Get yourself cooler, lay yourself low
Coincidental murder, with nothing to show
When the judge's constipation go to his head
And his wife's aggravation, you're soon enough dead
It's the same old story, same old song and dance, my friend
It's the same old story, same old song and dance, my friend

Gotcha with the cocaine they found with your gun
No smoothy face lawyer to getcha undone
Say love ain't the same on the south side of town
You could look, but you ain't gonna find it around
It's the same old story, same old song and dance, my friend
It's the same old story, same old story
Same old song and dance

Fate comes a-knockin', doors start lockin'
Your old time connection, change your direction
Ain't gonna change it, can't rearrange it
Can't stand the pain when it's all the same to you, my friend

When you're low down and dirty, from walkin' the street
With your old hurdy-gurdy, no one to meet
Say love ain't the same, on the south side of town
You could look, but you ain't gonna find it around
It's the same old story, same old song and dance, my friend
It's the same old story, same old story
Same old song and dance, yeah


Lyrics submitted by oofus

Same Old Song And Dance Lyrics as written by Steven Tyler Joe Perry

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management

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Same Old Song and Dance song meanings
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8 Comments

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  • +3
    My Interpretation

    Someone from the rough part of town has been imprisoned (a cooler = jail cell) and falsely accused of murder (coincidental murder), based on some sketchy evidence (coke & gun doesn’t mean murder). He doesn’t have the means to hire a lawyer to properly defend him. His life is on the line before an impatient and arrogant judge. And if you think this is a rare situation, no man, it happens all the time. It’s the same old story.

    KingJPWon May 21, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    It's a story about people who make fucked up choices...if you don't change your ways, life's never going to change for you. It's the same old story, the same old song and dance.

    OpinionHeadon November 15, 2004   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I think KingJPW is spot on but I'd like to expand on this a little.

    I think this is specifically about a black guy, possibly falling for a white woman, (love ain't the same on south side of town) that has been set-up and wrongfully convicted.

    This was written when the civil rights movement was still going on pretty heavy and minorities usually didn't share the same part of town as the whites. I think it's an anthem to knock the crap off.

    Cocaine dealing among the blacks was rampant around that time as a means to an end, too. It would be all too easy to set a guy up with some coke and a gun and get them convicted.

    So I am guessing full story- Black man falls for white woman > somebody doesn't like it> black man gets set-up with gun and coke so he goes away and stops the relationship> can't afford a good attorney or even one at all> gets wrongfully convicted> goes to jail.

    This stuff happened a lot back then so it was literally the same old story....

    angrysam76on May 22, 2019   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    you reli cant put it better than that can ya? not one of Aerosmiths better songs but very low deep rocking a relative serious song from the usually lighthearted aerosmith, probably because it was inspired by steve the lips drug addiction problems

    Robzoooon July 14, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    i cant believe only 3 people commented on this song. in my personal opinion, its one of the best aerosmith songs

    MihoNinjaon February 03, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This song is definitely about how the court system is designed AGAINST poor people.

    "love ain't the same on the south side of town"

    being the least obvious line about this.

    Yoorayneeum238on February 04, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    The court system is designed against poor people?

    "Gotcha with the cocaine they found with your gun" ...sounds more like it's designed against dirtbags, according to these lyrics.

    PFG 9000on September 21, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    i agree 100% with King JpW

    falsely accused of murder because of sketchy evidence

    cant afford a lawyer

    judge is bias

    and same old song and dance means its nothing new it happens all the time

    peytonlovesthewhoon November 05, 2009   Link

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