

You make the knees of my bees weak, tremble and buckle
You make the knees of my bees weak

You are a vision who lives by the signals of
Stomach and intuition as your guide
You are a sliver of god on a platter
Who walks what he talks and who cops when he's lied

You make the knees of my bees weak, tremble and buckle
You make the knees of my bees weak
You make the knees of my bees weak, tremble and buckle
You make the knees of my bees weak
You make the knees of my bees weak, tremble and buckle
You make the knees of my bees weak
 
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Alanis Morissette's lyrics are widely regarded as "utter cobblers".
 
There is an old expression "the bees knees". If something is "the bees knees" it's good. Maybe she got it from that and twisted it into something that makes no sense. :confused:
 
"We share a culture same vernacular" and "You are a wordsmith" could hint that it was some sort of inside joke-ish kind of thing between them. Barring that, it just looks like a pun on the colloquial expressions "the bees' knees" and "you make me weak in the knees."
 
It is obvious that the person she is singing about has such charisma and massive butt that even the knees of Alanis' pet bees turned to jelly. Bee owners see this phenomneon all the time. I have been told that a visit by Dolly Parton to Somerset in 1974 crippled the honey market there for two consecutive years.