Expert: Nancy - 2/5/2008

Question
QUESTION: hi nancy..
i want to ask some questions about cornflakes girl symbolism and some words meaning.

1. why should tori put "peel out the watchword" on cornflakes girl and what is about?

2.who is rabbit? does it refer to a symbolism of something?

3. what is the meaning of "keys girl"?

4. what is relationship between scaramanya's golden gun and the song?

i really love this song but i dont understand the real meaning of it.. thank's nancy for helping


ANSWER: Hi Suejoe!

Would you believe that this is one question that I have been asked time and time again in the years that I have volunteered here. It's a song that everyone loves but we all want to know "What the hell does that mean?" ;)

Here is a quote from Tori during the time she wrote this song: "What girls do to each other is beyond description. No Chinese torture comes close" 1994

The undertone of 'Under the Pink" was Tori's feeling how cruel women really can be to one another. Cornflake Girl was born just to address that issue! Ever seen the US version of the video? It goes right along with the words...

"Never was a Cornflake Girl, thought that was a good solution. Hanging with the raisin girls"

Cornflake Girls represent the mean ones, the girls that never played fair and would rather give you attitude for your look rather than ask you where you shop. You'll notice that people refer to Tori as a Cornflake girl, and
if you say this to her face she'll remind you that she's not on that side. P.S. My e-mail adress at home is rasingirl@... :)

"She's going to the other side ~ giving us the old heave ho ~ things are getting kind of gross. And I go at sleepy time 'This is not really happening!'"

So here is this girl, turning 'ugly' before your eyes. Sometimes as women we are surprised at how other women can behave towards each other. Tori is expressing just that in this line.

"Peel out the watchword"

Watchword is a prearranged reply to a challange. Like the raisins are getting ready to take on the cornflakes and kick their ass right back. Tori has also been known to mention "secret societies" between women. There are a list of interviews from the UTP era that you could read online at toriphoria.com

"All the sweeteaze are gone"

Just trying to figure it all out...

"She's puttin on her string bean love"

I always heard this as being fake love, stringy being not strong. This song is heavily loaded with metaphors :o)

"Rabbit where did you put the keys girl?"

Rabbit is a nickanme for Tori's friend. The keys she is asking for are for the heart of the girl who has it locked. When she performs this song live (which you can hear on TVAB) she improves "And your heart, you swear theres a heart so where'd you put the keys?"

"And the man with the golden gun, thinks he knows so much"

This always makes me think of the James Bond movies, which you confirmed as a specific character. They are tough guys, ladies men. They put these men on the screen to appear as if they encompass all that women would want, when in reality they have a clue as to this world of women. In the video, Tori drives a pickup truck while other girls have a man tied up in the back as if to say "How smart are you now?"
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So I wonder what you think now? I hope I have helped to give you a better understanding. I have always believed that we hear things as we need to or hear them as we want to so a lot of times my interpretations are my own
ears, my own heart taking the song in as mine.

Some of this interpretation is me, but it stems from Tori's vision as well.

Thanks for asking :)

~Nancy



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: hi nancy thank you for the reply. some of the interpretation help me to understand the song. but i still dont understand why tori should put her friend's nick name "rabbit" in the song? if you don't mind would you like to help me to explain who rabbit is.
thank so much

love
suejoe

Answer
Hi there!!

Rabbit is a female and we are talking about relationships with women. I'm not sure of the intimate details of Tori's relationship with Rabbit. She could have pulled her into the song knowing that Rabbit struggled to let people in at one point or she did it just for fun. Only Tori knows for sure. I don't think there are specific reasons for all the times that Neil is mentioned in the songs - it's just a "thinking of you" kind of thing.

Hope this helps!!

Thanks for asking!!

~ Nancy