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Rococo Lyrics

Let's go downtown and watch the modern kids
Let's go downtown and talk to the modern kids
They will eat right out of your hand
Using great big words that they don't understand

They're singin'
Rococo
Rococo

They build it up just to burn it back down
They build it up just to burn it back down
The wind is blowing all the ashes around
Oh my dear God what is that horrible song?

They're singin'
Rococo
Rococo
Rococo
Rococo

They seem wild but they are so tame
They seem wild but they are so tame
They're moving towards you with their colors all the same
They want to own you but they don't know what game
They're playing

Rococo
Rococo
Rococo
Rococo
Rococo
Rococo
Rococo
Rococo
Rococo
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Cover art for Rococo lyrics by Arcade Fire

This is a brilliant examination of the hipster identity, a real truncheon to the egg-shell thin ego skull of this vapid, insipid 'culture'. Those who proclaim fashion and music trends to be their defining characteristics, yet shun them at the first sign of widespread appeal. Always trying to stay one step ahead of popular culture has lead to an exhausting race in which there are no winners, only the realization that you have become an utterly shameful poseur.

The line that carries perhaps the most weight is "They build it up just to burn it back down" which succinctly sums up the perverted, self-consuming identity matrix that defines so many hip young adults. That which is loved by one group first must be immolated later on to preserve that ever so important sanctity of "first to the party." We are in the age of disposable bands, identities, and integrity.

Overall I would rate this song a 7.953 out of a possible 10.

Successful troll is successful.

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hahaha

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Pretty sure the guy was making fun of Pitchfork ... :)

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Cover art for Rococo lyrics by Arcade Fire

for anyone who doesn't know, rococo was an 18th century artistic movement. it was light, airy and disgustingly ornate and most of the subject matter of the painting and sculpture was the nobility enjoying themselves in the countryside. it's widely criticized because for all its style and detail, there was no substance underneath. it was empty of true meaning.

obviously this connects right into the idea of the "modern kids" who use "great big words that they don't understand." if you look a lot of the popular styles with the young kids (especially hipsters), you see this same thing. they obsessive over perfecting their appearance with, expensive clothes and vintage accessories, spout words like "immolation" and "poseur," but don't really have any idea what their saying.

essentially, they're modern rococo. what's incredibly clever is that the example of these "great big words" we're given is the word rococo itself.

Cover art for Rococo lyrics by Arcade Fire

Seems fairly obvious to me that this is a hipster takedown.

I wonder how many hipsters love this song, not knowing its meaning.

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haha almost my exact words hahaha

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Cover art for Rococo lyrics by Arcade Fire

I love Arcade Fire. First off, he could be chanting gibberish and it would still sound unbelievable.

This song is brilliant- right down to the vague target of ridicule. I tend to think there's a little bit of all of us being projected in this tune. We can all be ignorant and we can all be pretentious. Exhibit A: Palindromic. (Thanks for spitting out all those generalizations with such outright disregard for the vernacular. You've really helped in making a point, I think.)
Honestly, who here knew what "Rococo" meant before using that divine Google search? Not me, but I sang along anyway. Even without a definition, I'd still be singing. And in doing so, I'd be unwittingly proclaiming my own idiocy. Now I get to do it knowingly :) Ba-rilliant.

So, in my opinion, it's about the ignorant. It's about teenagers. It's about adults. It's about humanity and our constant desire to look like something special. Rococo.

crt215: I made an account here JUST so I could agree w/ what you had to say. You hit it on the head. Thank you. Now I can continue my wikipedia research on this late Baroque style of artwork. :)

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I also agree totally. People are always so quick to point fingers at so called 'hipsters' without realising we are all in the trap. A very clever song!

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Cover art for Rococo lyrics by Arcade Fire

I beleive this songs interprets into the youth now-a-days using their art in a way that they dont understand. They beleive they are making a statement but to others it seems the youth does not even know the whole story and are trying to express on a topic they dont even understand.

100% agree! i mean come on!

"They will eat right out of your hand Using great big words that they don’t understand"

and

"They want to own you but they don’t know what game They’re playing"

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Cover art for Rococo lyrics by Arcade Fire

Agree with Sticka. Reminds me of Nirvana's "In Bloom". Not the style of music obviously but the meaning of the song. Singing along to songs they don't understand.

Cover art for Rococo lyrics by Arcade Fire

It's probably about Arcade Fire fans, loving them when they were relatively unknown and as soon as they become more mainstream, declaring they aren't cool anymore! "They build it up just to burn it back down"

Cover art for Rococo lyrics by Arcade Fire

epic song is epic.

please learn english.

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yeah this song is great

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Cover art for Rococo lyrics by Arcade Fire

"They seem wild but they are so tame They're moving towards you with their colors all the same"

metalheads, emos. (<- "Oh my dear God what is that horrible song?")

this is what i think. Additionally it reminds of hypocrits....

My Interpretation

That's a really large leap in logic. "with their colors all the same" Has more to do with the variety of expression all with the same underlying pattern.

As other people say, it's more about the ignorant youth than anything else.

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Cover art for Rococo lyrics by Arcade Fire

gives me the chills every time i hear it.....epic