I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
I want my money back! I want my money back!
It's all or nothing, and nothing's all I ever get
Everytime I turn it on, I burn it up and burn it out
It's always something, there's always something going wrong
That's the only guarantee, that's what this is all about
It's a never ending attack, everything's a lie and that's a fact
Life is a lemon and I want my money back
And all the morons and all the stooges with their coins
They're the ones who make the rules,
It's not a game, it's just a rout
There's desperation, there's desperation in the air
It leaves a stain on all your clothes
And no detergent gets it out
And we're always slipping thru the cracks
Slippin'
Then the movie's over, fade to black
Life is a lemon and I want my money back
I want my money back, I want my money back
What about love?
It's defective - it's always breaking in half
What about sex?
It's defective - it's never built to really last
What about your family?
It's defective - all the batteries are shot
What about your friends?
They're defective - all the parts are out of stock
What about hope?
It's defective - it's corroded and decayed
What about faith?
It's defective - it's tattered and it's frayed
What about your Gods?
They're defective - They forgot the warranty
What about your town?
It's defective - it's a dead end street to me
What about your school?
It's defective - it's a pack of useless lies
What about your work?
It's defective - it's a crock and then you die
What about your childhood?
It's defective - it's dead and buried in the past
What about your future?
It's defective - and you can shove it up your ass!
I want my money back - life is a lemon
I want my money back - life is a lemon, life is a lemon
It's all or nothing, and nothing's all I ever get
Everytime I turn it on, I burn it up and burn it out
It's a never ending attack,
Everything's a lie and that's a fact
Life is a lemon and I want my money back
And we're always slipping thru the cracks
Slippin'
Then the movie's over, fade to black
Life is a lemon and I want my money back
Back, back, back, back!
I want my money back, I want my money back
Life is a lemon
It's all or nothing, and nothing's all I ever get
Everytime I turn it on, I burn it up and burn it out
It's always something, there's always something going wrong
That's the only guarantee, that's what this is all about
It's a never ending attack, everything's a lie and that's a fact
Life is a lemon and I want my money back
And all the morons and all the stooges with their coins
They're the ones who make the rules,
It's not a game, it's just a rout
There's desperation, there's desperation in the air
It leaves a stain on all your clothes
And no detergent gets it out
And we're always slipping thru the cracks
Slippin'
Then the movie's over, fade to black
Life is a lemon and I want my money back
I want my money back, I want my money back
What about love?
It's defective - it's always breaking in half
What about sex?
It's defective - it's never built to really last
What about your family?
It's defective - all the batteries are shot
What about your friends?
They're defective - all the parts are out of stock
What about hope?
It's defective - it's corroded and decayed
What about faith?
It's defective - it's tattered and it's frayed
What about your Gods?
They're defective - They forgot the warranty
What about your town?
It's defective - it's a dead end street to me
What about your school?
It's defective - it's a pack of useless lies
What about your work?
It's defective - it's a crock and then you die
What about your childhood?
It's defective - it's dead and buried in the past
What about your future?
It's defective - and you can shove it up your ass!
I want my money back - life is a lemon
I want my money back - life is a lemon, life is a lemon
It's all or nothing, and nothing's all I ever get
Everytime I turn it on, I burn it up and burn it out
It's a never ending attack,
Everything's a lie and that's a fact
Life is a lemon and I want my money back
And we're always slipping thru the cracks
Slippin'
Then the movie's over, fade to black
Life is a lemon and I want my money back
Back, back, back, back!
I want my money back, I want my money back
Life is a lemon
Lyrics submitted by spliphstar
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Dreamwalker
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Yo La Tengo
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This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
I Can't Go To Sleep
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This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
No Surprises
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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.
Magical
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this song defines the bad attitude just get away from me or i will kill you mood. garbojen is right. its a pissy mood song