FOP SYMPOSIUM 2005: REVIEW #11

Guy, once of The Symposiasts (do you still work there? Pleae don't bust up with Elanor, we simply couldn't stand the disintegration of another of our favourite duos) and now of wondrous solo project Bowling Ball, is a serious young academic type and we imagine has little time in his day for the consideration of childish ESL pop fripperies. But happily, he agreed to bust out a fabulous little exegesis on The Little Trees for us on behalf of both sites and for this, he is adored. (Do you not understand? Check it.)

REVIEW BY GUY FROM BOWLING BALL AND THE SYMPOSIASTS

OK, here’s my instant reaction to The Little Trees’ "Help, I'm A Fish! (I'm A Little Yellow Fish)": this song is obviously a 'coming out' tale about a lost, yellow fish, escaping a world where it just doesn’t fit in. Until, that is, it decides to 'live beneath the waves', where 'everything is changed'. With the help of a magic potion (perhaps Amyl Nitrate), and with a little wiggle and a twist, it realizes that what was once so frightening, dark and scary, is actually not 'such a big commotion' at all! Oh, wait a second, it’s all getting obvious now – riding seahorses and oysters? The Little Trees are obviously WAY ahead of me. But I’ll press on with my reading...

The little fish, after coming out into the big underwater world (of dark throbbing clubs and the like), takes a gay partybus tour (the “Whalebus”), and meets a few predatorial “sharks” looking for some, ahem, fresh meat. This leads to a dangerous awakening (“you won’t believe the things you see!), and the final, poignant warning: “Stay ashore, don't give in to notions - if you don't wanna be like me!”. So actually, in the end, the little fish is demanding that other confused little fishies should DENY their natural urges, and live, as aliens, in the big empty world above the sea. All ironically atop a Cher Believe-era style synth beat. Hmmm. I’m confused.