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Viva Las Vegas Lyrics

Bright lights city gonna set my soul
It's gonna set my soul on fire
Got a whole lot of money that's ready to burn
So get those stakes up high
There's a thousand pretty women waiting out there
They're all waiting the Devil may care
And I'm just a devil with love to spare, so

VIVA LAS VEGAS!
VIVA LAS VEGAS!
VIVA LAS VEGAS!

How I wish that there were more
Than the twenty four hours in the day.
Even if I ran out of speed, boy
I wouldn't sleep a minute of the way

Oh there's blackjack and poker and the roulette wheel
A fortune won and lost on every deal.
All you need is sonar and nerves of steel, so

VIVA LAS VEGAS!
VIVA LAS VEGAS!
VIVA LAS VEGAS!

Viva Las Vegas where the neon signs are flashing and
The one arm bandits crashing
All hopes down the drain.
Viva Las Vegas turning day into night time
Turning night into daytime
If you see it once, you'll never be the same again.

Gotta keep on running
Gonna have me some fun
If it costs me my very last dime
If I wind up broke
Then I'll always remember
That I had a swingin' time.

Oh, I'm gonna give it everything I've got
Lady Luck's with me, the dice stay hot
Got coke up my nose to dry away the snot, so

VIVA LAS VEGAS!
VIVA LAS VEGAS!
VIVA LAS VEGAS!
VIVA! VIVA!
Las Vegas!!!
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11 Meanings

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Cover art for Viva Las Vegas lyrics by Dead Kennedys

Quite clearly, this song is a parody of Elvis' 'Viva Las Vegas', rather than a homage to it. Jello is taking the piss out of the 'Las Vegas' attitude of gluttony and stupidity, and lamenting the ludicrous 'rock'n'roll' attitude presented in this song which eventually led to Elvis' downfall.

Jello Biafra also speaks critically of Elvis* (and Elvis fans) in 'A Growing Boy Needs His Lunch'.

*He was a redneck, you know. He once said 'The only thing black people can do is clean my shoes and buy my music'. Pretty much sums it up, really.

@obfuscater not sure if it really is a parody (not sure it is "exaggerated" enough), but definitely a satirical take on the lyrics. Well written song, and I think their punk style on the musical aspect is really well done too.

Cover art for Viva Las Vegas lyrics by Dead Kennedys

I think you've got it mixed up there. The song was put into the end of Fear and Loathing and it appears with an exerpt on the soundtrack. Obvously it's not on their album since the movie was made in the 90s.

It's kind of like closure to the beginning, on Kill the Poor where the rich and conservatives would rather do away with poor people than help, and this example of the way a lot of people become poor: by wasting all their money on gambling and drugs.

Cover art for Viva Las Vegas lyrics by Dead Kennedys

i love this song, it is meant to be not so much a parody, as a satire, amazing, showing the rampant materialism and the horrors of it.

Cover art for Viva Las Vegas lyrics by Dead Kennedys

DAMN THE BEST COVER THEY ever DID!!!!!

Cover art for Viva Las Vegas lyrics by Dead Kennedys

I live in Las Vegas, so naturally I love this cover. Ah, fuck it, I love all Dead Kennedy songs!

Cover art for Viva Las Vegas lyrics by Dead Kennedys

An strange choice for the band, but then this song always had an edge that was suited for punk, who was narrating at the start of the song?

@IAmASquirrel Johnny Depp of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

Cover art for Viva Las Vegas lyrics by Dead Kennedys

Alright,but Mr.Biafra changed some details we shouldn't forget:so "bright light city" to "twilight city","they're all waiting the devil may care" --> ""they're all waiting,they'll never make air.." and so "and I'm just a devil with love to spare" to "and I'm just the devil with a lung to spare"..also "a fortune won and lost on every deal" to "I'll poach your money lost on every deal" and "the one arm bandits crashing - all hopes down the drain" to "the one-arm bandits cash in - all soap's down the drain"..so,Viva las Vegas!!

Cover art for Viva Las Vegas lyrics by Dead Kennedys

At the start is an extract from the film "Fear and loathing in las vegas".

Here's all the changes made...

Bright light city gonna set my soul Gonna set my soul on fire Got a whole lot of money that's ready to burn, So get those stakes up higher There's a thousand pretty women waitin' out there And they're all livin' devil may care And I'm just the devil with love to spare Viva Las Vegas, Viva Las Vegas

How I wish that there were more Than the twenty-four hours in the day 'Cause even if there were forty more I wouldn't sleep a minute away Oh, there's black jack and poker and the roulette wheel A fortune won and lost on ev'ry deal All you need's a strong heart and a nerve of steel Viva Las Vegas, Viva Las Vegas

Viva Las Vegas with you neon flashin' And your one armbandits crashin' All those hopes down the drain Viva Las Vegas turnin' day into nighttime Turnin' night into daytime If you see it once You'll never be the same again

I'm gonna keep on the run I'm gonna have me some fun If it costs me my very last dime If I wind up broke up well I'll always remember that I had a swingin' time I'm gonna give it ev'rything I've got Lady luck please let the dice stay hot Let me shout a seven with ev'ry shot Viva Las Vegas, Viva Las Vegas, Viva, Viva Las Vegas

Bright lights city gonna set my soul It's gonna set my soul on fire Got a whole lot of money that's ready to burn So get those stakes up high There's a thousand pretty women waiting out there They're all waiting the Devil may care And I'm just a devil with love to spare, so

VIVA LAS VEGAS! VIVA LAS VEGAS! VIVA LAS VEGAS!

How I wish that there were more Than the twenty four hours in the day. -----Even if I ran out of speed, boy----- I wouldn't sleep a minute of the way

Oh there's blackjack and poker and the roulette wheel A fortune won and lost on every deal. ------All you need is sonar and nerves of steel, so------

VIVA LAS VEGAS! VIVA LAS VEGAS! VIVA LAS VEGAS!

Viva Las Vegas where the neon signs are flashing and The one arm bandits crashing All hopes down the drain. Viva Las Vegas turning day into night time Turning night into daytime If you see it once, you'll never be the same again.

Gotta keep on running Gonna have me some fun If it costs me my very last dime If I wind up broke Then I'll always remember That I had a swingin' time.

Oh, I'm gonna give it everything I've got Lady Luck's with me, the dice stay hot ------Got coke up my nose to dry away the snot, so------

VIVA LAS VEGAS! VIVA LAS VEGAS! VIVA LAS VEGAS! VIVA! VIVA! Las Vegas!!!

Cover art for Viva Las Vegas lyrics by Dead Kennedys

Fuck no, not today thank you kindly..

Cover art for Viva Las Vegas lyrics by Dead Kennedys

Just got to say, Hunter S Thompson was hardcore till the day he killed himself.

RIP hunter S thompson, and kick ass song