@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
Put me in a special school 'cause I am such a fool
And I don't need a single book to teach me how to read
Who needs stupid books? They are for petty crooks
And I will learn by studying the lessons in my dreams
So turn off the TV, 'cause that's what others see
And movies are as bad as eating chocolate ice cream
They only sicken me, don't let me play football
I'll sack the quarterback and jack the brother of the ball
I'm a troublemaker, never been a faker
Doing things my own way and never giving up
I'm a troublemaker, not a double-taker
I don't have the patience to keep it on the up
I picked up a guitar, what does this signify?
I'm going to play some heavy metal riffs and you will die
You wanted arts and crafts? How's this for arts and crafts?
Wa-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na, that's right
I'm growing out my hair, I'm moving out to Cherokee
I'm going to be a rock star and you are gonna bear with me
Because I can't work a job like any other slob
Punching in and punching out and sucking up to Bob
Marrying a beeyotch, having seven keeyods
Giving up and growing old and hoping there's a God
I'm a troublemaker, never been a faker
Doing things my own way and never giving up
I'm a troublemaker, not a double-taker
I don't have the patience to keep it on the up
I'm gonna be a star and people will crane necks
To get a glimpse of me and see if I am having sex
And studying my moves, they try to understand
Why I am so unlike the singers in the other bands
I'm such a mystery as anyone can see
There isn't anybody else exactly quite like me
And when it's party time, like 1999
I'll party by myself because I'm such a special guy
I'm a troublemaker, never been a faker
Doing things my own way and never giving up
I'm a troublemaker, not a double-taker
I don't have the patience to keep it on the up
Keep it on the up, I'm a troublemaker
Keep it on the up, I'm a troublemaker
Keep it on the up, I'm a troublemaker
Keep it on the up, I'm a troublemaker, never giving up
And I don't need a single book to teach me how to read
Who needs stupid books? They are for petty crooks
And I will learn by studying the lessons in my dreams
So turn off the TV, 'cause that's what others see
And movies are as bad as eating chocolate ice cream
They only sicken me, don't let me play football
I'll sack the quarterback and jack the brother of the ball
I'm a troublemaker, never been a faker
Doing things my own way and never giving up
I'm a troublemaker, not a double-taker
I don't have the patience to keep it on the up
I picked up a guitar, what does this signify?
I'm going to play some heavy metal riffs and you will die
You wanted arts and crafts? How's this for arts and crafts?
Wa-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na, that's right
I'm growing out my hair, I'm moving out to Cherokee
I'm going to be a rock star and you are gonna bear with me
Because I can't work a job like any other slob
Punching in and punching out and sucking up to Bob
Marrying a beeyotch, having seven keeyods
Giving up and growing old and hoping there's a God
I'm a troublemaker, never been a faker
Doing things my own way and never giving up
I'm a troublemaker, not a double-taker
I don't have the patience to keep it on the up
I'm gonna be a star and people will crane necks
To get a glimpse of me and see if I am having sex
And studying my moves, they try to understand
Why I am so unlike the singers in the other bands
I'm such a mystery as anyone can see
There isn't anybody else exactly quite like me
And when it's party time, like 1999
I'll party by myself because I'm such a special guy
I'm a troublemaker, never been a faker
Doing things my own way and never giving up
I'm a troublemaker, not a double-taker
I don't have the patience to keep it on the up
Keep it on the up, I'm a troublemaker
Keep it on the up, I'm a troublemaker
Keep it on the up, I'm a troublemaker
Keep it on the up, I'm a troublemaker, never giving up
Lyrics submitted by whybother737
Troublemaker Lyrics as written by Rivers Cuomo
Lyrics © E O Smith Music
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
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.
This song seems like a bit of a character portrayal so to criticize the lyrical content for being too simple would mean that you're kind of misunderstanding the "voice" of the character narrating the song.
For example, considering that Rivers Cuomo went to Harvard, I think it's safe to assume that he actually doesn't think that books are stupid.
So this character who is narrating is a dreamer with high aspirations of fame and fortune, sees himself as a rebel and one-in-a-million "special guy", who considers himself to be above the need for education, family life, popular culture, sports, and also meaningful relationships. He's basically an anti-social douche who thinks he's better than everybody and his fantasy is that one day he will prove this to the world and people will look to him as an idol, but he's "such a mystery" that people will try to study him and not figure him out.
Honestly? I think showbiz is a gathering place for nitwits like this song describes and Rivers has probably run into tons of them. He might even consider himself to be one to some extent given his own course in life, especially when he was younger and still in high school. So he could be reflecting on his earlier years as a young dreamer, or just painting a cynical portrait of a certain type of person he's met in showbiz.
Or maybe he's just making it all up for the sake of telling a story. Who can say? But it's a good song, and I enjoy it for the story it tells.
For those who aren't too familiar with Rivers' history, there are a bunch of subtle and not so subtle references in this song: 1) "don't let me play football" - probably a loose reference to the fact that Rivers had a busted leg as a child and couldn't play sports. instead he took up music, hence the second verse. 2) "moving out to Cherokee" - refers to Cherokee Ave. in Hollywood where Rivers first started writing and recording with Zoom/Avante Garde 3) "people will crane necks to get a glimpse of me and see if i am having sex" - probably refers to the whole media hooplah about his vow of celibacy from 2002-2005. 4) "when it's party time like 1999, I'll party by myself" - seems like a lame rhyme, but it most likely is a subtle reference to when Rivers became a hermit, painted his walls black and sought to perfect the art of songwriting in 1999 before The Green Album.
there's probably more. but the point is - there's a lot more here than what meets the eye
The arts and crafts line and marrying a beyottchhh part make this song incredible. So good.
Although I don't have the best explanation for this song, I think the verse format is a bit odd (the lines are really short) and some of the rhymes sound cheap and unoriginal. I can see why they released Pork and Beans as the single instead of this, although it is definitely a catchy song that can get stuck in your head.
To jack the ball means to steal it; removing the other player's possession "of the ball". Like jacking a car, "He jacked the owner of his car". That's how I see it anyway.
I just love how Rivers manages to rhyme "marrying a bitch" and "having seven kids"...
The song from the first second is a great satire of the supposed cool peopl of the world; they don't need to study because they are too cool to, and all they focus on is their dreams
party by myself because im such a special guy
deep.
I'll sack the quarterback and jack the brother of the ball.
maybe the rhymes are overly simple or whatever, but this song actually makes some sense to me and is some of Rivers' better lyric writing (in terms of his more recent work). The tone of the song overall seems really cynical, but I think the idea kind of goes along with the whole Pork and Beans thing, that he's not interested in fitting some rockstar mold, he's going to do what he feels is the right thing for him to do, and what he wants to do. These lyrics just aren't as direct and in-your-face as Pork and Beans.