4 Meanings
Add Yours
Follow
Share
Q&A
Birthday Boy Lyrics
Which one's the birthday boy? she said
I ain't got all night
What your momma name you?
You can call me what you like
Every skin in history
Gotta make it hard somehow
Sit your bare ass down right here
I'll solve yours right now
Got a girlfriend, don't you, boy?
Nervous hands can't lie
Married men don't ask how much
Single one's ain't buy
One day you've got everything
Next day it's all broke
Let this Trixie sit up front
Let her wipe your nose
Working for the money like you got eight hands
Flat on your back under a mean old man
Just thinking happy thoughts, breathing in
Between your momma's drive and daddy's belt
It don't take smarts to learn the tune
?
Pretty girls from the smallest towns
Can't remember life's storms and droughts
That old men talk about the years to come
I guess that's why they give us back
So few old man can say
They saw us when we were young
Which one's the birthday boy? she said
I ain't got all night
What your momma name you?
You can call me what you like
I ain't got all night
What your momma name you?
You can call me what you like
Gotta make it hard somehow
Sit your bare ass down right here
I'll solve yours right now
Nervous hands can't lie
Married men don't ask how much
Single one's ain't buy
Next day it's all broke
Let this Trixie sit up front
Let her wipe your nose
Flat on your back under a mean old man
Just thinking happy thoughts, breathing in
It don't take smarts to learn the tune
?
Can't remember life's storms and droughts
That old men talk about the years to come
So few old man can say
They saw us when we were young
I ain't got all night
What your momma name you?
You can call me what you like
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
yeah, I'll agree with Sonnyjd, only I think she's a stripper whose willing to go a little further for a bit more money. The only reason I think she's a stripper is the first line "which ones the birthday boy?" It suggests to me she's in a room with lots of (or maybe only a few) guys and she needs to know who she's stripping for... I guess she could be a hooker but I've got it in my head that she's a stripper and I'm happy with that.
Well - it's a song about a prostitute (or maybe a 'dancer'), but told through the eyes of said girl. it's very unusual for a rock song to be sympathetic about such a subject. Basically she hates the job but her bad upbringing has left her with no choice but to do this.
The lyrics seem to be off in the above.
"Every skinny mystery, gotta make it hard somehow. Sit your narrow ass down hot shot, I'll solve yours right now."
"thinking happy thoughts, and breathin' deep."
"It don't take smarts to tune out what hurts more than helps."
"I guess that's why they give us names. So a few old men can say they saw us reign when we were young."
The "reign" usage seems to be a play on the storms and droughts lyrics.
Also,
For sure it's a stripper that'll do a little more for the right money, but she's resigned herself to the fact that's all she'll ever be due to her less than stellar upbringing.
They were right when I posted them months ago (I got them right out of the CD booklet). They somehow got changed (something to do with this "Powered by LyricFind" credit at the bottom, I suspect; it also lists the songwriter's name wrong. shrug).
They were right when I posted them months ago (I got them right out of the CD booklet). They somehow got changed (something to do with this "Powered by LyricFind" credit at the bottom, I suspect; it also lists the songwriter's name wrong. shrug).
Have to agree with Weasel that the lyrics are off here, but like usual Cooley saves the best lines for the end (which are incorrect as listed above). It's about that girl who everyone thought was so promising when she was young, but life caught up to her. This is a somewhat recurrent theme in Cooley's songs. I love the comparison to young women beauties to storms that come through fast but leave a mark.
"Pretty girls from the smallest towns, get remembered like storms and droughts that old men talk about for years to come I guess that's why they give us names, so a few old men can say they saw us rain/reign when we were young. "
I also love that the last line starts the cycle over again, as the stripper/prostitute has moved on to the next customer - just highlighting the hopelessness of her life.