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.
"...invaded by hordes of scummy, race-mixing traitors and Red-led
Marxist
mongrels demanding human rights for subhumans. Yes, once again,
we see
amassed the underground army of social malcontents, racial
throwbacks, and
genetically-botched black boneheads--this army of ghetto
guerrillas and
street-razor savages that has turned our cities into jungles and
our schools
into battlefields. Now this army of the ignorant, the
shiftless, the criminal
and the irresponsible, after receiving billions upon billions of
dollars in
federal aid, for everything from free food to free abortions,
they now come to
Washington, D.C. to demand a national holiday for this
doubly-degenerate, Jew-
led, Red jungle bunny responsible for their freedom to lope
their way through
life at the white man's expense. Martin Luther King, a mm mm mm
mm, Communist
Jew, a member of no less than 62 Communist Party front groups, a
black man who
lusted after white women, who embraced the teachings of a
half-pint Hindu, and
a Christ-hating Jew. This criminal Communist coon, they want a
national
holiday for him? Ridiculous."
Bit me
Bit me 'cause he thought I was black
Bit me, musta thought I was black
Looks like a rat, looks like a rat
Seth is just a racist dog
I don't know why he's so mean
I don't know why she's so screwed-up
I don't know why he's so mean
I don't know why she's so screwed-up
Bit me 'cause he thought I was black
Bit me, musta thought I was black
Blast me in the shack, then he sent off his dog
Seth is just a racist dog
I don't know why he's so mean
I don't know why she's so screwed-up
I don't know why he's so mean
I don't know why she's so screwed
I don't know why he's so mean
I don't know why she's so screwed-you??
Marxist
mongrels demanding human rights for subhumans. Yes, once again,
we see
amassed the underground army of social malcontents, racial
throwbacks, and
genetically-botched black boneheads--this army of ghetto
guerrillas and
street-razor savages that has turned our cities into jungles and
our schools
into battlefields. Now this army of the ignorant, the
shiftless, the criminal
and the irresponsible, after receiving billions upon billions of
dollars in
federal aid, for everything from free food to free abortions,
they now come to
Washington, D.C. to demand a national holiday for this
doubly-degenerate, Jew-
led, Red jungle bunny responsible for their freedom to lope
their way through
life at the white man's expense. Martin Luther King, a mm mm mm
mm, Communist
Jew, a member of no less than 62 Communist Party front groups, a
black man who
lusted after white women, who embraced the teachings of a
half-pint Hindu, and
a Christ-hating Jew. This criminal Communist coon, they want a
national
holiday for him? Ridiculous."
Bit me
Bit me 'cause he thought I was black
Bit me, musta thought I was black
Looks like a rat, looks like a rat
Seth is just a racist dog
I don't know why he's so mean
I don't know why she's so screwed-up
I don't know why he's so mean
I don't know why she's so screwed-up
Bit me 'cause he thought I was black
Bit me, musta thought I was black
Blast me in the shack, then he sent off his dog
Seth is just a racist dog
I don't know why he's so mean
I don't know why she's so screwed-up
I don't know why he's so mean
I don't know why she's so screwed
I don't know why he's so mean
I don't know why she's so screwed-you??
Lyrics submitted by shadowwiththeeyes
Seth Lyrics as written by
Lyrics © SC PUBLISHING DBA SECRETLY CANADIAN PUB.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
Thursday
In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
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.
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
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.
It's about a guy who has a dog trained to attack black people. Don't know who the opening clip comes from. The song is off the Bulldozer EP, which Albini had initially wanted to call "Hey, Nigger", with a drawing of a repulsive, overweight, inbred redneck hick on the cover shouting the line. " The idea being that an offensive term used by an offensive person is only offensive if you allow that person's commentary to have some weight or value." So it wasn't meant to be malicious or biggoted or racist, he was trying to make a point. Fortunately, the combined efforts of everybody he knew managed to convince him to change the title.
Does anybody know where the opening spiel comes from?
According to the sleeve notes in the EP the rant at the start is "from the America First Committee telephone hotline".
I read an interview somewhere where Albini says he recorded it directly off the phone.
"Bit me 'cause he thought I was black"
Evokes the dialog between Dennis Hopper and Christopher Walken in True Romance whether the song is personal-assuming the lyrics are by Albini.
i have a big black bootleg recorded live at Club 950, 1983 (my copy is called big black live cassette) where you can clearly hear that the actual lyrics are "i don't know why he's so mean, i don't know why she's so secretive"... it's on youtube as well, look it up.