The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
One, two
One, two, three
Yeah, inslumnational, underground
Thunder pounds when I stomp the ground (woo)
Like a million elephants or silverback orangutans
You can't stop a train
Who want some? Don't come unprepared
I'll be there, but when I leave there
Better be a household name
Weather man tellin' us it ain't gon' rain
So now we sittin' in a drop-top, soakin' wet
In a silk suit, tryin' not to sweat
Hit somersaults without the net
But this'll be the year that we won't forget
1-9-9-9, Anno Domini, anything goes, be whatchu wanna be
Long as you know consequences are given for livin'
The fence is too high to jump in jail
Too low to dig, I might just touch hell, hot
Get a life, now they on sale
Then I might cast you a spell
Look at what came in the mail
A scale and some Arm & Hammer
Soul-gold grill and a baby mama
Black Cadillac and a pack of Pampers
Stack of question with no answers
Cure for cancer, cure for AIDS
Make a nigga wanna stay on tour for days
Get back home, things are wrong
Well not really, it was bad all along
Before you left adds up to a ball of power
Thoughts at a thousands miles per hour
Hello, ghetto, let your brain breathe
Believe there's always mo', ow
Don't pull the thang out, unless you plan to bang
Bombs over Baghdad (yeah, yeah)
Don't even bang unless you plan to hit something
Bombs over Baghdad (yeah, uh)
Don't pull the thang out, unless you plan to bang
Bombs over Baghdad, yeah (ha, ha, ha)
Don't even bang unless you plan to hit something
Bombs over Baghdad
Uno, dos, tres, it's on
Did you ever think a pimp rock a microphone?
Like that there Boi and will still stay street
Big things happen every time we meet
Like a track team, crack fiend, dyin' to geek
Outkast bumpin' up and down the street
Slam back, Cadillac, 'bout five nigga deep
Seventy-five emcee's freestylin' to the beat
'Cause we get krunk, stay drunk, at the club
Should have bought an ounce, but you copped a dub
Should have held back, but you throwed the punch
'Spose to meet your girl but you packed a lunch
No D to the U to the G for you
Got a son on the way by the name of Bamboo
Got a little baby girl, four year, Jordan
Never turn my back on my kids for them
Should have hit it, quit it, rag-top
Before you re-up, get a laptop
Make a business for yourself, boy, set some goals
Make a fat diamond out of dusty coals
Record number four, but we on a roll
Hold up, slow up, stop, control
Like Janet, Planet, Stankonia's on ya
Movin' like Floyd, comin' straight to Florida
Lock all your windows, then block the corridors
Pullin' off my belt 'cause a whipping's in order
Like a three-piece fish before I cut your daughter
Yo quiero Taco Bell, then I hit the border
Pitty-pat rappers tryin' to get the five
I'm a microphone fiend tryin' to stay alive
When you come to ATL, boy, you betta not hide
'Cause the Dungeon Family gon' ride, ha
Don't pull the thang out, unless you plan to bang
Bombs over Baghdad (yeah)
Don't even bang unless you plan to hit something
Bombs over Baghdad (uh, yeah)
Don't pull the thang out, unless you plan to bang
Bombs over Baghdad (y'all heard me, yeah)
Don't even bang unless you plan to hit something
Bombs over Baghdad, yeah
Bombs over Baghdad, yeah
Bombs over Baghdad, yeah
Bombs over Baghdad, yeah
Bombs over Baghdad, yeah
(B-I-G B-O-I)
Bob your head, rag-top
Bob your head, rag-top
Bob your head, rag-top
Bob your head, rag-top
Bob your head, rag-top
Bob your head, rag-top
Bob your head, rag-top
Bob your head, rag-top
Bob your head, rag-top
Bob your head, rag-top
Bob your head, rag-top
Bob your head, rag-top
Bob your head, rag-top
Bob your head, rag-top
Bob your head, rag-top
Bob your head, rag-top (one, two, three, let's go)
Power music, electric revival
Power music, electric revival
Power music, electric revival
Power music, electric revival
Power music, electric revival
Power music, electric revival
Power music, electric revival
Power music, electric revival
Power music, electric revival
Power music, electric revival
Power music, electric revival
Power music, electric revival
Power music, electric revival
Power music, electric revival
Power music, electric revival
Power music, electric revival
One, two, three
Yeah, inslumnational, underground
Thunder pounds when I stomp the ground (woo)
Like a million elephants or silverback orangutans
You can't stop a train
Who want some? Don't come unprepared
I'll be there, but when I leave there
Better be a household name
Weather man tellin' us it ain't gon' rain
So now we sittin' in a drop-top, soakin' wet
In a silk suit, tryin' not to sweat
Hit somersaults without the net
But this'll be the year that we won't forget
1-9-9-9, Anno Domini, anything goes, be whatchu wanna be
Long as you know consequences are given for livin'
The fence is too high to jump in jail
Too low to dig, I might just touch hell, hot
Get a life, now they on sale
Then I might cast you a spell
Look at what came in the mail
A scale and some Arm & Hammer
Soul-gold grill and a baby mama
Black Cadillac and a pack of Pampers
Stack of question with no answers
Cure for cancer, cure for AIDS
Make a nigga wanna stay on tour for days
Get back home, things are wrong
Well not really, it was bad all along
Before you left adds up to a ball of power
Thoughts at a thousands miles per hour
Hello, ghetto, let your brain breathe
Believe there's always mo', ow
Don't pull the thang out, unless you plan to bang
Bombs over Baghdad (yeah, yeah)
Don't even bang unless you plan to hit something
Bombs over Baghdad (yeah, uh)
Don't pull the thang out, unless you plan to bang
Bombs over Baghdad, yeah (ha, ha, ha)
Don't even bang unless you plan to hit something
Bombs over Baghdad
Uno, dos, tres, it's on
Did you ever think a pimp rock a microphone?
Like that there Boi and will still stay street
Big things happen every time we meet
Like a track team, crack fiend, dyin' to geek
Outkast bumpin' up and down the street
Slam back, Cadillac, 'bout five nigga deep
Seventy-five emcee's freestylin' to the beat
'Cause we get krunk, stay drunk, at the club
Should have bought an ounce, but you copped a dub
Should have held back, but you throwed the punch
'Spose to meet your girl but you packed a lunch
No D to the U to the G for you
Got a son on the way by the name of Bamboo
Got a little baby girl, four year, Jordan
Never turn my back on my kids for them
Should have hit it, quit it, rag-top
Before you re-up, get a laptop
Make a business for yourself, boy, set some goals
Make a fat diamond out of dusty coals
Record number four, but we on a roll
Hold up, slow up, stop, control
Like Janet, Planet, Stankonia's on ya
Movin' like Floyd, comin' straight to Florida
Lock all your windows, then block the corridors
Pullin' off my belt 'cause a whipping's in order
Like a three-piece fish before I cut your daughter
Yo quiero Taco Bell, then I hit the border
Pitty-pat rappers tryin' to get the five
I'm a microphone fiend tryin' to stay alive
When you come to ATL, boy, you betta not hide
'Cause the Dungeon Family gon' ride, ha
Don't pull the thang out, unless you plan to bang
Bombs over Baghdad (yeah)
Don't even bang unless you plan to hit something
Bombs over Baghdad (uh, yeah)
Don't pull the thang out, unless you plan to bang
Bombs over Baghdad (y'all heard me, yeah)
Don't even bang unless you plan to hit something
Bombs over Baghdad, yeah
Bombs over Baghdad, yeah
Bombs over Baghdad, yeah
Bombs over Baghdad, yeah
Bombs over Baghdad, yeah
(B-I-G B-O-I)
Bob your head, rag-top
Bob your head, rag-top
Bob your head, rag-top
Bob your head, rag-top
Bob your head, rag-top
Bob your head, rag-top
Bob your head, rag-top
Bob your head, rag-top
Bob your head, rag-top
Bob your head, rag-top
Bob your head, rag-top
Bob your head, rag-top
Bob your head, rag-top
Bob your head, rag-top
Bob your head, rag-top
Bob your head, rag-top (one, two, three, let's go)
Power music, electric revival
Power music, electric revival
Power music, electric revival
Power music, electric revival
Power music, electric revival
Power music, electric revival
Power music, electric revival
Power music, electric revival
Power music, electric revival
Power music, electric revival
Power music, electric revival
Power music, electric revival
Power music, electric revival
Power music, electric revival
Power music, electric revival
Power music, electric revival
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Mountain Song
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No Surprises
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Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
American Town
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outkast has been quoted saying that this song has nothing to do with the current Iraq campaign. Just look at when it was released. they said that it was about people in the music industry only going half-way with things. they said if you are gonna bring it, then make sure you bring it all the way. they used the metaphor of the first bombing of Iraq in the early 90's, the US went about it only half-assed & didn't commit themselves fully.
@redjello I've examined things closely and the year it was released supports your assertions.