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.
[Hook:]
I am the one that you might see around town
Giving up daps and pounds
So high up but I'm holdin' it down
Screamin' what up? What it be?
[Verse 1:]
Step up in the place just me and my buddy
Everywhere I go they screamin Kid CuDi!
Launching away from the helipad
Running out of bud, re-up before I'm hella mad
Hella like my dad in the sense of my ignorance
Now I give a shit bout less more than a little bit
One hell of a kid, and I kick it
Lord willing pure feelin' to the tenth power
Mash on the pedal, float above gravel
Weave through the city streets
Seize what the people seek
Please come follow a dude haters in the media call rude
How do you conclude to intro the interlude?
The game runs dry, bringin' the lube
Skinny as a fuck, still eatin' the food
Hard to kill Cuder like Steven Segal yeah
Haters applaud and they are appalled cause I see y'all
Can't hide in your closet, stop it
Be a boogie man, go do nothing beautiful
Sorry, I'm an honest man, fuck it
To my enemies: please squash it
You don't want Cuder to transform to a maniac
Kinda like Pat after plenty gin and tonic
Say I'm not a lyricist you fuckers need to figure out the logic
When I'm in rap mode it's nothing less than brolic
Don't run on beats motherfucker, I frolic
About...
Around...
[Hook:]
I am the one that you might see around town
Giving up daps and pounds
So high up but I'm holdin' it down
Screamin' what up? What it be?
[Verse 2:]
I'm lost in the kool-aid, I made my own flavor
Hawaiian super kush for everyone
Givin' free blunts to the ones who wanna dig
More than a man, super duper they feelin the kid
Let us get it in and get out
Exhale, inhale, eyes on the road seen foes
They linger ahead
Not really there, really here
Nor here, nor there, not really scared
But oh well, I'll still be where what they might see as the wrong path
Embrace bad with the good, keep doing the math
Trying to get it right so I can eliminate the pad when I scribble
Beer pong, I dabble; Shrooms on occasion, depending on the persuasion and who I'm with
Ask Ron Price, I was nice when I was younger
Yeah you was a Killer- "When You Were Young"
Though I'm 25 like I'm 16, first time high
("Yeah, I tried telling them, I'm something totally different, honest. Hahaha.")
[Hook:]
I am the one that you might see around town
Giving up daps and pounds
So high up but I'm holdin' it down
Screamin' what up? What it be?
I am the one that you might see around town
Giving up daps and pounds
So high up but I'm holdin' it down
Screamin' what up? What it be?
I am the one that you might see around town
Giving up daps and pounds
So high up but I'm holdin' it down
Screamin' what up? What it be?
[Verse 1:]
Step up in the place just me and my buddy
Everywhere I go they screamin Kid CuDi!
Launching away from the helipad
Running out of bud, re-up before I'm hella mad
Hella like my dad in the sense of my ignorance
Now I give a shit bout less more than a little bit
One hell of a kid, and I kick it
Lord willing pure feelin' to the tenth power
Mash on the pedal, float above gravel
Weave through the city streets
Seize what the people seek
Please come follow a dude haters in the media call rude
How do you conclude to intro the interlude?
The game runs dry, bringin' the lube
Skinny as a fuck, still eatin' the food
Hard to kill Cuder like Steven Segal yeah
Haters applaud and they are appalled cause I see y'all
Can't hide in your closet, stop it
Be a boogie man, go do nothing beautiful
Sorry, I'm an honest man, fuck it
To my enemies: please squash it
You don't want Cuder to transform to a maniac
Kinda like Pat after plenty gin and tonic
Say I'm not a lyricist you fuckers need to figure out the logic
When I'm in rap mode it's nothing less than brolic
Don't run on beats motherfucker, I frolic
About...
Around...
[Hook:]
I am the one that you might see around town
Giving up daps and pounds
So high up but I'm holdin' it down
Screamin' what up? What it be?
[Verse 2:]
I'm lost in the kool-aid, I made my own flavor
Hawaiian super kush for everyone
Givin' free blunts to the ones who wanna dig
More than a man, super duper they feelin the kid
Let us get it in and get out
Exhale, inhale, eyes on the road seen foes
They linger ahead
Not really there, really here
Nor here, nor there, not really scared
But oh well, I'll still be where what they might see as the wrong path
Embrace bad with the good, keep doing the math
Trying to get it right so I can eliminate the pad when I scribble
Beer pong, I dabble; Shrooms on occasion, depending on the persuasion and who I'm with
Ask Ron Price, I was nice when I was younger
Yeah you was a Killer- "When You Were Young"
Though I'm 25 like I'm 16, first time high
("Yeah, I tried telling them, I'm something totally different, honest. Hahaha.")
[Hook:]
I am the one that you might see around town
Giving up daps and pounds
So high up but I'm holdin' it down
Screamin' what up? What it be?
I am the one that you might see around town
Giving up daps and pounds
So high up but I'm holdin' it down
Screamin' what up? What it be?
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Gentle Hour
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Great version of a great song,
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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.
this songs about livin it up but keeping it real. hes a changed man from when he was young.
I am willing to argue he says "daps abound" not "and pound" in the chorus. Get some good headphones and listen.
This song to me means nothing but smoking and spreading the plant to me:
"Weave through the city streets, seize what the people seek"
"Launchin away from the helipad, runnin out of bud re-up before I'm hella mad"
"Im lost in the Kool Aid, I made my own flavor Hawaiian Super Kush for everyone, givin free blunts to the ones who dig"
Even more specifically, he seems to like smokin on the road haha, plenty of hints at that.