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.
Find the airport, 7am
My heart pumping pure mini-bar
Sit on the concrete by the carts
And some girl throws a dime in my lap
You won't be laughing when you hear how this one ends
So I sleep through the entire flight
Don't really wake up until the cab driver says
"Hey, where you going? I forget"
Think of the time I came to visit you here
The year after Jeremy died
And the elevator's fast and pops my ears out
They're all waiting patiently
Touch my name tag, should say
"Hello, I'm too tired to smile today"
Squeak the chair once, take a deep breath
Straighten my tie and say "What's the damage?"
And the pause feels like an extra year of high school
The CEO takes me aside
I'm down 12 points and they're selling
The graphs in the board room show
By the time that the market opens in Tokyo
I'll be worthless
So, what I'm trying to say
I mean what I'm asking is
I know we haven't talked in a while
But could you come get me?
My heart pumping pure mini-bar
Sit on the concrete by the carts
And some girl throws a dime in my lap
You won't be laughing when you hear how this one ends
So I sleep through the entire flight
Don't really wake up until the cab driver says
"Hey, where you going? I forget"
Think of the time I came to visit you here
The year after Jeremy died
And the elevator's fast and pops my ears out
They're all waiting patiently
Touch my name tag, should say
"Hello, I'm too tired to smile today"
Squeak the chair once, take a deep breath
Straighten my tie and say "What's the damage?"
And the pause feels like an extra year of high school
The CEO takes me aside
I'm down 12 points and they're selling
The graphs in the board room show
By the time that the market opens in Tokyo
I'll be worthless
So, what I'm trying to say
I mean what I'm asking is
I know we haven't talked in a while
But could you come get me?
Lyrics submitted by superficies
Relative Surplus Value Lyrics as written by John K Samson
Lyrics © MOTHERSHIP MUSIC PUBLISHING
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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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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Does anyone else think that this song is about a guy who's just arrived back in his hometown and is now totally ruined after losing his job. He has no money and can't get home, so he has to ring his ex-wife for a ride.
They split up a while ago. Or rather he ditched her when he became some big shot businessman, and now he is forced to call her for help.
Before this she was, in his eyes, a relative of surplus value.
I have a question: when he says "think of the time I came to visit you here, the year after Jeremy died"
Does it mean "I'm thinking of the time..." or, is he imploring the person he's talking to (the one he needs a ride from) to think of that time, as in "hey remember I did something nice for you, you owe me".
I've never been sure how to read that line. Looking at the syntax of that stanza, I'm leaning towards the first reading, but maybe someone has a different take.
Thinking of that time.....come get me!
One of Samson's more straightforward songs, this one seems to be about a big business man whose dubious tactics (probably cutting wages, outsourcing, and laying off workers in favour of personal gain) have caught up with him. The song paints this guy just like anyone else, makes him a completely sympathetic character. And maybe he isn't a total bastard, but his punishment is eminent. The girl throwing a dime in his lap is a wonderful bit of irony that endears us to this guy and by the end, when he has nowhere to go, no money, and everything is ruined he still has someone he can reluctantly call to pick him up.
this makes me think of fight club.
i am such a loser... but yea.
i think the 3rd stanza and the last are about some one he knows in this city he's in for the business conference. the rest is the narrative of the guy's day -- you won't believe how this one ends.
this song has a good groove to it. song sounds like he's in town on business, of an old flame or friend. he goes to this business meeting that pretty much says the company he works for just went under and he has no job. as a result he wants to see his old friend but feels weird asking out of nowhere.
relative surplus value is a concept from Karl Marx's Das Kapital. Surplus value is the value produced by a worker over and above what s/he recieves in wages. Relative surplus value means the amount of surplus value relative to the value of the wage, and the main ways of increasing it for capitalists are driving down wages and increasing the intensity of labour (ie, how much stuff a worker produces per hour).
You see, being a Marxist really pays off sometimes.
relative surplus value is a concept from Karl Marx's Das Kapital. Surplus value is the value produced by a worker over and above what s/he recieves in wages. Relative surplus value means the amount of surplus value relative to the value of the wage, and the main ways of increasing it for capitalists are driving down wages and increasing the intensity of labour (ie, how much stuff a worker produces per hour).
You see, being a Marxist really pays off sometimes.
I agree with Bryn that it is about him returning to his hometown, but rather than calling an ex-love, I think he is calling his father to come get him. Just the way he says it, it sounds like how a teenager might call his folks when he is stranded a the mall or something: "Could you come get me?"
As for the line about "Think of the time I came to visit you here" I think it is not referring to visiting the city itself, but visiting his dad at work as a child. So it is ironic because he has grown up to be this big shot business guy, who has neglected his parents (because when you are on your own making lots of money you feel you can do that), and now he loses he job at the very spot his father used to work, and now he is calling his parents, humbled, needing a ride. It is a commentary on how no matter how old you get, how rich you are, you will always be someone's son and your parents are still your parents. But that is just my take.
One lyrical correction: on the weakerthans website it says it is "I touch my name-tag, should say, 'HELLO, I'M too tired to smile today'" as in that is what he should write on it. Which would be a funny thing to write on a name tag if you think about it. Overall I think the character is likeable, if not flawed.
Does anyone else think it should say "Touch my name tag. Should say 'Hello, I'm too tired to smile today' " Like how they make the Name tags that say "Hello, I'm..." and you fill in the rest. I think that's what he's trying to get at here, maybe I'm wrong.