Twenty-five years and my life is still
Trying to get up that great big hill of hope
For a destination

I realized quickly when I knew I should
That the world was made up of this brotherhood of man
For whatever that means

And so I cry sometimes
When I'm lying in bed just to get it all out
What's in my head
And I, I am feeling a little peculiar

And so I wake in the morning and I step outside
And I take a deep breath and I get real high
And I scream from the top of my lungs
"What's going on?"

And I say, "Hey-ey-ey-ey-ey
Hey-ey-ey"
I said, "Hey, what's going on?"

And I say, "Hey-ey-ey-ey-ey
Hey-ey-ey"
I said, "Hey, what's going on?"

Ooh, ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, uh-huh
Ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, uh-huh

And I try, oh my God, do I try
I try all the time
In this institution

And I pray, oh my God, do I pray
I pray every single day
For a revolution

And so I cry sometimes
When I'm lying in bed
Just to get it all out
What's in my head
And I, I am feeling a little peculiar

And so I wake in the morning
And I step outside
And I take a deep breath and I get real high
And I scream from the top of my lungs
"What's going on?"

And I say, "Hey-ey-ey-ey-ey
Hey-ey-ey"
I said, "Hey, what's going on?"

And I say, "Hey-ey-ey-ey-ey
Hey-ey-ey"
I said, "Hey, what's going on?"

And I say, "Hey-ey-ey-ey-ey (wake in the morning and step outside)
Hey-ey-ey" (take a deep breath and I get real high)
I said, "Hey, what's going on?" (And I scream, what's going on?)

And I say, "Hey-ey-ey-ey-eh (wake in the morning and step outside)
Hey-ey-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah" (take a deep breath and I get real high)
I said, "Hey, hey, what's going on?" (And I scream, what's going on?)

Ooh, ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, uh-huh

Twenty-five years and my life is still
Trying to get up that great big hill of hope
For a destination


Lyrics submitted by redmax

What's Up? Lyrics as written by Linda Perry

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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What's Up? song meanings
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    Song Meaning

    She did not know where to go, "even" after her 25 years something was missing. When she realized that the world is in possession of men (not men and women), she saw she was not welcome in that world; she sadly (cry in bed) noticed that she was not like everybody else (peculiar - perhaps different/free/lesbian?).

    Then she decided that everybody else behavior is not really important and more, it is bad to her. That was the cause of her screaming and brave asking (What's goin' on). She explains the attempts of being a "normal" person, she tried to stay in the "normal" society (institution/preconceptions/church?). She early warns that God will not help, because "she prayed" to him until her limits (to reinforce the fact that she used all the means society gave to her).

    Finally she broke up with society (I pray every single day For a revolution). In the context, it is clearly a non sense the sentence "pray for revolution". It is like to substitute some thing (praying) by the other (revolution).

    The "groan part" may be a reference to a delightful moment, maybe freedom, or sexual pleasure. Of course the author opted for the generality.

    davipson November 14, 2011   Link

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