Song Meaning
John Parr’s "The Natural Thing" isn’t subtle; it's a primal scream disguised as an '80s rock anthem. The song meaning operates on two distinct, yet disturbingly parallel, planes: the intensely physical and the brutally political. The initial verses are a raw, almost animalistic expression of desire. The lyrics are stripped down to their core: bodies shedding the "clothes of convention" in a pursuit of pure, unadulterated sensation. There's a deliberate rejection of anything artificial, a dive into what feels instinctively right, hence the repeated mantra, "Seems the natural thing to do." It's the kind of lust that bypasses the intellect and plunges straight into the reptilian brain. But that's only part of the story.
Parr pivots sharply, injecting a dose of bleak reality. The earlier verses paint a picture of carefree abandon, a world of moonlight and dance. But the bridge introduces a stark contrast: the "flag" and the "gun." The carefree hedonism collides head-on with the cold, hard truth of conflict. The "new generation," armed and indoctrinated, becomes a symbol of wasted potential.
The final lines are the most unsettling. "But when the bullets flew, they bled red, white and blue / Seemed like the natural thing to do." This isn't just about patriotism; it's about the normalization of violence, the horrifying acceptance of war as an inevitable part of the human condition. The refrain, once a celebration of carnal desire, now echoes with a chilling irony. What feels "natural" – whether it's the heat of passion or the instinct to kill – is revealed as something deeply flawed, perhaps even monstrous. “The Natural Thing” becomes a cynical commentary of human nature itself.
View Artist