They’re a mysterious duo in yellow masks with a song called called “Give That Wolf a Banana”. Now, following the reveal of all the Melodi Grand Prix 2022 entries, Subwoolfer are also big contenders to sing for Norway at Eurovision 2022 in Torino.
Their electronic dance number is heavy on the bass and the illusions to Little Red Riding Hood. But is the song — born in a pandemic — actually an allegory that calls on the world to protect the most vulnerable (including Grandma) from the coronavirus and vaccine skeptics (the Wolf)?
We reached out to the duo, whoever they may be, to confirm if coronavirus guides the “Give That Wolf a Banana” lyrics. Their cryptic response didn’t rule it out. They said: “The lyrics are far too deep and layered to be confined to just one meaning. Zig a zig ahh.”
In the absence of the specific spice in their recipe, we stretch out one potential yarn.
Scroll down for the “Give That Wolf a Banana” lyrics
Melodi Grand Prix 2022: Subwoolfer “Give That Wolf a Banana”
The identity of Subwoolfer remains a mystery. But fans have suggested the duo includes or at least has the involvement of everyone from Norwegian Idol runner-up Gaute Ormåsen to Eurovision 2017 contestant JOWST to “What Does the Fox Say?” hitmakers Ylvis (read all about that suggestion here).
What’s clear is that humour and irony underscore all of what the pre-qualified finalists do. Their song combines the words Subwoofer and wolf, a melding of two specific attributes: the former a reference to the duo’s heavy bass sound, the latter putting the animal theme at the heart of their identity.
Their official bio, uploaded by Norwegian broadcaster NRK, could be described as a tease that really teases.
“The biggest band in the Galaxy, first formed 4.5 billion years ago on their home planet, the moon. Since then, the brothers, Keith and Jim, have conquered the music scene on every planet, making them the most successful pop group ever. On 20th June 1969, a prophet named Neil appeared to them, and was soon hailed ‘the man with the strongest arms’. He promised to return telling them he would help them become the biggest band on his planet too, but only once they had written the greatest song in the universe, sung in his native tongue – English. Neil never returned however, and so now armed with the greatest song in existence, ‘Give That Wolf a Banana’, they have come to earth in search of him, and to claim their musical throne by performing at the most important and prestigious musical event in the history of the world – MGP Norway 2022.”
What do the “Give That Wolf a Banana” lyrics mean?
For millennia the wolf has carried deep symbolism across religion, folklore and mythology, making it among the world’s most storied predators. The Bible repeatedly refers to wolves as a threat to the flock. Across thirteen references in the scriptures, the wolf becomes a metaphor for greed, destructiveness and even Satan himself. In the Book of Matthew, Jesus uses the ancient beast as an example of the dangers that will plague those brave enough to follow him. “Behold, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.”
In a contemporary context, the group’s retelling of Little Red Riding Hood fits neatly with the pandemic. The Wolf (coronavirus) preys on everyone young and old — both Red and Grandma. But it’s Grandma who is most vulnerable, since, according to the wolf, she “tastes the best.”
Little Red, who we take as the narrator, knows there is a solution: “Before that wolf eats my grandma, give that wolf a banana.”
The yellow fruit functions like a vaccine, greatly reducing the chances of death.
The Wolf could be read in another way, too. Instead of being the literal coronavirus, the Wolf may represent people who refuse to get vaccinated and carry the virus with them as they go to work or school or, in this case, deep into the woods.
In the opening verses, Red makes it clear that she doesn’t know where the Wolf has burrowed or slept (and, drawn out, whether he’s followed local rules on gatherings and social distance). There are tell-tale signs he’s been killing folks, whether he knows it or not: “See where you’re going, but I don’t know where you’ve been, is that saliva or blood drippin’ off your chin?”
The fruit symbolises vaccines, and with them the Covid-fighting antibodies triggered inside of people who get jabbed. But instead of stamps that read Chiquita or Fyffe’s, these bananas come marked with the names AstraZeneca, Moderna and Pfizer.
Anti-vaxxers often justify their beliefs with crazy conspiracy theories. The rather far-fetched beliefs are in some ways reflected by Subwoolfer’s biography. It references a non-sensical “prophet” named Neil and some blatant lies, like calling the unknown Subwoolfer “the biggest band in the Galaxy” who have apparently “conquered the music scene on every planet.”
The wolf’s generic name Keith — or maybe it’s Jim — conveys the everyday threats carried by the everyday man, who, for whatever reason, refuses to get a jab. Whether the threat comes from a friend or colleague or stranger on the bus, Red knows it’s very real: “I like the scent of every meal on your breath, that hunger in you, I’m in danger now, I guess.”
NOTE: This is obviously a simplification of a very complex issue. To read more about Covid and groups most at-risk, please visit the World Health Organization web site.
Give that Wolf a Banana lyrics — Subwoolfer (Norway ESC 2022)
Intro
Oh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Verse 1
Not sure I told you, but I really like your teeth
That hairy coat of yours with nothing underneath
Not sure you have a name, so I will call you Keith
Oh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
See where you’re going, but I don’t know where you’ve been
Is that saliva or blood drippin’ off your chin?
If you don’t like the name Keith
I’ma call you Jim
Oh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Pre-chorus
And before that wolf eats my grandma
Give that wolf a banana
Give that wolf
And before that wolf eats my grandma
Give that wolf a banana
Give that wolf
Give that wolf (Banana)
Chorus
Yum, yum, yum, yum-yum-yum
Yum, yum, yum, yum, yum, yum, yum-yum-yum
Yum, yum, yum, yum-yum-yum
Yum, yum, yum, yum, yum, yum, yum-yum-yum
Banana
Verse 2
I like the scent of every meal on your breath
That hunger in you, I’m in danger now, I guess
Let’s go to grandma’s, you say grandma tastes the best
Oh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Pre-chorus
And before that wolf eats my grandma
Give that wolf a banana Give that wolf
(I want your grandma, yum, yum)
And before that wolf eats my grandma
Give that wolf a banana
Give that wolf
Give that wolf
Someone give that wolf a banana
Chorus
Yum, yum, yum, yum-yum-yum
Yum, yum, yum, yum, yum, yum, yum-yum-yum
Someone give that wolf a banana
Yum, yum, yum, yum-yum-yum
Yum, yum, yum, yum, yum, yum, yum-yum-yum
Someone give that wolf a banana
Bridge
Ba-na-na
Ba-na-na-na-na
Ba-na-na
Ba-na-na-na-na
Pre-chorus
And before that wolf eats my grandma
Give that wolf a banana
Give that wolf
(I want your grandma, yum, yum)
Someone give that wolf a banana
And before that wolf eats my grandma
Give that wolf a banana
Give that wolf
Give that wo-o-olf
Chorus
Yum, yum, yum, yum-yum-yum
Yum, yum, yum, yum, yum, yum, yum-yum-yum
Someone give that wolf a banana
Yum, yum, yum, yum-yum-yum
Yum, yum, yum, yum, yum, yum, yum-yum-yum
Someone give that wolf a banana
Outro
Not sure I told you, but I really like your teeth
That hairy coat of yours with nothing underneath
Not sure you have a name, so I will call you Keith
Are you living for this song and video? Do you think the visuals will translate well on stage? And could the song even bring Norway the Eurovision 2022 crown? Let us know in the comments box below.
“Zig a zig ahh” ???
The wolf refers to Peter and the Wolf and of course Red Riding Hood.
The Wolf is of course the agressor who attacks his motherland. Now what country attacked the country it believes forms it’s historic origin. Russia of course. So it is a highly political song. I believe this will only be revealed after they become second (after Ukraine).
Not quite convinced it’s about vaccines. It just seems more like joke lyrics to me which could maybe hint at their identity as a clever subplot? Little Red Riding Hood is a “Fairytale”, after all, and it was written down by the Grimm brothers. The “grim” is a fantastic beast that takes the form of a huge black dog – similar to a wolf. “Jim”, one of the “Wolf brother’s names”, can be the short form of “Jacob”, one of the Grimm brothers…
The theory was correct??????
The yellow aliens to Turin , please !
If you believe it
Political so disqualify
Sorry Its like an old Daft Punk track from a B side Plus the image is so inline with Daft Punk too
So basically, the song is about a certain tennis player who was spreading the virus 😛
All about this reminds me of ‘What does the Fox say?’, so I’m pretty sure it’s Ylvis. … and that’s the problem. Those wolf masks, the dance routine and most of all the nonsensical lyrics hinder what could otherwise be a pretty good and catchy song. The instrumental could perhaps even be top 10 material. But by turning it all into a pretty bizarre joke, they will definitely put off a lot of people. The time for such acts has passed ever since the Buranovskie Babushki finished 2nd. I love the Spice Girls reference in the press statement, though. That… Read more »
I love Eurovision But I must say i’m so sick of the stigma towards the unvaccinated, and putting «sceptics» as selfish and a threat to the society. Which is totally a misconception and untrue. As if unvaccineted spreaded the new omicron variant? Ask yourself, who are traveling across countries? Who are going to resturants, bars, gyms, malls and stuff where the covid-cases are sky rocking high; where also a covid pass is required to do these activites? How can a minority spread a virus so much when most of them are locked inside. I’m really sick of this untrue speculations.… Read more »
with you . I’m disgusted by this actually.Afterthe dire shenagans of Boris the other day, well this jig is up. The truth is out there.
If it fits and helps to bring awareness to the importance of people getting vaccinated, it can’t hurt, right? But sometimes a comical song is just a comical song and a novelty act is just a novelty act. And even if many of us are glad with Eurovision becoming more and more a serious music competition, joke entries are also welcome to be part of the mix if they give proper attention to music, which is the case here. Not my favorite in MGP, but I keep singing the chorus and wishing somebody give that wolf a banana to spare… Read more »
This song is just so weirdly awesome! I don’t know why, there’s something just so Ylvis about this! Atleast, I hope it’s them. But, this song needs an EPIC staging, and I literally have no idea how they’re gonna sound in live. There’s a clear use of vocoder in the studio version, which I don’t think is allowed in live. I’m having huge expectations for Subwoolfer and I hope they won’t disappoint me!
Please can you stop propagating the myth that Covid only impacts the old? Covid vulnerability most closely correlates with an individual’s specific medical conditions rather than their age. The age of those unfortunately dying due to Covid is on average high because older people tend to have those medical conditions. But age alone is not the important factor. This focus on protecting “grandmas” is quite demeaning and insulting, both to older people who have no medical conditions and younger people who do have concerning medical conditions, since it massively simplifies and singles out (incorrectly) who is most at risk.
dude chill out, we’re in the third year of the pandemic, everyone knows their covid trivia by now
Sadly I see that covid vulnerability is still very much misunderstood, as the writer of this article (and the songwriters if true) aptly demonstrate. We have to get past this facile notion that only old people need to worry about Covid. This ageist approach doesn’t help anyone.
Bruh theyre not saying that Covid only impacts the old, but that old people are MORE VULNERABLE
It’s such a weird song and that means that a big part of me wants it to win just because it would be great having it at Eurovision.
Wolves are a topic of discussion in Norwegian politics from time to time, especially one party is known for not liking them and wanting to kill (some of) them. I seriously doubt that the song has anything to do with that, but I think a few Norwegians will make jokes about it anyway.
On a side note, people have been saying that because of maneskinn, entries are going to try to replicate their win with more rock entries. From what I’m hearing from all national finals potential winners are just as diverse as ever.
Probably because pandemic made it hard to do live shows, so it makes this à better opportunity
If true this is genius. In the video’s Premiere, I saw comments that the banana was a vaccine and now when I read this, it makes more sense.
this song is so bizarre but i love it. it’s actually pretty catchy
The lyrics are so stupid that they’re great. Sometimes it just works in mysterious ways haha
I doubt they have COVID-19 on the moon, but maybe they have Grindr? That app is full of wolves craving bananas.
These wolves craves grandmas though. It’s just we who want to give them banana
Sounds more like somewhat veiled sex song to my ears. Perhaps, this doesn’t have any meaning at all, which isn’t a bad thing. I just don’t think it’s about Covid.
Exactly what I thought… 80% of the lyrics are either sexual innuendo or the singer praising the wolf’s looks or smell X)
“banana”
“Yum, yum, yum”
“I really like your teeth”
“That hairy coat of yours with nothing underneath”
‘Is that saliva […] drippin’ off your chin?’
“I like the scent of every meal on your breath”
“That hunger in you, I’m in danger now, I guess”