Hi my name is stereo Mike
Yeah, we got free tickets to the Bran Van concert
Happening this Monday night at the Pacific Coliseum
You can all call in if you want to answer a couple of questions, mainly, what is Todd's favorite cheese?
Ah, Jackie just called in and said it was a type of Rockford, whatever that is
Give us a ring-a-ding-ding, it's a beautiful day
Yeah Todd, this is Liquid ring-a-ding-dinging
I want those free Bran Van tickets man
What do you think? Todd? (He's alive Mike, alive, Todd)
I woke up again this morning with the sun in my eyes
When Mike came over with a script surprise
A mafioso story with a twist
A To Wong Fu-Julie Newmar Hitch
"Get your ass out of bed" he said, "I'll explain it on the way"
But we did nothing, absolutely nothing that day
And I say, what the hell am I doing drinking in L.A. at twenty-six?
I got the fever for the flavour
The payback will be later
But still I need a fix
And the girls on the bus kept laughing at us
As we rode on the 10 down to Venice again
Blaring out the g-funk sipping on juice and gin
Just me and a friend feeling kind of groovy, workin' on a movie (yeah, right)
But we did nothing, absolutely buttkiss that day
And I'll say, what the hell am I doing drinking in L.A. at twenty-six?
(With my mind on my money and my money on my beer, beer)
I know that life is for the taking
So I better wise up and take it quick (yeah, one more time at Trader Vic's)
Well some men there wanted to hurt us
And other men said we weren't worth the fuss
You could catch 'em all bitching by the bar
Above the fine line between the rich and the poor
Then Mike turned to me and said "what you think we got done son?"
We had the conclusion and I guess that's something
So I ask you what the hell am I doing drinking in L.A. at twenty-six?
I got the fever for the nectar, the payback will be later
Still I need a fix
Hell-A-L.A., hell hell-A.L.A
Hell-A-L.A., hell hell-A.L.A
Hell-A-L.A., hell hell-A
So I ask you what the hell am I doing drinking in L.A. at twenty-six?
(He's alive Mike, alive)
L.A., L.A.
Yeah, we got free tickets to the Bran Van concert
Happening this Monday night at the Pacific Coliseum
You can all call in if you want to answer a couple of questions, mainly, what is Todd's favorite cheese?
Ah, Jackie just called in and said it was a type of Rockford, whatever that is
Give us a ring-a-ding-ding, it's a beautiful day
Yeah Todd, this is Liquid ring-a-ding-dinging
I want those free Bran Van tickets man
What do you think? Todd? (He's alive Mike, alive, Todd)
I woke up again this morning with the sun in my eyes
When Mike came over with a script surprise
A mafioso story with a twist
A To Wong Fu-Julie Newmar Hitch
"Get your ass out of bed" he said, "I'll explain it on the way"
But we did nothing, absolutely nothing that day
And I say, what the hell am I doing drinking in L.A. at twenty-six?
I got the fever for the flavour
The payback will be later
But still I need a fix
And the girls on the bus kept laughing at us
As we rode on the 10 down to Venice again
Blaring out the g-funk sipping on juice and gin
Just me and a friend feeling kind of groovy, workin' on a movie (yeah, right)
But we did nothing, absolutely buttkiss that day
And I'll say, what the hell am I doing drinking in L.A. at twenty-six?
(With my mind on my money and my money on my beer, beer)
I know that life is for the taking
So I better wise up and take it quick (yeah, one more time at Trader Vic's)
Well some men there wanted to hurt us
And other men said we weren't worth the fuss
You could catch 'em all bitching by the bar
Above the fine line between the rich and the poor
Then Mike turned to me and said "what you think we got done son?"
We had the conclusion and I guess that's something
So I ask you what the hell am I doing drinking in L.A. at twenty-six?
I got the fever for the nectar, the payback will be later
Still I need a fix
Hell-A-L.A., hell hell-A.L.A
Hell-A-L.A., hell hell-A.L.A
Hell-A-L.A., hell hell-A
So I ask you what the hell am I doing drinking in L.A. at twenty-six?
(He's alive Mike, alive)
L.A., L.A.
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Hi. It's 2022 (May 17th) & I just came across this thread & your post. You were 25 when you wrote your post in 2007. You would be about 40 years old now & I'm super curious about what life is like NOW 15 yrs later! & do you still feel the songs meaning the same way as you did Back then?
Thank you for any reply.
Garry :)
I feel this song is about wasting time. I think the Bran Van moved out to L.A. from Montreal in hopes of making it big. They come up with all these plans of how they're going to do it ("And Mike came over with a script suprise"..."Working on a movie...Yeah Right!"), but never follow through with them. They never write the movie script. They're doing nothing but drinking away they're days ("But we did nothing, absolutely nothing that day and I say: What the hell am I doing drinking in L.A.?") They're wasting they're money on beer, and not getting the big break the band always wanted. I think getting drunk is how they cope with their failure ("I got the fever for the nectar, the payback will be later, still I need a fix.") The Bran Man (Disalvio) realizes how sad this wasting of time really is (like in the lines: "I know that life is for the taking, so I better wise up, and take it quick."....and in "The payback will be later.") This song is also about the how Bran Man is trying to find his own identity. The Bran Man doesn't know what he wants to be, or who he really is. Just listen to the background vocals that the girls beautifully sing: "Who are you? Who are You?". It's a recurring theme throuhgout this whole song. They're whole experience in L.A. is a living hell.
This song strikes a personal chord with me. I'm in high school and it always seems my peers are asking "Who are you?". Finding identity in high school is the most important part of the learning experience. I see lots of people acting like something they are not (Mainly kids that are in ghetto-wannabe and in-crowd cliques). I also see lots of dreamers who come up with big plans that they never follow through on (I have some drop-out friends like this). And there are many kids who spend all their time playing in their band, and hoping they'll make it big one day. Chances are they won't.
Bran Van 3000 got lucky. This song became a huge hit, and deservingly so.