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.
Four times he came by
I did not look
Talked about the reservoir
His thumbs were hooked
On his carpenter's belt
As he squinted in the sun
Smiled wide many times
Think I smiled back once
And it's frightening
Oh, I didn't expect that from you
It's blinding
Serious are you seriously
I am feeling really stupid now
Last time on the fly
Work had all been done
Sanding down the ceiling
So it ends up in the rug
We were waiting in the bedroom
'Til he finished up
One short "hi" and no goodbye
She says she knew him once
And it's frightening
Oh, I didn't expect that from you
It's blinding
Serious are you seriously
And I am feeling really stupid now
And it's frightening
Oh, I didn't expect that from you
It's blinding
Can't see a think
I see I see
And I am feeling really stupid
I am feeling stupid
I am really feeling stupid now
Stupid now
Stupid now
I did not look
Talked about the reservoir
His thumbs were hooked
On his carpenter's belt
As he squinted in the sun
Smiled wide many times
Think I smiled back once
And it's frightening
Oh, I didn't expect that from you
It's blinding
Serious are you seriously
I am feeling really stupid now
Last time on the fly
Work had all been done
Sanding down the ceiling
So it ends up in the rug
We were waiting in the bedroom
'Til he finished up
One short "hi" and no goodbye
She says she knew him once
And it's frightening
Oh, I didn't expect that from you
It's blinding
Serious are you seriously
And I am feeling really stupid now
And it's frightening
Oh, I didn't expect that from you
It's blinding
Can't see a think
I see I see
And I am feeling really stupid
I am feeling stupid
I am really feeling stupid now
Stupid now
Stupid now
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
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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.
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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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This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
Yeah. I recently read that it was based on some humiliating experience that Glen Phillips went through. Though, it didn't go into specifics.
Sorry to tell you this, but you're waaaaay off the mark with the whole racist take. It doesn't say "bigut2" on the cd sleeve- it's just the word "stupid" spelled backwards. The "s" and the "d" are also backwards. I think this song is just about a guy who hired some guy to do some work around his house, not realizing his girlfriend/wife had dated him at one point, so he feels stupid.
I have to agree with skinnypanda & Bravura - saw Toad perform this at a radio festival way back in 1995 and Glen Phillips said with a smile it was based on "an encounter with a handyman".
I love this song. Sounds to me like it's about a guy (the narrator) who's been working on finishing up his house with this other guy. And it just so happens that this other guy has been with the narrator's lady. He's singing about how he didn't notice until later that they had been together, thus making him feel "really stupid now".
I vaguely remember reading in a Toad the Wet Sprocket forum the backstory for this song. Something about Glen acting like a snot towards a repairman and now he regrets it. Although, I'm not sure how the line "she says she knew him once" works into that.
I think this song is about a man (the narrator) that is having an african american guy come fix his house. Now, next to the song title, it says bigut2, and a "bigot" is a racist person. And he says to his wife "I am feeling really stupid now" because the whole time he was probably talking bad about blacks and she "knew" this carpenter once meaning she had dated him before. And the narrator, being a bigot, never expected that from his wife.
I was expecting and hoping to find a lot of comments on what this song is about, because it's certainly intriguing. It seems to be about knowing a guy and eventually realizing he's not what you thought he was - he's something wrong, something troubling, a bigot, or a wifebeater. Quite possibly a rapist. It definitely gives off the impression that it's about a real and specific person. Again, intriguing. Great tune.
I think it’s about a guy whose wife cheats on him with the handyman. He basically ignores the handyman, because he’s just a handyman, beneath him. Then his wife sleeps with him, and he recalls her saying she once knew him….and the narrator feels like a total idiot, like he “should have known.”
I agree it's about the wife cheating on him, but not once. I think it's over a period of time. In my experience, when the very first time you find out your SO is unhappy is when you find out they've been cheating, you feel really, really, really stupid. It's shocking - "blinding" - and you go into your own type of PTSD when it comes out of nowhere. "Ooh, I didn't expect that from you." You had this person on a pedestal, and you never expected this.
"This song is about infidelity and home repairs" -Dean Dinning, Stevens Point Wisconsin 1 July 2011