Song Meaning

This track is a playful linguistic experiment, dissecting the often-arbitrary rules of English plurals through a series of absurd, invented words. It starts with familiar examples like geese and mice, then quickly pivots to hypothetical, nonsensical formations: "two meese?", "grice? Grease?", "foxen?", and "sattle? Seattle?". The core of the song lies in its embrace of the illogical, suggesting that even incorrect grammar can have a certain charm or momentum. The repeated refrain, "It may be wrong, it still might fly," champions a spirit of creative defiance against rigid linguistic norms. The central tension arises from the contrast between established plural forms and the narrator's whimsical, often sound-based, attempts to create new ones. This is most evident in the titular "One buffalo, two buffali" and similar constructions like "two kangari" and "two caribi." These invented plurals, while grammatically incorrect, are presented with an infectious enthusiasm, as if the sheer act of proposing them is enough to give them validity. The lyrics seem to revel in this playful subversion, finding joy in the unexpected twists and turns of language. The most striking craft element is the consistent use of invented plurals, often derived from the sound of the singular word or a playful association. For instance, "crickets make a racket" and "jackals make a jacket" are nonsensical pairings that highlight the arbitrary nature of word formation. The song also plays with expectations by offering a correct plural ("cattle") only to immediately follow with an invented one ("sattle?"). This deliberate disruption of patterns keeps the listener engaged, constantly anticipating the next quirky linguistic leap. Ultimately, the lyrics resonate because they tap into a childlike delight in wordplay and a subtle critique of conformity. By inventing plurals that "may be wrong" but "still might fly," the song encourages a sense of freedom and experimentation. It suggests that language, while a tool for communication, can also be a playground for imagination, where the joy of creation trumps strict adherence to rules. The sheer audacity of phrases like "You wanna lick my tape-worm?" underscores this commitment to pushing boundaries and embracing the delightfully strange.