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.
[Black Eyed Peas]
Johnny wanna be a big star
Get on stage and play the guitar
Make a little money buy a fancy car
A big old house and a alligator
Just to match with them alligator shoes
He’s a rich man so he’s no longer singing the blues
He’s singin songs about material things...
And platinum rings and watches that go bling,
But
Diamonds don’t bling in the dark
He a star now, but he aint singin it from the heart
Sooner or later hes just gonna fall apart
Cause his fans can’t relate to his new found art
He aint doin what he did from the start
And that’s putting in some feeling and thought
He decided to live his life shallow
Cash in his love for material
And it's gone
[chorus | Jack Johnson]
Gone, going, gone
Everything
Gone
Give a damn
Gone, be the birds when they don't wanna sing
Gone people
All awkward with their things
Gone.
[Black Eyed Peas]
You see yourself in the mirror
And ya ...
Feel safe cause it looks familiar
But ya ...
Afraid up to open up your soul
Cause ya ...
dont really know, dont really know
Who is ...
The person thats deep within
Cause you content with just being the name brand man
And ya
Thought to see that it’s trivial,
Insignificant you addicted to material
I seen your kind before
You’re the type that thinks souls is sold in the store
Packaged up with incense sticks with a vegetarian meal to you that’s righteous
Your fiction like books,
Need to go out to life and look
Cause uh...
What happens when they take your material, and you already sold your soul
and its....
[chorus | Jack Johnson]
Gone, going, gone
Everything
Gone
Give a damn
Gone, be the birds when they don't wanna sing
Gone people
All awkward with their things
Gone.
[Black Eyed Peas]
You say that time is money and money is time
So you got your mommy, and money and your money on your mind
But what about that crime you did to get paid
And what about that bid you can’t take it to your grave
[Jack Johnson]
What about those shoes you’re in today,
They will be no good,
On the bridges you've walked along the way
[Black Eyed Peas]
All that money that you got
Gonna be gone
Yah..
That gear that you rock
Gonna be gone
That house up on the hill
Gonna be gone
The gold purse on your grill
Gonna be gone
The ice on your wrist
Gonna be gone
That nice little miss
Gonna be gone
That whip that you roll
Gonna be gone
What’s worst is your soul already gone
[chorus | Jack Johnson]
Gone, going, gone
Everything
Gone
Give a damn
Gone, be the birds when they don't wanna sing
Gone people
All awkward with their things
Gone.
Johnny wanna be a big star
Get on stage and play the guitar
Make a little money buy a fancy car
A big old house and a alligator
Just to match with them alligator shoes
He’s a rich man so he’s no longer singing the blues
He’s singin songs about material things...
And platinum rings and watches that go bling,
But
Diamonds don’t bling in the dark
He a star now, but he aint singin it from the heart
Sooner or later hes just gonna fall apart
Cause his fans can’t relate to his new found art
He aint doin what he did from the start
And that’s putting in some feeling and thought
He decided to live his life shallow
Cash in his love for material
And it's gone
[chorus | Jack Johnson]
Gone, going, gone
Everything
Gone
Give a damn
Gone, be the birds when they don't wanna sing
Gone people
All awkward with their things
Gone.
[Black Eyed Peas]
You see yourself in the mirror
And ya ...
Feel safe cause it looks familiar
But ya ...
Afraid up to open up your soul
Cause ya ...
dont really know, dont really know
Who is ...
The person thats deep within
Cause you content with just being the name brand man
And ya
Thought to see that it’s trivial,
Insignificant you addicted to material
I seen your kind before
You’re the type that thinks souls is sold in the store
Packaged up with incense sticks with a vegetarian meal to you that’s righteous
Your fiction like books,
Need to go out to life and look
Cause uh...
What happens when they take your material, and you already sold your soul
and its....
[chorus | Jack Johnson]
Gone, going, gone
Everything
Gone
Give a damn
Gone, be the birds when they don't wanna sing
Gone people
All awkward with their things
Gone.
[Black Eyed Peas]
You say that time is money and money is time
So you got your mommy, and money and your money on your mind
But what about that crime you did to get paid
And what about that bid you can’t take it to your grave
[Jack Johnson]
What about those shoes you’re in today,
They will be no good,
On the bridges you've walked along the way
[Black Eyed Peas]
All that money that you got
Gonna be gone
Yah..
That gear that you rock
Gonna be gone
That house up on the hill
Gonna be gone
The gold purse on your grill
Gonna be gone
The ice on your wrist
Gonna be gone
That nice little miss
Gonna be gone
That whip that you roll
Gonna be gone
What’s worst is your soul already gone
[chorus | Jack Johnson]
Gone, going, gone
Everything
Gone
Give a damn
Gone, be the birds when they don't wanna sing
Gone people
All awkward with their things
Gone.
Lyrics submitted by danielle_englisch
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
Thursday
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[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.
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
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.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
Why is everyone complaining? The lyrics are right there have you guys read them? I mean really I'm generally not a fan of BEP and I have no problem accusing them of having some shitty worthless songs, but I think they did a great job on this song because they actually didn't ruin the message at all. I don't really like it better than the original but it appeals to a whole different spectrum of people and the meaning stays completely intact so what's so bad about that? And yeah I can see how you could say it's somewhat hypocritical for them to sing about it but that doesn't effect how good the song is. And either way at least it's not like whenever Timbaland's in a song and all he's capable of talking about is bitches and fuckin'. I guess I'm just saying imagine you didn't know it was the black eyed peas, would you still hate it then?