This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Well, I was tripping down the street early this morning
And the psychic lady pointed at me
She said, "Come on in," and I gave her my money
Said, "Tell me, tell me what you see"
And she said she saw the angels dancing with me
Dancing to the beat of my feet down the street
She said she saw the angels dancing with me
To keep on, keep on, keep on, now
(Still in Hollywood)
Oh wow
Thought I'd be out of here by now
(Still in Hollywood)
My, my
I'm running on a wheel and I don't know why
I don't know why
And I ran into Tony Pony, what a god damned phony
Had a new fish on the line
Well, the last one left with the last bad check
The only good one that he ever had died
I got to live and let live, I got to learn to forgive
You know that everybody's got a right
But there's evil all around me in this broken-down city
That's a twenty-four hour fight
(Still in Hollywood)
Oh wow
I thought I'd be out of here by now
(Still in Hollywood)
My, my
I'm running on a wheel and I don't know why
(Still in Hollywood)
Oh wow
I thought I'd be out of here by now
(Still in Hollywood)
My, my, my, my
I'm running on a wheel and I don't know
Don't know
Don't know why
So let's me and you go get a new tattoo
We can hop on the Harley and cruise
We can start at the pier and share a beer
Head out to the desert, I can feel it from here
Ride all the way to where the lizards play
Riding on and on and on
There's a million stars, it will blow you away
It's all so concrete blonde, now
(Still in Hollywood)
Hey
That's right
You know we can ride it out all night
(Still in Hollywood)
Hey, hey, hey
I got to got away
Got to get away, yeah
(Still in Hollywood)
My, my, my
Yes, I'm glad to be alive
(Still in Hollywood)
Oh, mama gonna be somebody
Someday, sometime
(Still in Hollywood)
Oh yeah
Oh yeah
(Still in Hollywood)
Yeah, and I want to get out alive
Don't you know I'm
(Still in Hollywood)
Oh, doing fine
Oh, listen baby
(Still in Hollywood)
Oh, want to be out of here by now
(What's-a-matter with you, young man
Going to Hollywood, gonna be a big shot
That town's gonna suck you up and spit you out
You ain't gonna have a pot to piss in
Don't come back to me for a job
You made your bed, now sleep in it
Go back to these Copelands, what else
Who are they anyways
The Stewie, Miles Copelands
You ain't gonna have a dime
Big shot).
And the psychic lady pointed at me
She said, "Come on in," and I gave her my money
Said, "Tell me, tell me what you see"
And she said she saw the angels dancing with me
Dancing to the beat of my feet down the street
She said she saw the angels dancing with me
To keep on, keep on, keep on, now
(Still in Hollywood)
Oh wow
Thought I'd be out of here by now
(Still in Hollywood)
My, my
I'm running on a wheel and I don't know why
I don't know why
And I ran into Tony Pony, what a god damned phony
Had a new fish on the line
Well, the last one left with the last bad check
The only good one that he ever had died
I got to live and let live, I got to learn to forgive
You know that everybody's got a right
But there's evil all around me in this broken-down city
That's a twenty-four hour fight
(Still in Hollywood)
Oh wow
I thought I'd be out of here by now
(Still in Hollywood)
My, my
I'm running on a wheel and I don't know why
(Still in Hollywood)
Oh wow
I thought I'd be out of here by now
(Still in Hollywood)
My, my, my, my
I'm running on a wheel and I don't know
Don't know
Don't know why
So let's me and you go get a new tattoo
We can hop on the Harley and cruise
We can start at the pier and share a beer
Head out to the desert, I can feel it from here
Ride all the way to where the lizards play
Riding on and on and on
There's a million stars, it will blow you away
It's all so concrete blonde, now
(Still in Hollywood)
Hey
That's right
You know we can ride it out all night
(Still in Hollywood)
Hey, hey, hey
I got to got away
Got to get away, yeah
(Still in Hollywood)
My, my, my
Yes, I'm glad to be alive
(Still in Hollywood)
Oh, mama gonna be somebody
Someday, sometime
(Still in Hollywood)
Oh yeah
Oh yeah
(Still in Hollywood)
Yeah, and I want to get out alive
Don't you know I'm
(Still in Hollywood)
Oh, doing fine
Oh, listen baby
(Still in Hollywood)
Oh, want to be out of here by now
(What's-a-matter with you, young man
Going to Hollywood, gonna be a big shot
That town's gonna suck you up and spit you out
You ain't gonna have a pot to piss in
Don't come back to me for a job
You made your bed, now sleep in it
Go back to these Copelands, what else
Who are they anyways
The Stewie, Miles Copelands
You ain't gonna have a dime
Big shot).
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
It'll Chew You Up and Spit You Out Lyrics as written by Johnette Lin Napolitano
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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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.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
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