Spousal abuse

To me, this seems like to be a song about spousal abuse. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.176.73.79 (talk) 19:47, August 2, 2005

Paranoia

I've not much to say except this song strikes me as being about paranoia, whether justified or not. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.139.247.38 (talk) 21:58, August 30, 2005

Interpretation 3

According to They Might be Giants, its "about a family that has to hide away" —Preceding unsigned comment added by Nightpotato (talk • contribs) 17:21, September 13, 2005

Interpretation 4

I believe this song may be about changing times and how sad it is that people have to lock their doors and always be worried about what others will do to them if they're not careful. Hideaway folk family, is basically saying, lock the doors and stay safe common families. Someone's gonna get ya', obviously refers to the increasing crime rate and that you and your family could be robbed or hurt if you're not careful. "Sadly the cross eyed bear's been but to sleep behind the stares", is a reference to how nobody wants to help each other out anymore I believe. It's of course derived from, "Gladly the Cross I'd bear". —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.97.37.244 (talk) 13:38, November 3, 2005

Hostage situation

I always thought it was about a hostage situation, and "abandoning all hope" had to do with Stockholm Syndrome. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.184.163.248 (talk) 22:01, December 18, 2005

Interpretation 6

I always thought it was about someone coming to get the family and the mother hides the child underneath the stairs only to later find out the villain is going to blow up that house not come inside it —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.188.114.50 (talk) 21:01, December 22, 2005

Interpretation 7

Now that I think about it, that's a really weird interpretation I wrote a while ago. o_O BALEETED.

NEW INTEPRETATION! It's about... paranoia. Like, they're all scared that this is going to happen or whatever, maybe it does, maybe it doesn't. I've always been convinced that the backwards singing at the end is the family's last moments. However, this could be what's going through their minds: not their death. Very, very scary yet really cool song. ^_^ Wow. Creepy. --Lemita 19:32, 27 Jun 2006 (MDT)

Holocaust

Again, a Holocaust song; the family is hiding away because of the Nazis. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.37.7.3 (talk) 02:13, June 28, 2006

I think its about the holocaust as well. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Snail Shell (talk • contribs) 09:08, September 18, 2006

Leftover hippies

Like another song from the same period (Purple Toupee), this song is making fun of leftover hippies. --Nehushtan 05:27, 17 July 2007 (UTC)

Interpretation 10

No one seems to have mentioned that the lyric "hide away, folk family" is a play on words derived from a children's toy that was available in the 1970s and 1980s. The toy was called the Hideaway Folk Family. It was a little plastic cottage that hinged open and hidden inside there was a little family of folks. My recollection of this toy is located in the vastly remote recesses of my memory, but I seem to remember that the Folk Family was comprised of Weeble-like figures dressed in earthtones. It reminded me a little of the Fisher-Price barn that opened up and held barnyard animals. So, one of the Johns noticed that the name of the toy, Hideaway Folk Family, sounds like an ominous admonition, "hide away, folk family!" and they parleyed that idea into a song. Any young adult of the 1980s would know the Hideaway Folk Family toy and would get the joke. The rest of the lyrics are just complimentary to the central turn of the phrase. --Chadd 13:11, August 9, 2007

The nearest thing I can find to this is Kenner's Mountain Tots Hideaway, from the late 1970s.
http://www.thisoldtoy.com/kenner/mountain.html
-- Thread Bomb (talk) 21:29, 8 March 2020 (EDT)

Interpretation 11

There's an innocent nice Christian family being shown to believe the worst in people and live in a state of fear and distrust. magbatz 14:46, February 20, 2008

Amish family

I think it's about an Amish family that gets raped/murdered. MidnightCrisis 01:12, 15 March 2012 (EDT)

Interpretation 13

An excellent song that is one of the few implicitly (rather than explicitly - c'mon it's the Giants) universal songs that they've ever written. One assumes a Flans song, it's easily in his top 10 that he's written for the band. Essentially is's a song about persecution and can be understood from a variety of perspectives. As Flans is American I've always thought it was about a lynching, but it could easily be about the holocaust or the kulaks being purged in Soviet Russia. Think of a persecuted minority it can be about them. Musically there is a kind of irony to it too. Musically (Leslie Anne Down bridge apart) it's wonderfully unthreatening: like lullaby which lulls the listener into a fall sense of security that this is a nice song. I remember it took a few listens before I realised what a disturbing song it actually is. For those persecuted, their eventual destruction often comes as a surprise as they too are lulled into a false sense of security that everything will be all right and the song reflects this fatal misunderstanding. Flans' clever bridge where musically it becomes threatening has the horoscope lyric illustrating a bleak humour that the folk family has no future. Throwing Leslie Anne Down in is rather puzzling! (Mr Tuck) 07:02, July 24, 2014

Interpretation 14

I believe the song is about a family who hides in their house while a well-known murderers come to kill them. While the family is hiding the during a news broadcast is on their TVB. I believe this because of the stanza from Lesley Down from the song. They reason the reporter can be heard is because one of the murderers mistakenly step on one of the buttons on the remote. The(fake)backwards singing is their final screams. I believe there were two murderers because of Lesley Down's report. He lists Taurus and Aquarius. These are alias of the murderers. I forgot to mention they choose these names because they are their zodiac signs.--Nanobot18 (talk) 14:23, 3 January 2019 (EST)

Doomsday preppers

The song is about "doomsday preppers" and similar people who separate themselves from the world in fear that it will kill them. The lyrics neglect to mention the stockpile of guns and explosives the family keep in their hideaway. -- Thread Bomb (talk) 21:35, 8 March 2020 (EDT)

Goodbye Columbus, Kentucky

I always thought it was just about the declining relevance of rural America. The old world of small-town agrarian America was going away. The Leslie Ann Downe thing remains a mystery. However, from a couple of guys who conceived of a blowhard who complains about the lack of shoe horns with teeth, I’m not going to sweat the details.

paranoid family

Personally, this song has been an odd thing to hear, but looking at the lyrics and actually digging into what the tone of the song could mean; i think its about a broken and/or traumatized family who are scared of almost anything. In the way it says "someone's gonna getcha" sounds like someone is overthinking who could be nearby, for example (this is based off of MY experience.) I live in Detroit so obviously you have to be careful of who could be at your door. especially if its not someone you know. Its common sense, right? but even then. it begins saying "Taurus: Contemplate domestic turmoil. Aquarius: Abandon hope for future plans." The domestic turmoil could be referring to domestic violence and being unsure if the significant other is truly the one for the victim. And so its harder to actually focus on plans for a happier future by staying with the s/o who could be a domestic abuser. (also, the song could be told from the perspective of a child talking about their parents.)

Cult mentality

This song has always conjured images of some kind of doomsday cult for me. They see themselves as a folk family - that is, a demographic of people that supposedly represent and uphold traditionalist (and likely Christian) values. From there it's your common cult stuff; the fear inherent in this existing mentality is exploited and they are all collectively deluded by some charismatic leader into believing that they are the "chosen ones," and that the entire outside world is out to get them. The repeated someone's gonna get ya really conveys a constant sense of paranoia. These people are taught to fear this ominous, nonspecific idea of the outside world, eventually becoming so consumed by this fear that they can no longer function day-to-day, terrified to even approach the front door. Unsuspectingprey (talk) 20:27, 15 February 2024 (EST)

War World Two

Seen this was already talked about but nobody had these points that I have. "Hide away, folk family Or else someone's gonna get ya (someone's gonna get ya) Someone's gonna get ya Hide away, folk family Better hide away Better hide away" This shows someone informing the family (presuming that they are Jewish or Slavic if it is indeed based in WW2.) to hide or someone (the nazi) will get them.

"Tippy toe to the front door, Mother 'Cause there's a guy with a long, long fuse And the one thing you can't hide Is all the fear you feel inside As the fuse is spelling out these words" "Tippy toe to the front door" doesn't mean the front door of the house, but of the secret room build inside another home. "'cause there's a guy with a long, long fuse" may mean this person is less likely to win, or find them successfully, and "one thing can't hide is all the fear you feel inside..." is them and the family that is hiding them feeling fear, as the guy (a nazi) is suspecting the family of hiding a family.

"Tippy toe to the flatbed, Father Because they're pouring out our gasoline And sadly the cross-eyed bear's Been put to sleep behind the stairs (sadly), And his shoes are laced with irony" "tippy toe to the flatbed" just means they have to be quite to hide. possibly the bear means the family hiding them lost someone due to being found out for being a sympathizer.

""Hello, this is Lesley Down with the Daily Home Astrology Report: Taurus, contemplate domestic turmoil Aquarius, abandon hope for future plans..."" This news section of the song is possible about the updates during the war. Taurus may be the code name for Japan realizing they are losing the war and might have to surrender. while Aquarius may mean Germany having to stop and hide the evidence of their crimes.

also the "[fake backwards singing]" says "he's here" in reverse, so it's not fake backward singing.

New Critical Interpretation

This lyric is intriguing for its haunting imagery, dark humor, and the sense of foreboding layered into a seemingly domestic setting.

The recurring line “Hide away, folk family / Or else someone’s gonna get ya” serves as an ominous refrain, giving a sense of looming danger or a threat to this "folk family." It’s not entirely clear what or who “someone” is, adding to the ambiguity and feeling of suspense. The "someone" could represent a variety of threats: physical violence, societal expectations, or even an internal struggle, hinting at the many unseen dangers lurking close to home. This sense of paranoia creates a tense, claustrophobic atmosphere where even the home is not a safe refuge.

The lyrics have a satirical undertone, as seen in lines like “Tippy toe to the front door, Mother,” and “Tippy toe to the flatbed, Father.” The choice of “tippy toe,” a term often associated with childhood games, is a sharp contrast to the serious, potentially violent situation described. This juxtaposition of innocence with danger heightens the surreal, almost absurd feeling of the song. Moreover, “folk family” implies a stereotypical, perhaps idealized rural or traditional family, which the song humorously (and darkly) undermines. The family’s plight becomes an ironic commentary on the precariousness of this supposed idyllic life, suggesting that these “wholesome” images are fragile and may mask hidden terrors.

Throughout the lyrics, there’s a blend of rural, almost pastoral imagery with elements that feel sinister. The line “Because there’s a guy with a long, long fuse” suggests an explosive tension building up — a literal fuse that could set everything ablaze. It’s also symbolic of suppressed anger or danger that could burst forth unpredictably.

Another strong symbol is “the cross-eyed bear.” This bear could represent an old family relic or burden, something wild that’s been tamed and hidden (“put to sleep behind the stairs”). This symbol could represent forgotten trauma, a family secret, or the burden of generational expectations. It’s both a literal and metaphorical image, as the phrase “the cross I bear” implies personal suffering or burden.

The line “his shoes are laced with irony” is ambiguous but might imply that whatever burden or secret the family holds has an element of hypocrisy or unintended consequences. The “irony” could signify that the attempt to suppress or ignore these secrets or traumas only intensifies the family’s collective vulnerability.

The song’s brief inclusion of “Lesley Down with the Daily Home Astrology Report” adds a layer of absurdity, as this voice of superficial comfort or guidance seems bizarrely out of place amid the ominous warnings. The astrology reading, “Taurus, contemplate domestic turmoil / Aquarius, abandon hope for future plans…” underscores how banal advice cannot address the very real, pressing dangers that the family is facing. The contrast between astrology (often dismissed as trivial) and the family’s existential crisis could be read as a commentary on society’s tendency to paper over real problems with superficial solutions.

The lyrics fit well within a “folk” or “American Gothic” tradition, drawing on rural themes to explore dark, hidden truths. The “folk family” idea brings to mind traditional folk music, which often tells stories of hardship, loss, and moral lessons. However, instead of moral clarity, this song subverts folk’s typical straightforwardness with surreal, darkly humorous images and unresolved danger. There’s no salvation or redemption here — just an unsettling, unresolved threat.

The song could be seen as a metaphor for the anxiety and paranoia that can exist within family dynamics. The characters (Mother, Father, the “cross-eyed bear”) might all be projections of one individual’s fragmented psyche, each character representing a different part of that person’s inner world grappling with fear, anger, or trauma. The warnings to “hide away” might represent attempts to repress or deny these inner conflicts, but the refrain that “someone’s gonna get ya” suggests that suppression only increases the eventual consequences.

Overall, this lyric paints a rich, unsettling picture of a family on the brink of unraveling. The interplay between satire, irony, and dark imagery creates an effective commentary on hidden family traumas, societal pressures, and the futile attempts to keep them at bay. By blending pastoral folk themes with gothic horror, it suggests that no matter how we dress up our lives with tradition and routine, darker truths lurk just beneath the surface, waiting to erupt. Glittergurl (talk) 04:11, 13 November 2024 (EST)