ALSO THE GORILLA...

Song Meaning

The lyrics present a defiant, almost primal attitude, centered around a recurring question: "What's up?" This repeated phrase, delivered with an insistent energy, seems to function as a challenge or a dismissive acknowledgment of the world. It’s a sonic shrug, a refusal to engage with perceived trivialities or expectations. The central tension lies in the narrator's embrace of a "gorilla" mentality – a figure that "don't give a fuck." This persona is unconcerned with the "little taste of the end" or the "pretty flowers grown in the dirt." It suggests a rejection of conventional concerns, a deliberate indifference to the niceties and inevitable decay that life presents. The lyrics imply a desire to operate outside of societal norms, unburdened by consequence or sentiment. The most striking craft element is the juxtaposition of the raw, almost aggressive "gorilla" persona with the mundane or the delicate. The idea of "shoveling it right up his nose" contrasts sharply with the gentle imagery of flowers. This creates a jarring effect, highlighting the narrator's deliberate disruption of expected order and their embrace of a more unrefined, instinctual existence. The repeated "What's up?" acts as a punctuation mark for this chaotic worldview. Ultimately, the effectiveness of these lyrics stems from their unapologetic embrace of apathy and defiance. The "gorilla" serves as a potent, if crude, metaphor for shedding societal pressures. By repeatedly posing the question "What's up?" the song captures a feeling of detached observation and a refusal to be drawn into the drama or perceived meaninglessness of it all.