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.
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Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
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.
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
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.
In the Sixties, all the teenagers were in stitches when they saw that title. We thought it was the funniest name for a song ever. We wondered what the words were like, and were very disappointed when it turned out to be an instrumental. They showed a bunch of little men in the album cover art who looked like they were on the point of doing something gay, but they never quite got there. The band is Canadian, and I think fag means cigarette butt in that country. I always thought it was a veiled reference to Nixon, in the sense of "creep."
Steppenwolf is awsome to name a song this. DID you know they ARN'T in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Fucked up huh.
They're not in the R&R hall of fame because the idiots would rather take people that aren't even Rock at all over this. Like Madonna, or Grandmaster Flash. Overlook all the good stuff for stuff that isn't good at all.
Steppenwolf got me into Rock. I owe them my life. Second to God, of course.
@Charlie the man - they'll never let Jethro Tull into their club either.<br /> The R&R hall of fame is a meaningless charade.
I've assumed that the song title 'Fag' referred to a cigarette -which was the common usage of the term in the early '70s/late '60s.
Who cares?
Hate to break it you guys, but Steppenwolf was very socially conscious at the time. So, if you think this is an anti-gay song, you're sadly mistaken.
@pauleky I think it was about Nixon, which would make sense.
@pauleky I think it was about Nixon, which would make sense.
I suspect that Fag was about Richard Nixon, whom the band found objectionable.
Well, Mars Bonfire wrote this, so you better ask him. But I think he wants it to be a mystery. I would have loved to hear a Bowie cover of this. I don't know why, maybe he could have turned it into a rock opera, he and Freddy Mercury.
Fag is a spent cigarette which is thrown away. This song is a throwaway. In otherwords 'filler'.
I LIKE MEN!!!!