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.
You can have a lolly pop
A candy bar, a jelly bean
I'll buy you a rainbow to hang above your door
It's pudding time
Laughter is a sweet you can't put a price on
When laughter's all gone, Daddy won't buy you more
It's pudding time, children
Money, money, money to buy you things
Daddy's gonna buy you a diamond ring
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall!
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall!
All kings horses and all the kings men
Couldn't put Humpty together again!
San Franciso the striped bass are dying
But you're gonna get that brand new bike
Oh joy
It's pudding time
It's pudding time, children!!!
Pudding time, children
A candy bar, a jelly bean
I'll buy you a rainbow to hang above your door
It's pudding time
Laughter is a sweet you can't put a price on
When laughter's all gone, Daddy won't buy you more
It's pudding time, children
Money, money, money to buy you things
Daddy's gonna buy you a diamond ring
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall!
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall!
All kings horses and all the kings men
Couldn't put Humpty together again!
San Franciso the striped bass are dying
But you're gonna get that brand new bike
Oh joy
It's pudding time
It's pudding time, children!!!
Pudding time, children
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Light Up The Sky
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Fast Car
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"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
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.
Everyone's basically summed up what it's theme is.
The only thing I have to add, is that I also beieve that the children/parent relationship can be a simile for the people's realtionship with uncle sam. It's like: "You behaved well, so here's your reward. Now, you can only have this if you don't be cheeky and ask taboo questions" etc... They do treat the public like children...
gets sniped
I think you guys are right about the meaning of the song being about over commercialism. But i think its more geared toward people and their lazieness raising their children. Instead of raising them correctly they spoil their kids rotten to just keep them quiet. They mention how you cant buy laughter for a child and that is an important part of a persons childhood. You can see proof of this if you walk into any single department or toy store. Theres greedy whining kids everywhere you turn. I would also like to point out the fact that im full of crap.
seanboy298 SUCKS! haha
Just read the lyrics, dude. It about America's over commercialism, and how people think material things are more important then say, a bunch of striped bass dying out. It also talks about how you can't buy everything with money, such as laughter.
this song is about toy factories that used to surround the SanFran bay. they were dumping hazzards in the water and it was running off the stripped bass. from what i understand about les he loves to fish and the dumping ran his fish out of the bay.
@PuddinTaine Definitely it refers to Les's anger over SanFran Bay (specifically San Pablo Bay) being destroyed. Both by dumping and by water diversion, which he specifically mentions in Toys. I picture a little girl in the Inland Empire getting a brand new bike, while their sprawling suburbia is fed by water diverted from the San Joaquin Delta through the Aqueduct, where it should by feeding the Bay.
This song is awesome...I have no idea what it's about though.
haha seriously... no offense "waynesaysyes" but i dont get how you can NOT get what this song means.
sorry, I was trying to sarcastic.
Oh, and it also shows how parents hide the harsh reality of things from their kids. This i get from the striped bass part. Again, full of crap.
I'm thinking: A. Greed of children B. Apathy of parents C. Use of money to distract people from society's real problems, like animal extinction (which in itself leads to uncovering more problems that cause it, such as pollution, over-development, etc.), rather than needing a new bicycle.
how about les's life? he makes millionsoff us just having fun with his silly songs. its pudding time, hes daddy. a celebration of himself and his music