The Dead Boys were one of the great underrated punk bands of the late 70's and this is one of my favorite songs of all time. I love the misery and angst it invokes, the desperate dream of someday obtaining great power and respect that all kids who have been picked on and abused (and that includes more of us than we'll admit) have felt at one point or another.
The 4th line is definitely "human race" but the third is pretty ambigious. It can be either pretty face or good advice, at least from what I can hear on the Young, Loud, and Snotty album. I'll have to watch the DVD of the band at CBGB's (a great buy IMO) again and see if that clears anything up.
As for the nature of the sonic reducer, I always thought it was some kind of time travel device. In fact, I always heard the line as "I've got my time machine, got my electronic dream!" This goes along well with the whole becoming a pharaoh bit. Also if the character traveled back to ancient Egypt, we would be nothing at all from his perspective wouldn't we?
Just a bit of trivia but Stiv Bators did not write the song (though I always picture the character in the song being him), it was done by Cheetah Chrome.
The Dead Boys were one of the great underrated punk bands of the late 70's and this is one of my favorite songs of all time. I love the misery and angst it invokes, the desperate dream of someday obtaining great power and respect that all kids who have been picked on and abused (and that includes more of us than we'll admit) have felt at one point or another.
The 4th line is definitely "human race" but the third is pretty ambigious. It can be either pretty face or good advice, at least from what I can hear on the Young, Loud, and Snotty album. I'll have to watch the DVD of the band at CBGB's (a great buy IMO) again and see if that clears anything up.
As for the nature of the sonic reducer, I always thought it was some kind of time travel device. In fact, I always heard the line as "I've got my time machine, got my electronic dream!" This goes along well with the whole becoming a pharaoh bit. Also if the character traveled back to ancient Egypt, we would be nothing at all from his perspective wouldn't we?
Just a bit of trivia but Stiv Bators did not write the song (though I always picture the character in the song being him), it was done by Cheetah Chrome.
@MorayEel Yes! That is how I heard the line too—"I've got my time machine, got my electronic dream!"
@MorayEel Yes! That is how I heard the line too—"I've got my time machine, got my electronic dream!"
Also, I read somewhere that Stiv did change some of the words, but that's all he did to it...
Also, I read somewhere that Stiv did change some of the words, but that's all he did to it...
Speaking of time machines, I'm replying to an 18 year old comment :)
Speaking of time machines, I'm replying to an 18 year old comment :)