Take the opening line for example:
When it seems like your struggling down the line,
and you feel that you can't go on.
When you think that your life is a waste of time,
listen to the spider's song:
Try, try, try, or you'll never get to catch that fly.
The fly represents happiness, both his and others, the boy, a man, and the spider, depression. The lyrics go further to show a distance from the world, the fly is constantly thwarting the spider and boys efforts and anything, generally showing off and being intolerable. A goal that is frustrating to see when you cannot have it. The representation as depression seems to be confirmed with lyrics like this:
If I fall to the bottom I'll try again,
a spider will never stay died.
Oh, no, no.
The song continues to convey emotions of self-deprivation, and feelings of inadequacy.
If you're loosing a round in a battle or race,
and you feel like you can't go on.
If your covered in shame or loosing faith,
listen to the spiders song:
Try, try, try, or you'll never get to catch that fly.
I may simply be reading into these too much, however the music and animation style certainly seem to agree with me. its very inked, washed out, faded and shaky. It seems like an obvious choice to represent bleak emotions, But my conclusion does not come from only this song, there are many more I feel display the same qualities as depression. For instance Episode 9: Hamster chase.
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVLnAjbjsh4&index=9&list=PLD710ADE166F4F6DA
In this one, the Hamster represents the man, trying to hide, and the cat is the depression, and sucidal thoughts, seeking him out.
If the cat comes looking, where will you go?
where will you try to hide?
If the cat comes looking, where will you go?
If the cat comes looking tonight?
Soon the Hamster speaks, saying he knows where he needs to hide, he knows where to go. However the cat keeps finding him.
I know a place I can hide,
I know a place I can burrow away,
I know a place for tonight.
I know a place I can borrow today,
I know a place I can hide.
This all takes place in a night, and we get to see it was the hamsters desire to fall into the danger zone.
Hamster, hamster morning has come,
and still I can't find no sign,
Hamster, Hamster you were the one,
crossing the safety line.
When the cat came looking, where did you go?
Where did you go last night?
When the cat came looking, where did you go?
Where did you try to hide?
The hamsters cage we are about to see, represents his 'safe place'. His home, and the narrator says he now understands why the Hamster never leaves his cage, which is an astounding similarity to how the depressed feel such struggle with leaving their house, or bed, as the outside world seems like too much stress, and danger, and is not worth the effort.
Hamster, hamster now I can see,
why you burrowed yourself away.
Hamster, hamster fidily de,
Back in the cage you'll stay.
There are a few more examples I'd like to give, but I won't go trough all 13, 5 minute episodes. There a more everyday one, in which I think more of the mundane feelings are represented, in Episode 11: Classroom Distractions, where term time represents the fall back into depression, and how you start to miss everyday life before it. - https://www.youtube.com/watchv=qSaKhhktAoo&index=11&list=PLD710ADE166F4F6DA
All the days are over,
term has begun.
Games that have been played,
left behind.
I'm thinking and dreaming,
of days in the sun,
where homework is far from my mind.
Feeling down. Feeling down.
He starts to describe the feeling of happiness fading away, and how hard the beginning of the day is, how the days blend together and how easy it becomes to do nothing al day.
Happiness turning,
to start is our flu.
All the days turn into school.
Classroom distractions are all in this room.
The song moves on, to talk about the view a depressed person has on life, the blackboard representing it.
The blackboard asks questions,
I just don't understand.
I wish it was all just a game.
But the answers to the questions are part of the plan.
The more I look into the lyrics of these songs, and seeing the writing without the images to accompany it, convinces me more of the theory that there is a darker subject behind these children's cartoons. There is one more example I will give before reviewing my last episode, which I think is a strong case. However in Episode 10: Panda comes to stay, I think the Panda represents happiness, after being in depression for a long period of time, and the bed represents the boys comfortable life. - https://www.youtube.com/watchv=k7Vl67uVO5U&list=PLD710ADE166F4F6DA&index=10
What on earth has made you appear?
are you starting a new career?
does mommy know know that your sitting here?
have you come to stay?
The Panda the proceeds to show off, doing all manner of impressive and joyful things, such as dancing, juggling and generally entertaining. Showing just how much can be accomplished when out of the mindset. The song proceeds and we find the boy accepting the panda, glad to see him he brings into his bed, or 'life'.
I asked if he would be my friend and much to my surprise,
he didn't seem to mind at all,
so I gave my friend a panda hug and kissed him on the eyes,
and put him in my bed by the wall.
What on earth was he doing here?
how it happened I've no idea,
When I'm with him I've nothing to fear,
I hope he's here to stay.
The next verse, in my opinion, is telling of how a new found happiness is hard to cope with, and quite daunting after almost feeling comfortable in depression. After years there it becomes the norm, and anything different seems quite alien, and the Panda taking over the space is not the way the boy feels at home, and this becomes almost too much to deal with, and the spiral starts again.
I woke up in the morning and I must've hit my head,
I was lying on the bedroom floor.
And you'll never guess who kicks me out to take up all the bed,
and I don't think I can take it anymore.
Why on earth is he staying here?
he's far too big for my bed it's clear,
he doesn't have to be quite so near,
so on the floor he'll stay.
The last episode I'll look into is Episode 13: true friend. Which in my view is the most depressing in my eyes, I see it as depression, as his 'true friend.' As it's a lonely place, the only person you feel connected to is the depression itself, and its funny, how after not being there for so long, when it comes back, it does feel like seeing an only friend. This first verse show that as it starts innocently enough, the boy quickly becomes depended on the 'friend' doing whatever he says, whenever he says it. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qith9aJF3HQ&list=PLD710ADE166F4F6DA&index=13
If you'll be my true friend, true to me,
if you'l be my true friend I'll agree,
some games you want to play,
yes I'll agree,
anything you say,
yes I'll agree,
to anything you say.
And the fact that he clarifies they have never spoken a word, makes it seem like either the friend is a spider who can't talk, or an emotion, which would explain the next line (and verse) 'friendships turn between us', as everybody knows, depression drives alot of close people away.
It's a funny old world,
never a word between us.
funny old world,
friendships turn between us,
funny old world.
Whispers in the wild,
talking to a friend,
just like a dream.
This next part seems to blatantly tell us that people disappear, but at least he'll always has his friend the spider (depression).
There are those who run a mile,
when all is said and done,
they won't be around.
But with the spider and the child,
naughtiness is fun,
and games will be found.
It's a funny old world.
It's a funny old world,
never a word between us.
funny old world,
friendships turn between us,
funny old world.
To finish, I do think that this cartoon has a message about depression, that is wrapped up to be a children's cartoon, I can't find any evidence or anyone who agrees nd has posted something similar online, so I could very well be wrong but looking into these songs and verses is eye opening, and at the very least, makes you see things in a different light.
