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.
(CHORUS)
Ooo hey, Well i'll be damned
I've been around the world and back again
From Japan and Amsterdam,
With a ticket in my hand, singing
Catch me if you can, catch
Catch me if you can
Ooo yeah, well i'll be damned
I've been around the world and back again
From Japan and Amsterdam,
with a ticket in my hand, singing
catch me if you can, catch
catch me if you can
what type of fuckery has been required lately,
it seems like these MC's heads need deflating,
and i'mma play the pin cause I've been waiting,
now make my mark on pop culture from my generation,
80s babies from the age of nintendo,
transformers, ninja turtles, hungry hippos,
GI joes, phot, can't forget the clothes
kangaroos with the zipper had a grip of those
breaking into heavy spinning on my elbows,
couldn't get me out my ____________
R.I.P
You know I miss you more then Shaq miss free-throws, that's alot
You put it back in the air, when the wee's (whistle) gone
Reminiscing bout when we were young, but now we've grown
Ooo hey, Well i'll be damned
I've been around the world and back again
From Japan and Amsterdam,
With a ticket in my hand, singing
Catch me if you can, catch
Catch me if you can
Ooo yeah, Well i'll be damned
I've been around the world and back again
From Japan and Amsterdam,
With a ticket in my hand, singing
Catch me if you can, catch
Catch me if you can
Comon ya'll
Lets talk about the scene for a minute,
I know we ain't been seen in a minute,
We left it for a minute now we all up in it
Baby boy if you've got them big dreams go and get it,
Never been the type with tight jeans, I wont fit it
When I see those scene girls, bet they all gonna get it
And I'm living clean
Now a lot of ya'll won't get it
Now it's mean but I don't give a damn if ya'll don't get it
So fresh and so clean in my new jean
While I'm laughing at the bacon, you're all crying a the clinic
I read a couple blogs and they had my ass livid
But now I've got my own to whirl, gotta live with it
Never played basketball, but I could show you how to dribble
Make your moves in that black hatch back Honda Civic
Like I did in high school, wishin' I could relive it
But I can't so let's go on, give the hook a revisit.
Ooo hey, well i'll be damned
I've been around the world and back again
From Japan and Amsterdam,
With a ticket in my hand, singing
Catch me if you can, catch
Catch me if you can
Ooo yeah, well i'll be damned
I've been around the world and back again
From Japan and Amsterdam,
With a ticket in my hand, singing
Catch me if you can, catch
Catch me if you can
(BRIDGE)
Maybe I'm wrong,
But after 26 years I feel I've payed my dues
So when you play this song,
Just know that I live my life the way i choose,
And now I stand here proudly in L.A.
At a sold out crowd
And when no one's around
I refuse, to be as inferior to you
Ooo hey, well i'll be damned
I've been around the world and back again
From Japan and Amsterdam,
With a ticket in my hand, singing
Catch me if you can, catch
Catch me if you can
Ooo yeah, well i'll be damned
I've been around the world and back again
From Japan and Amsterdam,
With a ticket in my hand, singing
Catch me if you can, catch
Catch me if you can
Ooo yeah, well i'll be damned
I've been around the world and back again
From Japan and Amsterdam,
With a ticket in my hand, singing
Catch me if you can, catch
Catch me if you canOoo yeah, well i'll be damned
I've been around the world and back again
From Japan and Amsterdam,
With a ticket in my hand, singing
Catch me if you can, catch
Catch me if you can
ooooo hey
ha ha ha
yeahhh
ha ha ha
Ooo hey, Well i'll be damned
I've been around the world and back again
From Japan and Amsterdam,
With a ticket in my hand, singing
Catch me if you can, catch
Catch me if you can
Ooo yeah, well i'll be damned
I've been around the world and back again
From Japan and Amsterdam,
with a ticket in my hand, singing
catch me if you can, catch
catch me if you can
what type of fuckery has been required lately,
it seems like these MC's heads need deflating,
and i'mma play the pin cause I've been waiting,
now make my mark on pop culture from my generation,
80s babies from the age of nintendo,
transformers, ninja turtles, hungry hippos,
GI joes, phot, can't forget the clothes
kangaroos with the zipper had a grip of those
breaking into heavy spinning on my elbows,
couldn't get me out my ____________
R.I.P
You know I miss you more then Shaq miss free-throws, that's alot
You put it back in the air, when the wee's (whistle) gone
Reminiscing bout when we were young, but now we've grown
Ooo hey, Well i'll be damned
I've been around the world and back again
From Japan and Amsterdam,
With a ticket in my hand, singing
Catch me if you can, catch
Catch me if you can
Ooo yeah, Well i'll be damned
I've been around the world and back again
From Japan and Amsterdam,
With a ticket in my hand, singing
Catch me if you can, catch
Catch me if you can
Comon ya'll
Lets talk about the scene for a minute,
I know we ain't been seen in a minute,
We left it for a minute now we all up in it
Baby boy if you've got them big dreams go and get it,
Never been the type with tight jeans, I wont fit it
When I see those scene girls, bet they all gonna get it
And I'm living clean
Now a lot of ya'll won't get it
Now it's mean but I don't give a damn if ya'll don't get it
So fresh and so clean in my new jean
While I'm laughing at the bacon, you're all crying a the clinic
I read a couple blogs and they had my ass livid
But now I've got my own to whirl, gotta live with it
Never played basketball, but I could show you how to dribble
Make your moves in that black hatch back Honda Civic
Like I did in high school, wishin' I could relive it
But I can't so let's go on, give the hook a revisit.
Ooo hey, well i'll be damned
I've been around the world and back again
From Japan and Amsterdam,
With a ticket in my hand, singing
Catch me if you can, catch
Catch me if you can
Ooo yeah, well i'll be damned
I've been around the world and back again
From Japan and Amsterdam,
With a ticket in my hand, singing
Catch me if you can, catch
Catch me if you can
(BRIDGE)
Maybe I'm wrong,
But after 26 years I feel I've payed my dues
So when you play this song,
Just know that I live my life the way i choose,
And now I stand here proudly in L.A.
At a sold out crowd
And when no one's around
I refuse, to be as inferior to you
Ooo hey, well i'll be damned
I've been around the world and back again
From Japan and Amsterdam,
With a ticket in my hand, singing
Catch me if you can, catch
Catch me if you can
Ooo yeah, well i'll be damned
I've been around the world and back again
From Japan and Amsterdam,
With a ticket in my hand, singing
Catch me if you can, catch
Catch me if you can
Ooo yeah, well i'll be damned
I've been around the world and back again
From Japan and Amsterdam,
With a ticket in my hand, singing
Catch me if you can, catch
Catch me if you canOoo yeah, well i'll be damned
I've been around the world and back again
From Japan and Amsterdam,
With a ticket in my hand, singing
Catch me if you can, catch
Catch me if you can
ooooo hey
ha ha ha
yeahhh
ha ha ha
Lyrics submitted by thrwmyhrtawy.
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@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
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I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
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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.
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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.
So many errors in this set that's been floating around the internet. And I can't even bother to try and understand everything Travis is saying, but here's what I can correct:
(CHORUS) Ooo (Hey) Well I'll be damned I've been around the world and back again (c'mon, c'mon) From Japan and Amsterdam, With a ticket in my hand singing "Catch me if you can, catch, Catch me if you can!" (x2)
What type of fuckery (?) required lately, It seems like these MC's heads need deflating, and I'mma play the pen because I've been waiting, Now make my mark on pop culture for my generation, 80s babies from the age of Nintendo, Transformers, Ninja Turtles, Hungry Hippos, GI Joes, Full time (?), can't forget the clothes Kangaroos with the zippers had a couple (?) those Breakin' 2 had me spinning on my elbows, Couldn't get me out my shell toes if hell froze.
R.I.P (NAMES)
You know I miss you more than Shaq miss free-throws (that's a lot!) You put the black in the air, when the weed's gone Reminisce on when we was young, but now we grown
(CHORUS)
C'mon ya'll Lets talk about the scene for a minute, I know we ain't been seen in a minute. We left you for a minute, now we all up in it, Baby boy if you've got them big dreams go and get it. Never been the type for tight jeans, I wont fit it, When I see those scene girls, bet they all gonna get it. And I'm living clean - now a lot of ya'll won't get it Know it's mean but I don't give a damn if ya'll don't get it So fresh and so clean in my Eugene fitted (?) While I'm laughing at the bank, and y'all crying at the clinic I read a couple blogs and they had my ass livid But now I've got my own to whirl, gotta live with it Never played basketball, but I could show you how to pivot Makin' moves in that black hatch-back Honda Civic Like I did in High School, wishin' I could relive it But I can't so let's go on and give the hook a revisit
(CHORUS)
(BRIDGE) Maybe if I'm wrong, But after 26 years I feel I've payed my dues So when you play this song, Just know that I live my life the way i choose, And now I stand here proud and I laugh (?) At a sold out crowd And when no one's around I refuse to feel inferior to you
(CHORUS) (x2)
ooooo hey ha ha ha yeahhh