“She Don’t Use Jelly” by The Flaming Lips is a playful and whimsical tune that celebrates the uniqueness and quirks of everyday people. It’s not about one specific individual but showcases three different people who do things a tad differently than the rest. The song sheds light on the idea that it’s okay to be different, to use Vaseline instead of butter or color your hair with tangerines. The underlying message? Embrace the oddities; they make you, YOU. It’s a cheerful nod to individuality and the little idiosyncrasies that make life enjoyable.
Have you ever met someone with a peculiar habit that just sticks in your mind? Let’s wander through a world where Vaseline is a toast spread, and magazines are tissues!
“She Don’t Use Jelly” Lyrics Meaning
“I know a girl who thinks of ghosts, She’ll make you breakfast, she’ll make you toast.” From the get-go, the singer introduces us to someone unique, hinting that she’s got an otherworldly charm about her. The simple act of making toast is turned into an eccentric affair, as we discover, “But she don’t use butter… She uses Vaseline.”
The quirkiness continues with the guy “who goes to shows.” A casual act of blowing his nose becomes an offbeat tale. He’s not bound by conventions like “tissues or sleeves,” and he “uses Magazines.”
Lastly, we have a colorful character who “reminds me of Cher.” She loves switching up her hair color, but not with regular dyes. “She likes her hair to, be real orange. She uses Tangerines.”
Throughout the song, The Flaming Lips bring out the fun in the mundane and the peculiarities in the everyday. It’s a delightful reminder that it’s not the norms but the deviations from them that make life’s tapestry vibrant.
The Story Behind “She Don’t Use Jelly”
When The Flaming Lips penned “She Don’t Use Jelly,” they were deep into their alternative rock phase in the early ’90s. It was a time when bands were pushing boundaries, experimenting with sounds, and lyrics that defied the mainstream.
Wayne Coyne, the band’s frontman, has been known for his creative and eccentric perspective. The song seems to be a reflection of Coyne’s observations and perhaps even his own embrace of the unconventional. He’s always celebrated the weird and wonderful aspects of life, evident in the band’s other works too.
“She Don’t Use Jelly” can be seen as a fun response to a world that often takes itself too seriously. At its core, it’s about cherishing individuality, and celebrating the little quirks that everyone possesses. In a way, the song’s spontaneous, almost childlike nature encapsulates the band’s ethos at the time: be genuine, be different, and most importantly, have fun while doing it.