Disloyal Order of Water Buffaloes

lots of bickering on the lyrics in this song but no real discussion on what the song means. Here's my take, It's about being imperfect, but that imperfection gives rise to success. I think the line "there's a hole where something was" refers to the conscience. This goes with previous assertion in other FOB songs that they don't have a conscience. Without a conscience he is a "loose bolt (which implies unpredictability) of a complete machine". But this makes him undeniable, certifiable etc, but he can call things as he sees them without worrying about whether its right or wrong. Also makes sense with the "disloyal" part in the title. The perfect boys line just means that people cant sing about tragedy if they haven't experienced it, and he isn't perfect if he has this hole. People think he's crazy, but it makes him successful. It's kinda of a mission statement about what fob does: be shameless and clever. Boycott love and detox just to retox are ways of saying "don't be perfect". Boycotting love leads to a lack of real relationships and more one night stand type things aka fodder for typical fob lyrics. Detox to retox is just getting clean to fuck yourself up all over again aka more things to sing about. It's a pretty post modern nihilistic song sang with sass

First off I’d like to say how much I love this album; before this Fall Out Boy always seemed uncertain of where they were going with their sound and rather unorganized. Though their previous albums were still good they were lacking the raw emotion this one has pored into it.

These lyrics are poetry; an art, a tool we’ve used to express our deepest emotions, thoughts, and opinions, on things for centuries and I personally believe that’s what the artist (Pete) has done here.

After reading fancypirouettes’s review I must state that I agree that there is probably some relation between Fall Out Boy’s pre-fame days and this song but rather then passively looking back on them Pete is poring his desire to go back to those days into this song.“And I'd promise you anything / For another shot at life.” (Fall Out Boy, Disloyal Order of Water Buffalos, stanza three, lines seven and eight.) These lines clearly indicates this desire to do things over again. Most likely this means Pete wishes Fall Out Boy had never become famous. Perhaps because of the stressful and emotional complications things like fame can cause.

Pete show’s he is being bothered by this in the beginning of the song; “I’m falling apart at the seems.” The stress he is under is tearing him apart. “Doc there’s a hole where something was” He feels empty because of it.

Now for the second stanza, lines one to three, I have to agree with austin21044 It sounds like a hang over but for lines four, five, six and, eight Pete once again reverts back to talking about the effects of the stress. A lot of times when people feel under pressure, or that things directly related to them have become out of their control they’ll start to feel that they can no longer control their own emotions and fearing they’ll do something rash.

“Put him in the back of a squad car, / Restrain that man! / He needs his head put through a catscan!” (Fall Out Boy, Disloyal Order of Water Buffalos, second stanza, lines four to six.) This is quite obviously a cry for help. While in the next line we see a little ego shining through with the words “Hey editor, I'm undeniable” (Fall Out Boy, Disloyal Order of Water Buffalos second stanza seventh line.) This shows where he’s trying to act sane by smothering these feelings with over confidence in his own work. He’s sort of saying “I don’t need help from the system I’m fine on my own.” Well the line after that mixes the two meaning together.

“Hey doctor, I'm certifiable!” (Fall Out Boy, Disloyal Order of Water Buffalos, second stanza, eighth line) While ‘Certifiable’ usually means “capable of being certified as authentic, valid, or qualified.” (Encarta Dictionary: English (North America)) in this case it takes on its second meaning of “legally or medically declared to be affected by a psychiatric disorder.” (Encarta Dictionary: English (North America)) Thus in this line he’s stating to the doctor that he is mentally ill rather then going through the system that he previously, verbally spat at.

This theme of mental illness continues on until line four of the third stanza.

“So boycott love” (Fall Out Boy, Disloyal Order of Water Buffalos, third stanza fourth line.) Here we come to another problem that not only celebrities but every day people as well have to deal with, love.

Boycott: “to cease or refuse to deal with something such as an organization, a company, or a process, as a protest against it or as an effort to force it to become more acceptable.” (Encarta Dictionary: English (North America)) Sound familiar? “Detox just to retox.” (Fall Out Boy, Disloyal Order of Water Buffalos, third stanza, line five.) Yet again this line is a cry for attention, one we see far too many times in celebrities. Drug addictions, alcoholism, their ways to temporarily make one feel better about themselves or to feel in control. Now for some people they get on drugs realize (one way or another) thier bad and get off of them, though yes, I am understating how hard that is for those individuals. But for most people they can change what made them feel out of control in the first place, be that by quitting their job, moving, finding a more sportive environment, but you can’t quit fame. This line then is a shout out to celebrities about how crazy the cycle their stuck in is.

“Imperfect boys with their perfect lives / Nobody wants to hear you sing about tragedy” (Fall Out Boy, Disloyal Order of Water Buffalos, third stanza lines eight and nine) I believe personally that those are the correct lyrics. Though the incredibly personal subject matter of this song would account for the reason the true lyrics were not published in a written format. These two lines are making a jab at the terrible façade all of America has put on. “Imperfect boys” We all have flaws, insecurities. “with their perfect lives,” but were constantly comparing ourselves to other people. Be it in Third World countries or with in our own communities thinking ‘it could always be worse right?’ trying to make our flaws look small, our lives look perfect. As such we want desperately not to dwell on these imperfections in fear of appearing vein. “Nobody wants to hear you sing about tragedy.” because nobody wants to hear the guy with money coming out of his ass complain, because they feel their problems are worse, and because they know it can get worse still.

Now in stanza four we come back to the topic of love. Or lack of there of and again another jab at America society.

“Little girl / You got me staring odd / oh! or was that just a telescopic camera nod” (Fall Out Boy, Disloyal Order of Water Buffalos, fourth stanza, lines one, two, and three.) This line depicts him staring at a girl oddly, most likely with lust. She gives him a small nod. The nod is described as telescopic as though she’s uncertain this is what she wants.

Celebrities have trouble with relationships because ‘Gold Diggers’ always try and hook up with them, not for love, but for money and fame. But that’s not to say it is entirely their fault they go ahead with relationships that are not for love. Society, peers, authorities figures, they all make it seem as though if we meet someone with money and looks who has even a possibility of liking us back we should do everything in our power to merry them. “Painted dolls,” (Fall Out Boy, Disloyal Order of Water Buffalos, fourth stanza, fourth line.) refers to women who try and dress and look the way society depicts the perfect women. Painting themselves with make up and all looking the same like dolls.

I must say another thank you to fancypirouettes for clearing up what a lot lizard is.

Again in the fifth and sixth lines of the forth stanza Pete is making a reference to “Boycott(ing) Love” By having sex with a prostitute he avoids the chance that there is love involved.

The seventh and eight lines, and the last ones of any importance “All the rookies / leave your badge and your gun on the desk / When you leave the room” I will be the first to admit this line is one of the more disjointed ones it seems to me that it’s a shout out to any one looking for fame. Kind of a ‘Quit now or deal with all of the above.’

this song is amazing such a good way to kick off the album

the lyrics i had up before i made the few changes i did are the ones i got from a recording of a demo, which basically sounded like shit lmao and i'm starting to hear the lizard scales things too, which is weird. but i'll change them now.

it is most definitely: IMPERFECT boys with their perfect LIVES

because modern day artists complain about so many things that they want but if they are true artists, they have already achieved their dreams by sharing their music/ art/ talent with the world.

therefore: nobody wants to hear you sing about tragedy!

am i the only one who hears the 'for' before "pitching myself for leads in other peoples dreams"?

Okay i pretty much dissected this song. First of all, the title "Disloyal Order of Water Buffaloes". That name came from the show The Flintstones. It was a club/bar that Fred and Barney went to, only theirs was called the LOYAL order of water buffaloes. Pete just named it the DISloyal Order of Water Buffaloes because it's a club that he and his friends belong to. The whole song is about people in this country going out and drinking their problems away (AMAZING song btw.). Now for the lyrics... "Fell outta bed Butterfly bandage but don't worry. You'll never remember, your head is far too blurry" <-- that part is talking about a person who's experiencing a hangover lol. and when he says "what a match, I'm half-doomed and you're semi sweet." he's talking about the alcoholic drink. "detox just to retox" is talking about how a lot of people just drink like a bottle of water or something to get sober just to go back out again and drink. Great song. Great song.

it actually goes perfect boys with their perfect lives nobody wants to hear you sing about tragedy

Well,that's what I love about FOB.Their lyrics can be interpreted in so many ways.My opinion about this song is another.Maybe not as good as other's before me,but I think it's about "someone that can't get over their first love/the struggles to get over somebody and find someone new".That being said,let's break it piece by piece.

"I'm coming apart at the seams Pitching myself for leads in other people's dreams"->He was through so many relationships that he feels like he is falling apart,given the fact that others found that perfect love that he aspires to have.

"Now buzz, buzz, buzz Doc, there's a hole where something was"->He had that kind of love and he lost it and now he feels empty inside.

"Fell out of bed, butterfly bandage, but don't worry You'll never remember, your head is far too blurry" ->When he broke up(fell out of bed aka woke up from the dream) he tried to cover it softly,with something pretty,but not powerful,hoping that as the time passes he will forget about everything.

"Put him in the back of a squad car, restrain that man He needs his head put through a cat scan" -> He feels like the memories are caging him,making him unable to get over it and everybody and everything keeps reminding him of the love he lost (cat scan).

"Hey editor, I'm undeniable Hey Doctor, I'm certifiable" ->The first lyrics referes to the fact that this is a story that happened to other people,and he is not the only one going through this.The second might mean the fact that he feels like he is going crazy because of it.

"Oh, I'm a loose bolt of a complete machine What a match, I'm half doomed and you're semi-sweet" ->He feels empty,there is that person missing in his life to make it complete and he knows they fit together,him,being a dreamer,her,being his counterpart.

"So boycott love Detox just to retox And I'd promise you anything for another shot at life" -> So here it comes the point when he meets someone new.He is "boycotting love" because he knows he won't be able to have the same feelings for the next person,and he's not 100% into the new relationship.He just went out of that toxic relationship just to "intoxicate" again(to fall in love again).The last lyric refers to the fact,that he is willing to give up anything just to feel the same as before as long as the new person does so.

"Perfect boys With their perfect lives/ploys Nobody wants to hear you sing about tragedy" ->The new girl/woman in his life might see him as happy and contempt with his"perfect" life without knowing that he is suffering deep inside.And as it's a new relationship she doesn't want to hear about his ex-girlfriend and how everything went from perfect to bad.

"Oh, little girl, you got me staring odd Or was it just a telescopic camera nod" ->So he sees this new person(little girl) as someone that hasn't known the pain of the break-up yet,still he is fond of her.At the same time he feels like she is watching him closely,observing him.

"Painted doors in the highway, truck stop stalls Lot lizards scales cool my nightlife moods" ->Now that he is single he feels like he has plenty to choose(each painted door more beautiful than the other,promising him a better thing).Like a truck driver that sees prostitutes on the side of the road"(lot lizards" a.k.a. hookers) and he can find someone to heal his pain temporary,but he knows he has to give something back(money to prostitutes a.k.a new feelings for someone new)

"All the rookies leave your badge and your gun on the desk, when you leave the room" ->"Everyone that thinks they understand what he is going through should give up,because they never went through what he went.

So the lyric that follows up later,again "Detox just to retox" is just summing up the idea of "leaving a perfect a love just to go into another that might as well end the same".

This is my opinion about the message of this song.I am not a native-English speaker so...I am sorry for my potential grammar mistakes.

i'm starting to hear BUT instead of FOR also thanks