Interpretations:She's Actual Size
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What's the line "Squares may look different in the rear view mirror... as she drives away" mean? She's living, but how do they look "different"? I can understand how they'd literally appear smaller, but why the use of the word "different"? Also... is the audience protesting the narrator "talkin' bout a lady who's actual size"?
- That's She's Actual Size (Live STD). 144.13.99.22 23:28, 27 October 2018 (EDT)
--- Another one of Flans songs about strong women (see Hotel Detective and Out of Jail). The song desperately needs a full band on it. (Mr Tuck)
I think this song is about a midget... She's actual size to most people, but to him she seems much bigger, simply because he is smaller!
- Do you mean sung from the perspective of a midget?
The song is about a woman who has a manner about her that commands respect. "Big men often tremble as they step aside" refers to how often it takes a woman with only a slightly more than average amount of self esteem to get normal treatment.
This song could be about falling for a woman who could be a criminal (à la Out Of Jail). The line "Her face hangs in portrait on the post office wall" most likely refers to a wanted poster on the wall of a federal building. However, it could also be about the Statue of Liberty, who would also be likely to be seen on the wall of a federal building and is much larger than the average woman.
I think if you examine the lyrics, it seems to be about someone dating or in love with a celebrity. You know how people always say "I always thought you would be bigger" when they meet a celebrity in real-life, because they are used to seeing them on a movie screen. -- Duke33
Honestly, when I first heard this song, I thought it was like a theme song for the fifty foot woman. Hmmm.
The line "She's got all the money money couldn't buy" strongly supports the interpretation that the woman in question's a criminal. That, along with the implication that she's fleeing from the law, or at least the orderly ("Squares may look distant in her rear-view mirror"), and the way "buildings tumble" around her hints at some anarchistic tendencies, at least.
The way I heard it, It sounded like he had a crush on a celebrity ("Nationwide, believe"). And the actual size women was that celebrity. He was describing her everywhere she'd be, and some of those places she is in picture and thought. - User:Droffats
This is a woman with balls. She's just larger than life -- the "face on the post office wall" means she's WANTED, not because she's a criminal, but because she's so vivacious.
Well, if you assume that this song has the same meaning as Larger Than Life (which you should, since it's a remix of this song), you can guess that she seems bigger to the singer because he places here on a pedestal. He has a crush on a girl, who may or may not be a criminal, and he's fallen for her so much that he insists that she's a giant in comparison to himself. Apparently, she has this effect on most men, since big men are always stepping aside for her and trembling. He simply refuses to believe that he could possibly be the equal of a woman like this.
It's about the Queen of England, Elizabeth the II. I think the real giveaway is here:
- She's got
- All the money
- Money couldn't buy
- She's got something special
- That someone left behind
The Queen is extremely wealthy, and her wealth is obtained by inheritance. The Royal Mint technically works for The Queen and mints the coins of the realm. A likeness of her face in portrait or profile is imprinted on every coin and every note. She certainly has got all the money money couldn't buy. For example, see some pictures of ten pound notes: http://images.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&lr=&q=ten pound note&btnG=Search.
She also has something special left behind - primogeniture, the succession to the power and lands of the crown. When her father died, the right to rule was passed on to her, as is normal for hereditary monarchies. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primogeniture
These lines can also be explained with reference to The Queen:
- Her face
- Hangs in portrait
- On the post office wall
The Queen's face also appears on ordinary stamps issued by the Royal Mail, the national post office. Some examples here: http://images.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&lr=&q=royal mail stamps&btnG=Search
The rest of the song refers to the fact that she might seem really important and big, in fact she is an ordinary person, and not a giant.
According to the trivia page, this song was inspired during their 1990 Flood tour. I don't know but I would bet they travelled the UK on this tour, and this is the source of their exposure to Her Majesty.
After reading all the above interpretations, I agree with Mr Tuck who feels this is a song about a strong woman, and Duke33 who says she is a celebrity and points out people often say "I always thought you would be bigger" on meeting someone they had previously only seen pictures of.
-- User:MartinH
Come on people, TMBG are a little more perverted than you give them credit for. I think this song is about a blow up doll. You know what I'm talking about. Big men often tremble as they step aside, I wouldn't want to touch one of those things if it had been used. She's got all the money money couldn't buy; this has to refer to the 'money shot'. This also explains "something special that some guy left behind". Squares may look distant in her rear view mirror; a lot of squares (nerds, dweebs) use these kinds of toys instead of an actual lady. By distant they mean she's been used some time ago, or for some time. The "post office wall" probably implies this doll is made to look like someone famous, or perhaps it was shipped and one of the Johns had to pick it up from the post office but were too shy too, so she just stands in portrait.
-M Stuefen
I believe this song is about the narrator having a visitation by the Virgin Mary. The lyrics "Light beams down from heaven" I think are meant to be taken literally. - GiantMidget
She drives away[edit]
The song is another Flansburgh take on divorce, like Lucky Ball & Chain. What does it say on the bottom of the portraits that hang on the post-office wall? Would that have anything to do with why she's "stuck in my heart"? (It's not just about a break-up, because otherwise she wouldn't have ended up with all the money.) If she's actual size but she seems much bigger, then how big does he seem (to himself)? She's driving away. She thinks of him as a square/dork. --Nehushtan 20:43, 26 Jan 2006 (EST)
I've always assumed this song was about a notorious female criminal (I imagine a bank robber) "She's got all the money money couldn't buy". One of the Johns, who has a crush on her, gets to see her flee the scene from a robbery "actual size as she drives away" and pretty much worships her. (my opinion) -mattyB
One word, everybody:
Implants.
Which explains why John says "I thought I was big once."
"but she seems much bigger to me."
To me, she might be giant
-Johnathan Linnell Esq.
This song is just a play on that objects may be larger than they appear on rear view mirrors. Which explains the "squares seem different" line.
Definitely about a heartbreaker that guys build up in their minds.
"squares may look distant in her rear view mirrors..." Squares here meaning objects but also the double meaning for the 50's era slang term for 'losers'. Basically this girl leaves losers in the dust. "Portrait on the post office wall" ... I like the idea that this means she is "wanted" as someone posted above. "She's got all the money money couldn't buy" what she has is better than money, the ability to control guys by making them want her
I think that this is about a really, really big sandwich. He thinks it's so small, then he sees it and it's huge. It's one of those that get you the "I ate a greaseburger at greaseland!" buttons afterwards. It would also explain the "She's stuck in my heart now Where my blood belongs" line. The guy's arteries are clogged. After he sees it, he drives away (Squares may look distant in her rear view mirror but they're actual size Actual size to her), and thinks about it for months. The Joe (Talk) 14:02, 20 January 2007 (UTC)
Statue of Liberty?[edit]
I always thought it was a song about the Statue of Liberty, and how through the rearview mirror she could look sized like an actual person.
When it says "She's got all the money money couldn't buy" I think that's a words game... you must read it like "she's got all the money money couldn't buy" the two times "money" actually is the same word. I think you must interpret it like she tries to make you think that she have money, but actually she has something better than money.
It's about finding a plus sized woman attractive[edit]
Y'all please. It's clearly a plus sized woman he finds attractive, not the virgin mary. Please.
She May be the Statue of Liberty[edit]
I think it's about the Statue of Liberty. "She's actual size but she seems much bigger to me," most New Yorkers don't really think of the statue much, she's just kind of there but she may have a specific significance to John L (and he is from NYC). There are (or at least were) stamps and posters of Lady Liberty in post offices and the "she's got something special that someone left behind," I think refers to the quote on her tablet. And, she's got all the money because she's representative of America and so, sort of has possession of the treasury (she's also printed on some money, including NY quarters and some gold dollars). "She's actual size, nation wide believe," again because of symbolizing the US.
