Lyrics
Verse 1
Up to my ears
In bitter tears.
Can't believe I've sunk this low
As I walk the plankton
Inner sanctum.
Got outta Dodge,
Sailed on a bon-less
Bon voyage.
You said North,
I headed South.
Tossed overboard.
Good Lord, that's a really large mouth...
Chorus
I'm sleeping with fishes here,
In the belly of the whale.
I'm highly nutritious here,
In the belly of the whale.
Bad food, lousy atmosphere.
I don't wanna bellyache.
How long is this gonna take?
Verse 2
Woke up this morning kinda blue,
Thinking through that age-old question:
How to exit a whale's digestion?
It might behoove me to be heaved.
Head out like a human comet.
(Larry the Cucumber)
Uh, guys? You might not wanna rhyme with comet!
Chorus
I'm sleeping with fishes here,
In the belly of the whale.
I'm highly nutritious here,
In the belly of the whale.
I'm ready to reappear.
I don't wanna bellyache.
Lord, how long's this gonna take?
Bridge
End times, they come rolling around.
Enzymes, they come breaking us down to the core.
The good Lord grants we all get a second chance.
Chorus
I'm one of the dishes here,
In the belly of the whale.
They say I'm delicious here,
In the belly of the whale.
Lord, please make him chuck it all.
It's a gut call
In the belly of the whale.
Outro
I'm in the belly of the whale.
In the belly of the whale.
I'm in the belly.
In the belly of the whale.
I'm in the belly of the whale.
In the belly of the whale.
I'm in the belly...
Rap
In the belly of the whale
In an underwater jail
It's a tight squeeze.
It's a-gettin' to me,
But it's roomier
Than the tail.
Hey, sailor,
Got my flow free
Like a salmon to the sea
From the LA Symphony.
I'm a paddle-boat
Paddlin' in their wake,
A fake free-styler,
But my unemployment pays.
I'm avoiding cliche's
Like "whale of a tale" say
Or "you can't keep
A good man down,"
'Cause you can
And I've been there, man.
But I've been expectorated.
I'm elated!
I'm free like Willie!
Happy Day!
Oops,
That's a bit of a cliche'.
Outro
In the belly...
Video
Meaning & Inspiration
Belly of the Whale is a comic children's song that retells Jonah's time inside the great fish. The opening verses have the narrator up to the ears in bitter tears, admitting that God said north and the narrator headed south, was tossed overboard and ended up in a very large mouth. The chorus jokes about sleeping with fishes and being highly nutritious, while asking how long this will take.
The second verse wonders how to exit a whale's digestion, and a later line says that the good Lord grants everyone a second chance. The final rap celebrates being freed, using wordplay about cliches, and calls the escape a happy day. The story comes from Jonah 1:17 and Jonah 2:1-10, with the prayer from inside the fish and release in Jonah 2:10, and the theme of a second chance matches Jonah 3:1-2 and Lamentations 3:22-23. The humor and silly rhymes carry a serious message about obedience and mercy for young listeners.
Related Scripture
- Jonah 1:17 The Lord appoints a great fish to swallow Jonah.
- Jonah 2:10 The Lord speaks to the fish and it vomits Jonah onto dry land.
- Jonah 3:1-2 The word of the Lord comes to Jonah a second time.