The Kingsmen came together in a garage,

They could hardly even play

But they practiced night

And day pretty soon they got to where they could really
play that song Louie,

Louie

So, they saved up all the money from the shows,

Went in to one of them studios and gave their version of the song a try

Now, I don't know the words to that song Louie,

Louie and I'm pretty sure the singer for the

Kingsmen didn't know 'em either,

If he did know 'em he didn't get 'em right on the record

Cause on the record they sound jumbled in his jaw? It says,

Me think of me girl oh so constantly

Ahmayaaah makaaaah aahh ooohoooh aaaaah

Well, that last part scared everybody from the PTA to the FBI

You see, the kids had been going kind of crazy lately

And it seemed like nobody could figure out why,

So they decided to form a coalition,

Launch an investigation, you know for the children,
they at least had to try

To figure out the words to Louie, Louie

Chorus

It's the feel good hit of this endless summer

It gets these kids out of control

Singin along to that star spangled bummer,

Hail, hail rock and roll

Marilyn Manson's real name isn't even Marilyn Manson,

He's a skinny public high school Kid from Florida,

Not some monster from out of this world and like of
a lot other skinny long hair public

High school kids he was sick of getting

Beaten up by the pulling guard all week only to go out on the weekend,

And watch the Quarterback get all the girls so,

He formed a band man

Now' he gets all the girls,

A few years later a couple of latchkey kids go tragically

Mad and everybody's standing around the television
store at the mall trying to figure out what went wrong,

This guy says,

You think the life of a kid going to high school could've
gotten so bad this other guy says nah,

It's just the words to one of them goddamn Marilyn Manson songs,

You know the one

Chorus

You know, every ten years or so our country and some other little country,

We start firing all of our newest weapons

At each other for some reason or another, right or wrong,

Like it or not, it happens, and when it happens

People get shot and when people get shot,

They show it on tv a lot every night at six o clock

And you don't even have to be eighteen to see it you
don't even have to be in first grade,

First grade where they teach the kid pride

They tell him he'll need to thrive,

In a world where only the strong will survive,

So he's taught the art of more

To compare to and to keep score Monday thru Friday while

He stares at the floor til' Sunday they make him go to

School once more only this time they make him wear a suit and a tie

And listen to some guy who claims to know Where people go

When they die tell him that only the meek are gonna
inherit the earth Well shit,

By this time the kid doesn't know what anything

Is worth, now brothers and sisters I am only one guy

And I don't even know the words to that song Louie,

Louie but I can tell you right now without batting an eye

That the next time some latchkey kid goes wrong

It aint gonna be cause that Eminem gets to say the word Fag in his song

And I'm not trying to preach to ya either,

I'm just trying to sing to ya too, you know string a few words together

Hey kids...

Lets get it on,

Lets get it on


Lyrics submitted by Statbucksbabe28

Ballad Of The Kingsmen Lyrics as written by Todd Daniel Snider

Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Ballad of the Kingsmen song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

3 Comments

sort form View by:
  • 0
    General Comment

    This song makes various references to the power of music in society. The Kingsmen sang a simple song that launched an FBI investigation into the lyrics, and Marilyn Manson freaks old people out, but he's really just a "skinny public high school kid from Florida". He says that it's not Manson who inspired the kids (presumably the kids from Columbine) to get guns and shoot their friends. It's only Manson who's empathizing with them. Snider goes on to rant about many other faults of society, the paradoxes of church, and at the end says music is overrated sort of, and that it's really just entertainment.

    carlosthedwarfon December 11, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I don't think he's saying music is overrated, it's just that music doesn't make people crazy. Rational people don't just go out and do something just because they hear it in a song. That's why the ending is so brilliant.

    UnpopularPoeton January 13, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    hes showing how censorship is taking over every aspect of our lives.

    zoltangon October 23, 2006   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him. There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
Album art
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988. "'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it." "There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Album art
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version. Great version of a great song,
Album art
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Album art
Midnight
Ed Sheeran
“Midnight” is a song about finding a love that is so true that it provides a calming feeling through every storm. Ed Sheeran reflects on his good fortunes in landing someone with such peace and support and speaks of not fearing the dark days because he knows they’ll all end in the safety nets of her arms. “Well, good morning there / What a way to start the day / With everything laid bare,” Ed Sheeran sings in the first verse, enthusiastic to be waking up beside his woman. He apologizes for missing her calls in the second verse and promises to return them because for him, speaking to her is the most important thing. “Well, I get lost inside my head / In this chaos, you’re my calm / And I will find my feet again / ‘Cause еven the worst days of my life will always еnd / At midnight in your arms,” sings Ed Sheeran in the chorus, revelling in his good luck.