A tangled ball of colourful yarn resting on a small chrome toaster, with loose strands and tiny sparks against grey.

Original artwork, not a still

Boots

Rudyard Kipling

Try-try-try-try-to think o’ something different – Oh-my-God-keep-me from goin’ lunatic!

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

The repeated attempts to say try make thinking itself sound difficult. The speaker wants a different thought, then breaks into a plea against losing control. Repetition and interrupted phrasing convey the strain more vividly than a calm explanation of fear could.

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