What Isn’t Nature

Song Meaning

The lyrics present a stark, almost unsettling view of the natural world, where even beauty is immediately undercut by the parasitic reality of mosquitoes. The narrator observes a "beautiful day" that quickly devolves into the visceral image of insects "sucking" and "spitting my blood out." This sets a tone that questions the idealized notion of nature, suggesting it's a brutal, instinct-driven system where survival often means inflicting harm, likening a virus to a bird in its nest, simply "doing what it does best." The central tension emerges from the repeated question, "What isn't nature?" This refrain challenges the listener to consider the boundaries of the natural order, particularly when confronted with human constructs and behaviors. The second verse introduces complex, seemingly disparate elements like "love," "vengeance," and a "porta-potty" scene, suggesting that even these human experiences, often seen as separate from or even opposed to nature, might be intrinsically part of it. The narrator acknowledges "ugly things around" but posits that this doesn't preclude "common ground." The most striking aspect is the lyrical assertion that "there is a nature to all things." This idea, presented in the outro, reframes the initial, harsh observations. It suggests a universal principle or inherent quality within every element, whether it's a mosquito's drive to feed or a human's capacity for love and vengeance. The final plea for "humility" seems to stem from this understanding, urging acceptance of this pervasive natural order, however uncomfortable its manifestations might be.