You're happy all the time
I just don't understand why I can't be happy too
Your smiles are salt in the wound
A slap upon a back that's been toiling in the sun
When will I get mine?
Or must I be a god-fearing, white american?
Oh everything is fine
As long as you're a god-fearing, white american
Why should the thieves have all of the fun?
Selling us water by the river, they don't speak for everyone
I'm ready to run and you're making me crawl
Selling me water by the river, they don't speak for me at all
The man about the town
The beauty queen, the paragon of civilization
But shadows cling to us all
Even those convinced that they're sheltered and immune
When will I get mine?
Or must I be a god-fearing, white american?
Why should the thieves have all of the fun?
Selling us water by the river, they don't speak for everyone
I'm ready to run and you're making me crawl
Selling me water by the river, they don't speak for me at all
I just don't understand why I can't be happy too
Your smiles are salt in the wound
A slap upon a back that's been toiling in the sun
Or must I be a god-fearing, white american?
Oh everything is fine
As long as you're a god-fearing, white american
Selling us water by the river, they don't speak for everyone
I'm ready to run and you're making me crawl
Selling me water by the river, they don't speak for me at all
The beauty queen, the paragon of civilization
But shadows cling to us all
Even those convinced that they're sheltered and immune
Or must I be a god-fearing, white american?
Selling us water by the river, they don't speak for everyone
I'm ready to run and you're making me crawl
Selling me water by the river, they don't speak for me at all
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
Without opening any cans of worms, I believe this is a democratic/liberal view or angle about the government and the people that run it. (Not that these are my personal views. I'm just trying to describe how I would explain it.)
Initially, I thought this was about immigration being a problem, but then after a few more times, it sounds like it's coming from the other angle, in a sense. I think Incubus is trying to say that the people who work really hard or the most, get the most taken away, unrightfully and are waiting for their piece of the pie, by saying:
"When will I get mine? Or must I be a god-fearing, white American? "
In addition, we are being sold or offered things we already deserve or worked for in the first place. (I believe that it applies to people in all walks of life, not just a specific race/ethnicity within our country.) I get that from the verse:
"Why should the thieves have all of the fun? Selling us water by the river, they don't speak for everyone I'm ready to run and you're making me crawl Selling me water by the river, they don't speak for me at all "
This verse caught my attention the most, and I think that it means that there is good and bad in us all, even those 'in charge' or the people we think are so great and iconic that we look up to. Kind of like, we-all-bleed-the-same-color:
"The man about the town The beauty queen, the paragon of civilization But shadows cling to us all Even those convinced that they're sheltered and immune."
This song has a few parallels with While Oceana Sleeps by Sparta. Opening guitar & bass, similar track lengths & structure.
Could be referring to the book titled "Thieves"written by the christian author Trey Smith
Could be referring to the book titled "Thieves"written by the christian author Trey Smith
I think this song is about the proliferation of corporations in this country. If you look at the current political/economic situation in America, it is dominated by corporations and white Americans (the tea party crowd). The conservative crowd who is fighting for lower taxes for companies, cuts to social programs, less rights for LGBT, less rights for immigrants, etc., these are all "god fearing, white Americans".
The anti-corporation lyrics "selling us water by the river, they don't speak for everyone" is about how corporations have such a large influence in American politics yet their interests are not in line with interests of most Americans.
Wow you people are slow. This song over your tiny little heads. This song is about white privilege and racism.
No It Is was over your tIny lIttle head. Your so stupid it is deffinitly not. Brandon isn't racest and wouldn't wright a song about white race. I know him personally. He is my uncle. Its fun to see how you all try ti come up with your own meaning of his songs. so the actual meaning of the song is about the government and how It Isnt fare the way It opporates. We work so hard for thIngs but yet the people who do nothIng get the most.
No It Is was over your tIny lIttle head. Your so stupid it is deffinitly not. Brandon isn't racest and wouldn't wright a song about white race. I know him personally. He is my uncle. Its fun to see how you all try ti come up with your own meaning of his songs. so the actual meaning of the song is about the government and how It Isnt fare the way It opporates. We work so hard for thIngs but yet the people who do nothIng get the most.
I stand by my opinion, racism or privilege is certainly one theme of the song. Its in the lyrics for god sakes. And I call BS, every faggot troll on the internet claims there this or that when your anonymous. Heck even when they have a profile pic or whatever its fake.
I stand by my opinion, racism or privilege is certainly one theme of the song. Its in the lyrics for god sakes. And I call BS, every faggot troll on the internet claims there this or that when your anonymous. Heck even when they have a profile pic or whatever its fake.
I doubt you know the writer of this song. You claiming to know the writer to strengthen and legitimize your points and debase someones opinion is what every internet troll does. Your claim about what the meaning of the song is because you claim to know the writer...
I doubt you know the writer of this song. You claiming to know the writer to strengthen and legitimize your points and debase someones opinion is what every internet troll does. Your claim about what the meaning of the song is because you claim to know the writer just an opinion unless you can prove you know Brandon. Which you probably cant with your head so far up your ass.
Now I dont disagree about a theme being about government and the elite and stuff. But I think race is another theme in the song. The first few lines of the song is definitely not from the perspective of a white person, and certainly not a white person living in fucking america.
You're happy all the time I just don't understand why I can't be happy too
The person in the narrative ponders why someone other than themselves cant be happy. It is unknown why the person is unhappy so far.
Your smiles are salt in the wound A slap upon a back that's been toiling in the sun
This is pretty self explanatory right here. Thats not to say that all white people are happy all the time IRL. But everything in the USA has been built upon the exploitation of non-white people till to fucking day 2014 and white people still benefit economically. So the smiles could be about anything. Just to name a few, they control all the resources they stole, murdered, raped. Their faces are everywhere in every form of media, from movies, to comic books,video games, etc. All from the stolen wealth they've accumulated from non-white people. All those things they enjoy because non-white people feared for their lives from the violence of white people in the past which now shapes today. In the last 20 years 99% of all video game characters have been white, they have the resources and wealth from everything they stole to do so.
I cant speak for non-white people but I know they love their little superheros who look like them everywhere in society. And they would be unhappy if that was ripped from them, like if the main characters of literally everything like they are now, weren't white.
Centuries of irrational and unfair practices against non-whites has lead to the rich being out of control and taking everyone for a ride today.
When will I get mine? Or must I be a god-fearing, white american? Oh everything is fine As long as you're a god-fearing, white american
I need not say anything here or after this point because I've made my point. The Thieves could by the rich elites or whites. But in americas case all the rich are white so I'm guessing they would be the thieves or a "a god-fearing, white american"
Also in another verse of the song it talks about, I'm guessing, white peoples delusions and how they think their safe from from the damaging effects that the elite are pushing on everyone when they ignored everyone elses pain. Where white people were more safe from economic harm in the past because their skin was white. There was no such luxury for non white people.
The man about the town The beauty queen, the paragon of civilization But shadows cling to us all Even those convinced that they're sheltered and immune
Its always been about class and the elites are showing everybody that right now. White skin was a trick and it worked and hurt everybody. So yes I think race does play a part one part of the lyrical themes of this song.
And I could be wrong. Maybe its just a song about an ambiguous character frustrated by the tyranny of the elite.
And by the way I'm white.
@HarveyBirdman I loved your reply. Reading this in 2021 when little has changed. Your comments ring loud and true to this day. I’m glad to find other allies online that see this country for what it is and can see through the erasure of Black experiences (as well as other non-white peoples). Hopefully there will be a day when Black people and other non-white people can see freedom and wealth as white people do. Thanks for your thoughts, keep sharing your truth.
@HarveyBirdman I loved your reply. Reading this in 2021 when little has changed. Your comments ring loud and true to this day. I’m glad to find other allies online that see this country for what it is and can see through the erasure of Black experiences (as well as other non-white peoples). Hopefully there will be a day when Black people and other non-white people can see freedom and wealth as white people do. Thanks for your thoughts, keep sharing your truth.
Song is about how they hate white people and think they all walk on clouds and steal shit all the time. Race baiting nonsense.
@Bullhonkey WTF are you talking about dude... How would the song be about hating white people when the lyrics clearly say must I be a God fearing white american, and stating that the THEIVES have all the fun... Why can't I get mine... If you wanted to be all ignorante racist about it, it would be from the reverse saying that the non whites have the fun, they get to laugh and try to sell me what I don't want while I am over here being god fearing etc... BUT THAT IS NOT THE SONG MEANING FOOL!
@Bullhonkey WTF are you talking about dude... How would the song be about hating white people when the lyrics clearly say must I be a God fearing white american, and stating that the THEIVES have all the fun... Why can't I get mine... If you wanted to be all ignorante racist about it, it would be from the reverse saying that the non whites have the fun, they get to laugh and try to sell me what I don't want while I am over here being god fearing etc... BUT THAT IS NOT THE SONG MEANING FOOL!
The song is...
The song is simply about how the THIEVES of the world, those who steal, take, trick, and con the rest of the GOD FEARING people have all the fun, and how those of us, who are not the THIEVES can only protect ourselves by being what they want and that is God Fearing White Americans... This country is run by White GOD Fearing Americans, The WORLD is heavily influenced by the USA, OUR Government is heavily influenced by GOD and CORPORATIONS. These people are constantly selling us lies, selling us cures, selling us products, and selling us dreams. We are also shown consequences, and forced to fear GOD and GOVERNMENT. The regular people, the common folk always wait until we GET OUR SHARE, when will I get mine, my shot, my chance... BUT even those who are STRONG, and "Powerful" The MAN about the town, the BEAUTY QUEEN, on a small scale they think they are powerful, yet the shady people, the shadow folks are always selling. Even those powerful folk who believe they are immune and sheltered are still being sold the same crap the common folk are, it is just packaged differently. We are all victims of the corporate and religious hamster wheel... no matter how we try to run away, we are limited to a slow crawl, only to soon fall back and buy some more water by the river.
@Bullhonkey they are white. They don’t hate white people. They seem to hate the history white people have leading them to have such advantages over POC.
@Bullhonkey they are white. They don’t hate white people. They seem to hate the history white people have leading them to have such advantages over POC.
Good call Velorium. I just listened to them back to back and was quite surprised. Love Sparta. Love Incubus.
I think it's pretty clear this is about Atheism and I suppose being it's a song you could kind of extrapolate a little bit farther and pull out the concept of anybody trying to push their thoughts and beliefs regarding whatever on anybody else. Seems to me the song focuses on religion but it can certainly apply to any exchange of ideas and how it seems sometimes we have no choice to buy into those "Selling us water by the river" and the unfairness it can bring when we don't buy into it but publicly acknowledging we don't gets us looked at different and/or passed behind.
love this song. love this album.
You're happy all of the time I just don't understand why I can't be happy too. Your smiles are salt in the wound a slap upon a back that's been toiling in the sun. Oh when will I get mine? Or must I be a God fearing, white American? Oh everything is fine as long as you're a God fearing, white American.
Why should the thieves have all of the fun? Selling us water by the river, they don't speak for everyone. I'm ready to run and you're making me crawl selling me water by the river, they don't speak for me at all.
You're the man about the town, the beauty queen the paragon of Civilization. But shadows cling to us all even those convinced that they're sheltered and immune. Oh when will I get mine? Or must I be a God fearing, white American?
Why should the thieves have all of the fun? Selling us water by the river, they don't speak for everyone. I'm ready to run and you're making me crawl selling me water by the river, they don't speak for me at all. They don't speak for me at all.
Jewish Americans are the wealthiest and have the most influence. This song is simply racist.