Lyric discussion by poncho524 

Cover art for R.V. lyrics by Faith No More

theres something about this song that i just find really saddening. sure it's half-novelty because of the goofiness of it. but these lyrics are very telling.

everyone else has commented about how this guy is a loser and scum... but even the narrator hates himself. he's defeated.

"i hate you... talking to myself"

"i'm only bleeding" "you don't feel it after awhile, you take a beating"

those lines just show how he feels helpless and no one notices... and after a while of dealing with this he just went numb... just accepted being nothing. he's given up on what he once desired and now his outlook has become pessimistic/nihilistic.

he still thinks he's worth something ("would anybody tell me if i was getting stupider?"). but due to whatever he's lost hope.

i love the last verse: "Where are the kids? i dont know... Maybe getting pregnant or on drugs or on welfare on top of the world on the honor roll on parole on the dodgers on the backs of milk cartons..."

it just feeds his hopelessness. showing that everywhere he looks he just sees these pointless or erroneous things people are doing with their lives and feels lost in the bigness of it. feels he can't change the machine of the world and so just carries on the family traditions of defeat.

@poncho524

"theres something about this song that i just find really saddening. sure it's half-novelty because of the goofiness of it. but these lyrics are very telling."

just like many writers think about persons, situations and anecdotes they know, their entourage, everyday life, people they discover, met, etc, certain singers find inspiration in their everyday life and people they know or anecdotes to write certain songs and lyrics.

at least it was the case for "RV" : it's a caricature of Jim Martin

(his voice, everyday life and anecdotes (tv, food, beer for example) and the notion...