When I look 'round, I only see outta one eye
As the smoke surrounds my head, the sauna
I hear the voices, but I can't make out their words
Saying things, saying things that

I got something sticking in my eye
Got something sticking in my eye
Got something sticking in my eye
I feel unusual from thinking
About the underground decay, God help me

Kill beneath the camera, watch the world begin to cry
It's not from pity, it comes from
What's been sticking in my eye
Got something sticking in my eye


Lyrics submitted by AtomicGarden

Stickin in My Eye Lyrics as written by Mike Burkett

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

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Stickin In My Eye song meanings
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  • +3
    General Comment

    I disagree, Nofx does a much better job at this song, Rancid fucked it up good.

    puberton July 04, 2002   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    I've been listening to Nofx for what feels like 20 years (actually only 9). They've been my favorite band since I heard them at the ripe age of 15. I must've heard this song ten thousand times, always thinking he was just talking about having some shit in his eye and being pissed off about it...you guys have to realize that not every nofx song has a deeper side to it - not all of their songs are The Decline. Most will have a play on words or some kind of fun pun, but not all of them are about the state of society, or politics, or religion. With that said, I finally got this song the last time I saw them live - my brother had gotten hit in the eye with a mohawk during Lori Meyers and was down for the count near the bar...then all of a sudden they go right into Sticking in my Eye...and it clicks. The first verse is about being in a mosh pit at a punk show, getting jabbed in the with a mohawk...

    "As the smoke surrounds my head" -Unlike now, punk shows USED to be freakin awesome and be in clubs where you could smoke...though nofx has more than one song about how they hate cig smoke - it was a mainstay of a punk show.

    ..."the sauna!" -A mosh pit is like a sauna with all the jumping/moshing/pushing/skanking/fighting, it turns into a massive sweat lodge - just try and leave a mosh pit without at least 50 peoples sweat.

    "I hear the voices, but I can't make out their words" -Just like at a punk show - no matter how loud it is, you can't really hear the words...you just have to know them

    So ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I maintain that my client, verse number one of Sticking in my Eye is really all about being at a punk show and getting jabbed in the eye with a mohawk.

    Teloton February 03, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    i think things stand like that "When I look 'round, I only see outta one eye" ; "I hear the voices, but I can't make out their words" - those lines are about how the world got so misunderstood and fucked up that you get confused the smoke and the asuna stand for the preasure "It's not from pity, it comes from What's been sticking in my eye" - you get upset but you try to be blind and strong so you say you got somethin' stickin in your eye idk a may be wrong

    papilon September 08, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    This is about tough men crying and saying "nah man, just got something sticking in my eye."

    Lyrics such as: "Kill beneath the camera, watch the world begin to cry It's not from pity, it comes from What's been sticking in my eye" support this argument.

    pw0nzweron February 22, 2016   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    sweet

    panhandleron May 01, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    kick ass song, i am not even a NOFX fan, but this song sure kix ass... one of my favorites.

    foreignmanon May 26, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Listen to Rancid's version of this song, personally I think its a ton better.

    Duffman234on June 11, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    i agree rancids version is alot better

    darkpop2Dzombieon July 02, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    kick ass song! i agree w/ foreignman. i'm a big NOFX fan and this song definately scores a vote as 1 of my favorites.

    Anti-Flag1081on July 05, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Ok look Both Nofx and Rancid did great jobs on this song but it was Nofx's song in the first place so who knows how to play it better, Nofx of course........

    SuperAngelZeroon August 16, 2002   Link

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