Old San Francisco, San Francisco B.C.
I lived with my true love and she lived with me.
"Romance is the douche of the bourgeoisie"
Was the very first thing she imparted to me
We had sarcastic hair, we used lewd pseudonyms
We got a lot of stares on the street back then.

Since her dad, a local barber, had been beaten to death
She had become a vocal martyr in the vegan press
The cops had failed, they couldn't catch a bus
They were looking for a male with a bad hair cut
Enter tumbleweed, exit love and our affaire d'amour
Was set on self-destruct.

She said "you don't make enough to provide for me."
I said "what about the stuff that we quote believe?"
She said "I left that on the sands of history
I've found a new man to take care of me
He dresses for success and emergency
And he moves a lot of concrete on the QVC."

Little, asian, deadly, like a cobra in the shade
Sat in the midst of the smoke that he made
His name was Mr. Games and he owned the place
It was a lonely bar and grill in the Lower Haight
He had a jeweler's hands and a blurry face
He knew I needed a chance so he gave me a break.

"If I hire you now, can you start today?
I got a high-rise job down by the bay.
Just a couple of rocks and some firearms
There's not many locks and just one alarm
My step-son Gene will pick you up and drive
Try to be his friend, he's got a friendly side."

Doll-house lightning and the next thing I knew
We were back at our point of rendezvous.
I was in the possession of burglary tools
Children's fur coats and diamonds and jewels
Gene's talking about insignificant shit
Just like crooks in the movies when they do that bit.

He said the power of metal will never be harnessed.
I thought the wages of metal should be heavily garnished.
We were waiting for his dad to meet us there
Gene took off his hat and I noticed his hair
It was neatly trimmed but a patch was bare
I knew it wasn't New Wave, it was human error.

Before I knew what I said, I said "killer cut."
I watched him silently putting out a cigarette butt.
Then he came at me with some fist cuisine
I had to duck aside and that was bad for Gene
Cause when he went by me he tripped and fell
Through the glass coffee table at the Wong hotel.

Right there and then Mr. Games walked in
With my ex-true love on his gamy limb.
So her dad's killer's dad was her new beau
And Games had a wife, whatta you know?
She got real real quiet till we chucked the kid
Then she went her way and I went his.

Old San Francisco, San Francisco B.C.


Lyrics submitted by thither, edited by Will26

San Francisco B.C. song meanings
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12 Comments

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  • +1
    General Comment

    So many awesome lines in this. "what about the stuff that we quote believe?" Berman's got a great sense of scansion.

    thitheron March 18, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Quite possibly the best song on the new album

    leahperon March 22, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Sanfrancisco B.C. (before Cassie?)

    "doll house lightning" might refer to the bugular alarm and the flashing strobe light, which would be like lightning to the dollhouse there. He does mention children's fur coats afterward.

    "I thought the wages of metal should be heavily garnished". He's taking a cut by stealing some of the loot?

    TaShawnon March 27, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    B.C. = Before Cassie? haahha neato.

    I think its 'kill or cut' not 'killer cut'... anybody else know?

    acorm88on March 28, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    It's definitely "killer cut". It just slipped out of his mouth and has the double meaning of sounding like something you would say to someone if you liked their haircut, but in this case he is insinuating that he knows that Gene killed his ex's father, the barbor.

    TaShawnon March 28, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    One other possible correction.

    "I knew it wasn't new wave, it was human error."

    So, the bare patch wasn't a new wave thing.

    TaShawnon March 28, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    "Little, asian, deadly, like a cobra in the sand"... is very probably... "Middle-aged and deadly like a cobra in the sand".

    Fantastic lyrics in this song. I love "she went her way and I went his". Nice ending.

    sickofantson April 13, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    i laugh at the 'sells a lot of concrete on the QVC' everytime I hear it, but what is he trying to say. Is it merely that it is such a ridiculous way to make money by selling concrete on TV?

    justjewy18on April 19, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    ridiculous? maybe. i think the key is that a guy selling concrete on the qvc may make a lot of money and be able to support her, but he's still a guy selling concrete on the qvc. in other words, she sold out to live easily and get taken care of by a guy who has nothing in common with her and her "quote beliefs"

    My favorite part: Then he came at me with some fist cuisine I had to duck aside and that was bad for Gene

    loudobbson July 02, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    "Gene's talking about insignificant shit Just like crooks in the movies when they do that bit. He said the power of metal will never be harnessed. I thought the wages of metal should be heavily garnished."

    Anyone else think they're talking about Metal, the genre of music? I think it's a subtle dig at metal "musicians" getting big and famous. Berman is clearly not a metal fan.

    JFISHAUFon July 25, 2008   Link

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