If The Animals Could Talk

The Blacklight Posterboys' song 'If The Animals Could Talk' offers a satirical and thought-provoking commentary on human indifference towards animal suffering and environmental issues. The lyrics are delivered from the perspective of a person who is unapologetically indifferent to the plight of animals, highlighting the disconnect between human actions and their impact on the natural world. The song uses dark humor and irony to underscore the moral and ethical implications of this indifference.

The opening lines, 'On a big scale, who cares about the whale? I'll never see one anyway or listen to the tales,' set the tone for the song's critique. The narrator dismisses the importance of whales and other animals, suggesting that their existence is irrelevant because they do not directly affect his life. This attitude is further emphasized with lines like 'In the grand scheme, what's another cow? Just another piece of meat to me anyhow,' which trivialize the life of a cow to mere meat, reflecting a consumerist mindset.

The chorus, 'If the animals could talk, they'd be cursing my name... If the animals could shoot I'd be hanging off a wall,' uses hyperbole to imagine a world where animals could retaliate against humans. This imagery serves to highlight the absurdity and cruelty of the narrator's actions, suggesting that if animals had a voice or means to defend themselves, they would condemn human behavior. The song's satirical nature is further evident in lines like 'On a sad note, I wouldn't want to be a seal... On a fur coat that's a 100 percent real,' which mockingly acknowledges the brutality of the fur industry while maintaining a tone of indifference.

The song concludes with the narrator's admission, 'I'm just a guy who doesn't take it serious, Don't think it's sad, but I'm only one man,' which encapsulates the central theme of individual apathy. The Blacklight Posterboys use this character to critique a broader societal issue, urging listeners to reflect on their own attitudes and actions towards animals and the environment. Through its clever use of satire and irony, 'If The Animals Could Talk' challenges the audience to consider the ethical implications of their choices and the often-overlooked suffering of animals.