In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Once in a while maybe you will feel the urge
To break international copyright law
By downloading MP3's from file sharing sites
Like Morpheus or Grokster or LimeWire or KaZaA
But deep in your heart you know the guilt would drive you mad
And the shame would leave a permanent scar
'Cause you start out stealing songs, and then you're robbing liquor stores
And selling crack and running over school kids with your car
So don't download this song
The record store's where you belong
Go and buy the CD like you know that you should
Oh don't download this song
Oh you don't want to mess with the RIAA
They'll sue you if you burn that CDR
It doesn't matter if you're a grandma or a seven year old girl
They'll treat you like the evil, hard bitten criminal scum you are
So don't download this song
Don't go pirating music all day long
Go and buy the CD like you know that you should
Oh, don't download this song
Don't take away money from artists just like me
How else can I afford another solid gold Humvee?
And diamond studded swimming pools, these things don't grow on trees
So all I ask is everybody, please
Don't download this song (don't do it, no, no)
Even Lars Ulrich knows it's wrong (you can just ask him)
Go and buy the CD like you know that you should (you really should)
Oh, don't download this song
Don't download this song (Oh please don't you do it)
Or you might wind up in jail like Tommy Chong (remember Tommy)
Go and buy the CD (right now) like you know that you should (go out and buy it)
Oh don't download this song
Don't download this song (no no no no no no)
Or you'll burn in hell before too long (and you'd deserve it)
Go and buy the CD (just buy it) like you know that you should (ya cheap bastard)
Oh, don't download this song
To break international copyright law
By downloading MP3's from file sharing sites
Like Morpheus or Grokster or LimeWire or KaZaA
But deep in your heart you know the guilt would drive you mad
And the shame would leave a permanent scar
'Cause you start out stealing songs, and then you're robbing liquor stores
And selling crack and running over school kids with your car
So don't download this song
The record store's where you belong
Go and buy the CD like you know that you should
Oh don't download this song
Oh you don't want to mess with the RIAA
They'll sue you if you burn that CDR
It doesn't matter if you're a grandma or a seven year old girl
They'll treat you like the evil, hard bitten criminal scum you are
So don't download this song
Don't go pirating music all day long
Go and buy the CD like you know that you should
Oh, don't download this song
Don't take away money from artists just like me
How else can I afford another solid gold Humvee?
And diamond studded swimming pools, these things don't grow on trees
So all I ask is everybody, please
Don't download this song (don't do it, no, no)
Even Lars Ulrich knows it's wrong (you can just ask him)
Go and buy the CD like you know that you should (you really should)
Oh, don't download this song
Don't download this song (Oh please don't you do it)
Or you might wind up in jail like Tommy Chong (remember Tommy)
Go and buy the CD (right now) like you know that you should (go out and buy it)
Oh don't download this song
Don't download this song (no no no no no no)
Or you'll burn in hell before too long (and you'd deserve it)
Go and buy the CD (just buy it) like you know that you should (ya cheap bastard)
Oh, don't download this song
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"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
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"Some and now none of you"
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This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
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This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
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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.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
"How else can I afford another solid gold Hum-Vee?"
This just explains it all. Artists who have "made it" and are popular are rich people. Going after every single dollar that could be made from purchasing a song, that's greed.
This song is the perfect commentary on the whole downloading controversy.
Al has this song up for free download on his myspace, I found this fact funnier than the actual song itself...
This is my new favorite Al song. I couldn't stop laughing the first time I heard it, and it still makes me chuckle.
'Cause you start out stealing songs and then you're robbing liquor stores And sellin' crack and runnin' over school kids with your car
It doesn't matter if you're a grandma or a seven year old girl They'll treat you like the evil hard-bitten criminal scum you are
To me, that's the PERFECT summary of what the RIAA is. BS arguements to justify their actions, and completely BS actions against people who didn't do anything wrong.
At first i thought the song was seriously anti-piracy, but as it went on I saw that it's obviously a satire. Most artists, from what I hear, don't make money per album sold, rather, the record company does. Artists get their money from the record companies practicly bidding for them.
it sounds like the music is spoofing songs like We Are The World and Do The Know It's Christams, great Tommy Chong referance btw
This is one of Weird Al Yankovixs ORIGINALS, so no parody here :)
Yeah this song is awesome! But what's really funnty is how some people are taking this song seriously and think that Al is just in it for the money. It's just like Come on people you fucking dumbasses. lol
Lars Ulrich - drummer for Metallica who went apeshit when they're stuff was leaked to the net around six or so years ago.
Tommy Chong - Cheech's English half. Actually did time for drug possession.
this song is obviously making fun of how downloading songs is considered wrong
Sorry to double-comment, but i have to add this: dontdownloadthissong.com/ An animated music video of this song. There's a big button in the corner of the window that says "Click here to download this song." Linked to right off of Al's official Myspace page. ^__^