Interpretations:McCafferty's Bib

• Song
• Lyrics
• Download
• Interpretations
• Credits
• Guitar Tab
• Bass Tab
• Chronology

Interpretation 1

Tell me McCafferty's Bib is not a thing or concept that existed prior to the writing of this song! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 108.215.26.104 (talk)

We have sold our souls for material goods and entertainment.

The curtain has been drawn aside, our technicolor cultural myths are imploding and the environment is collapsing, so what do we do? We work hard to distract ourselves from those harsh realities and our meaningless existence. McCaffery's bib is anything we use to numb ourselves: the entertainment glut we carry around in our pockets, selling us individuality while molding us into conformist consumers; the antidepressants that are prescribed like candy; opioids; porn; shopping - whatever curbs the imagination, keeps us compliant, and makes a few people rich and powerful. We're unhappy and don't even know why, but we'll carry our own shrouds and dig our own graves with smiles on our faces if the wifi reception down there is good enough.

I love the Gary Numan vibe of this song. Sonyar (talk) 19:20, 19 March 2018 (EDT)

Herbal Supplement

The name "McCafferty's Bib" reminds me of the name of a plant like "St. John's Wort" that is used as an herbal supplement, as suggested by the "bottle of pills" in the lyrics. The song is from the perspective of someone who accidentally ingests too much of it and begins to hallucinate. In a state of delirium, the mind can attribute an overblown significance to a simple word or insignificant thing. In the hallucination, McCafferty's Bib grows and becomes a concept that seems to be the key to the whole universe.

It's like when you eat too many hot dogs and then have a dream of everything in the world turning into hot dogs. -- Hockpa2e 13:12, May 17, 2018

Futuristic drug

It's a song about the futuristic dystopia in which everyone takes a new drug and clock out, the pills being taken are given a nonsense name because they are from the future. Everyone is taking them now, and everyone is happy. However, there are still darker undertones, it is described as one problem which solves all the problems. -- ToTheStone 17:13, May 25, 2018

Smartphones

I get the feeling that this is a song about an invention and ubiquity of smartphones. -- Emmett 11:03, June 9, 2018

Nothing

One interpretation I heard that was quite convincing was that the phrase "McCafferty's Bib" is synonymous with the word nothing. For example, the speaker gets rid of all their problems but they now feel empty from a lack of problems, and we will never be rid of the concept of nothingness. -- Cye Eco 17:49, May 12, 2019

Addiction, Overdose

I think the singer is McCafferty. He is addicted to pills (probably benzos). One day he overdoses and vomits the pills all over his shirt, making the pills "McCafferty's Bib"

"If only there were some way to shut out all this noise in my head. Oh wait there already is, it's called McCafferty's Bib." The "noise in my head" is anxiety. He gets put on benzos for anxiety. Benzo abuse can lead to a bad short term memory. The "noise in my head" is also tinnitus. Benzo withdrawal can cause tinnitus. The tinnitus and anxiety reminds him he needs to take more pills. "Till my head falls off" is another TMBG song that goes over these issues.

"I used to have eleven problems, then they all went away when I added one more called McCafferty's Bib." Here he is realizing he is addicted, calling the pills a problem. The other problems like anxiety are not solved, it's just that now all he can think about is the pills.

"Now the gray, gray clouds have arrived and the gray, gray clouds have decided to stay with us from now on." This refers to how an addiction looms over you at all times and you never really get over it.

"I ate the whole bottle of pills and wondered what I had swallowed and I saw that the label said McCafferty's Bib" Now he has overdosed. There's another reference to bad short term memory, and a clue that these are prescription pills with his name on the label.

"And then all the scenery melted away and in back of it the only thing left was McCafferty's Bib" Maybe this is a dream or hallucination. Maybe it's a moment of clarity. Either way it drives home that this addiction has consumed his entire life.

"In cities all over the world all the people are suddenly struck by the same idea." This seems like a reference to how pharmaceuticals abuse is so widespread. It also sounds like a hallucination.

"They're massing in public squares and they're singing a note that rises from low to high. With one hand they're holding up signs of Bob Hope, in the other hand, everyone's waving McCafferty's Bib." More hallucinations? There's something here I'm not getting.

"The toothpaste won't go back in the bottle since it granted our wish and we will never be rid of McCafferty's Bib" This is mixing the phrases "the toothpaste won't go back in the tube" and "put the genie back in the bottle" both of which mean that some things can't be undone. Also I think it points out that that cartoon genie looks like a dab of toothpaste. -- sirhand 10:21, May 23, 2019

Suicide

There's really only one solution to all of these problems...
Shutting out the noise in your head - solved
11 problems, they all went away - solved
Gray clouds arrived and decided to stay from now on - permanent solution
Swallowed all of the pills - I mean, come on...
Scenery melted away, all that was left was McCafferty's Bib - you died
Cities all over the world, people hold hope in one hand and despair in the other - that's poignant
The toothpaste won't go back in the bottle - you can't take back suicide. --Blake 00:14, August 7, 2019‎