Song Meaning
The lyrics paint a picture of a primal, unified state that gives way to a complex, perhaps painful, emergence. Initially, the narrator describes a time and place of perfect stillness and darkness, explicitly located within "my tum." This suggests a pre-birth or deeply internal, undifferentiated existence, a singular entity before separation.
The transition arrives with a sense of anticipation and preparation: "When the bun was well done / We had waited the time / We had counted it out / We had done all the sums." This imagery implies a deliberate, calculated process leading to a significant event, a moment of readiness for something new to begin.
The arrival is marked by external forces and a shift in the celestial body: "So they tried to coax / With the needles and smoke / And they stuck in the pins / And they burned my toe." This section introduces a jarring, almost violent intervention, contrasting sharply with the earlier stillness. The moon's transformation from pink to dark mirrors this shift, and the repeated phrase "You had started to start" emphasizes the undeniable beginning of another entity.
The core of the song seems to revolve around the profound impact of this "start," personified by "he." The narrator expresses awe at this new being's "power" and the shared experience: "Cause he stayed with me / And he stayed with you." The repetition of "he stayed awake / And he didn't sleep" highlights a tireless presence, culminating in a shared emotional release: "And the next day we cried." This suggests a complex mix of relief, exhaustion, and deep emotion following the intense birthing process.
The titular "turnip" becomes a potent, albeit unusual, metaphor for this transformation. The repeated refrain "Cause the turnip had turned" signifies a fundamental change, a point of no return. It captures the essence of something that has grown, developed, and irrevocably shifted from its previous state, embodying the profound and perhaps earthy reality of birth and new beginnings.
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