Stand Up
The Revivalists Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴And I should've been murdered by now
And I've got fifteen people wondering how the hell'd he make it out
I carry this bucket of pain
And I've got 18 dollars to my mother-fucking name
And it's not a life it's a game
And I'm a two-ton wrecking ball filled with pain
And I've got a lot to say
And I'm still feeling good from yesterday
So stand up if you're out in the crowd
Get down, make the doctor proud
Stand up, if you're out in the crowd
Get down, make the doctor proud
Well I don't know everything
But I sure wish I did
Then every time I'd catch a case
I wouldn't pop off so much at the lid
I'd have my get out of jail card
Popped cool and ready to go
And then I'd pay my tax and bail money
'Cause I'm a tax paying fool
So we gotta
Stand up if you're out in the crowd
Get down, make the doctor proud
Stand up, if you're out in the crowd
Get down, make the doctor proud
Stand up
Get down
Stand up
Get down
He's a little boy with a son and a daughter
Got no wife no he's got no father
He's just trying to make it through this hard hard winter
Toes freezing no reason he's got no dinner
He's a product of the music
A product of his time
A product of addiction in a very long line
Of users and abusers who just couldn't keep it straight
Oh man I wish I didn't know one
I hope it ain't too late
So won't you call your mama
Call your daddy, you can call your sister too
'Cause we've been out here walking that hard line
You never ever could've made it through
And now we're seven hundred billion strong
We still can't tell right from wrong
So I'm gonna keep on dreaming until the cows come home
When drug store America starts taking care of their own
Start taking care of their own
Yeah yeah
So we gotta
Stand up if you're out in the crowd
Get down, make the doctor proud
Stand up, if you're out in the crowd
Get down, make the doctor proud
Stand up
Get down
Stand up
Get down
Oh you gotta stand up
Ooh yeah
We've got nowhere to go
Stand up, ooh yeah
I'm living for this feeling
I've got nowhere to go
Stand up, ooh yeah
Living for this feeling
We've got nowhere to go
Stand up
Overall Meaning
The Revivalists's song "Stand Up" tells the story of a man who has gone through a lot of hardships in life, but still manages to stay positive and hopeful. He talks about the times he should have been "murdered by now," and how he only has a small amount of money to his name. However, he still carries on with his life, realizing that it's not a life, but a game. He's a "two-ton wrecking ball filled with pain," but he still has a lot to say and is feeling good from yesterday.
Despite not knowing everything or having all the answers, the man wishes he did so that he could handle situations better. He talks about catching a case and popping off too much at the lid, but he hopes he has his get-out-of-jail card ready to go. Although he's a tax-paying fool, he acknowledges his mistakes and tries to get back on the right track.
The song urges people to stand up and make a difference. The man acknowledges that he's not perfect, and the world is full of users and abusers who can't keep it straight. However, we're all in this together, and we need to take care of our own. The final lines of the song repeat "we've got nowhere to go" as if to emphasize the importance of coming together and making a change.
Line by Line Meaning
And I should've been murdered by now
I have been through so much pain that it's surprising I'm still alive
And I've got fifteen people wondering how the hell'd he make it out
There are many people who think I should have died by now, but somehow I'm still standing
I carry this bucket of pain
I have a lot of emotional pain that I carry with me everywhere I go
And I've got 18 dollars to my mother-fucking name
I'm broke and have very little to my name
And it's not a life it's a game
Life can feel like a game sometimes, and it's often not fair
And I'm a two-ton wrecking ball filled with pain
I feel like a heavy burden to myself and to others because of how broken I am
And I've got a lot to say
I have a lot of thoughts and feelings that I need to express
And I'm still feeling good from yesterday
Despite all of my struggles, I'm still able to feel joy and happiness when I reflect on the past
Stand up if you're out in the crowd
If you're in the audience and hear this song, stand up
Get down, make the doctor proud
Dance and have fun, impress the crowd and the musicians
Well I don't know everything
I'm not perfect and don't have all the answers
But I sure wish I did
However, I would love to know everything
Then every time I'd catch a case
If I knew everything, then every time I encountered a problem, I would handle the situation perfectly
I wouldn't pop off so much at the lid
I wouldn't react so explosively or recklessly to difficult situations
I'd have my get out of jail card
If I had a perfect solution for everything, I would be able to get out of any tricky situation
And then I'd pay my tax and bail money
If I had all the answers, I would be able to get out of legal and financial trouble quickly and easily
'Cause I'm a tax paying fool
I pay taxes, but sometimes still make foolish or irresponsible decisions
He's a little boy with a son and a daughter
He's a young man with a lot of responsibility
Got no wife no he's got no father
He's alone and without support from family or a partner
He's just trying to make it through this hard hard winter
He's struggling to make it through a difficult season of his life
Toes freezing no reason he's got no dinner
He's cold and hungry, and has no way to provide food for himself
He's a product of the music
He's influenced by the music he listens to
A product of his time
He's also influenced by the time period he lives in
A product of addiction in a very long line
He comes from a family or community that struggles with addiction, and he may have addiction issues as well
Of users and abusers who just couldn't keep it straight
People around him have struggled with drug abuse and have been unable to stay clean
We've been out here walking that hard line
We've been living life on the edge, trying to make it by any means necessary
You never ever could've made it through
Without understanding and support from others, we wouldn't have been able to survive
And now we're seven hundred billion strong
There are so many people in the world struggling and trying to make it through difficult times
We still can't tell right from wrong
We as a society are still struggling to understand what is morally right and wrong
So I'm gonna keep on dreaming until the cows come home
I'm going to keep dreaming and hoping for a better future, even if it seems unlikely
When drug store America starts taking care of their own
When the healthcare system and government start to prioritize the well-being of their citizens
Start taking care of their own
Start putting people and their needs first
Oh you gotta stand up
You have to take action and make your voice heard
We've got nowhere to go
We are stuck in difficult situations with few options for escape
I'm living for this feeling
I'm living for the excitement and joy that comes from music and community
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Andrew Stephen Campanelli, Zachary Feinberg, George M. Gekas, Michael Girardot, Robert Ingraham, David William Shaw, Ed Williams
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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