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It ain't no joke I'd like to buy the world a toke
And teach the world to sing in perfect harmony
And teach the world to snuff the fires and the liars
Hey I know it's just a song but it's spice for the recipe
This is a love attack I know it went out but it's back.
It's just like any fad it retracts before impact
And just like fashion it's a passion for the with it and hip
If you got the goods they'll come and buy it just to stay in the clique
CHORUS:
So don't delay act now supplies are running out
Allow if you're still alive six to eight years to arrive
And if you follow there may be a tomorrow
But if the offer is shun you might as well be walkin' on the sun
Twenty-five years ago they spoke out and they broke out
Of recession and oppression and together they toked
And they folked out with guitars around a bonfire
Just singin' and clappin' man what the hell happened
Then some were spellbound some were hellbound
Some they fell down and some got back up and
Fought back 'gainst the melt down
And their kids were hippie chicks all hypocrites
Because fashion is smashin' the true meaning of it
CHORUS
It ain't no joke when a mama's handkerchief is soaked
With her tears because her baby's life has been revoked
The bond is broke up so choke up and focus on the close up
Mr. Wizard can't perform no godlike hocus-pocus
So don't sit back kick back and watch the world get bushwhacked
News at 10:00 your neighborhood is under attack
Put away the crack before the crack puts you away
You need to be there when your baby's old enough to relate
CHORUS
And teach the world to sing in perfect harmony
And teach the world to snuff the fires and the liars
Hey I know it's just a song but it's spice for the recipe
This is a love attack I know it went out but it's back.
It's just like any fad it retracts before impact
And just like fashion it's a passion for the with it and hip
If you got the goods they'll come and buy it just to stay in the clique
CHORUS:
So don't delay act now supplies are running out
Allow if you're still alive six to eight years to arrive
And if you follow there may be a tomorrow
But if the offer is shun you might as well be walkin' on the sun
Twenty-five years ago they spoke out and they broke out
Of recession and oppression and together they toked
And they folked out with guitars around a bonfire
Just singin' and clappin' man what the hell happened
Then some were spellbound some were hellbound
Some they fell down and some got back up and
Fought back 'gainst the melt down
And their kids were hippie chicks all hypocrites
Because fashion is smashin' the true meaning of it
CHORUS
It ain't no joke when a mama's handkerchief is soaked
With her tears because her baby's life has been revoked
The bond is broke up so choke up and focus on the close up
Mr. Wizard can't perform no godlike hocus-pocus
So don't sit back kick back and watch the world get bushwhacked
News at 10:00 your neighborhood is under attack
Put away the crack before the crack puts you away
You need to be there when your baby's old enough to relate
CHORUS
Lyrics submitted by sawg
Track duration: 03:26
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Now we have crap sold on these "now how much would you pay" TV ads. The epitome of tasteless, soulless, commercialism: "order now! supplies are running out!"
The beginning two lines of the song spoofs on the old coca-cola ads. If anybody here remembers, the old ads exploited the hippy culture. I think the song went:
> I'd like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony
. . .
> I'd like to buy the world a coke
The song was a bastardization of a song called "I'd like to teach the world to sing." The irony is: this hippyish song is being used to hock chemical-water from a giant multi-nation corporation.
Because fashion is smashin' the true meaning of it" Originally tie dye shirts were cheap for kids to make themselves. Now they go to the mall and spend big bucks for one.
This song may be calling out the old hippies but is not condemning them all. Just pointing out the fakes. Smash Mouth has a real throughback sound that is rooted right out of that era. I doubt they think the 60's was pointless.
Now, with that said, here is what the song means.
It is a highly critical look at the "love", hippie or liberal movement of the 60's. Where did they all go? What ever happened to all that talk of change??? What the hell happened to the revolution? Smash Mouth will tell you were all those hippie youth went - they sold out. The vast majority sold out and became mass consumers, leaving a a very few hardcore hippies, most of whom were burnouts, to actually live what they were preaching. Basically, all of it was nothing but bullshit, achieved nothing, and just a big party and fantasy that lasted a couple years. Reality set in and all those young people chose to live in nices houses, drive nice cars, buy and essentially worship nice stuff, run the rat-race, became vain and so concerned and self-obsessed with looks and appearances and become major hypocrites and sellouts in the process.
Furthermore, look at all the mass destruction that "the 60's movement" caused; massive and rampant use of drugs during the 60's that sparked a drug culture that has literally ruined and ended millions of lives. Meanwhile, NOTHING was really accomplished. It was all just a big waste, a big party and dreaming of ideals and fantasizing about a new world, only to realize that it wasn't reality (nice to fantasize while smoking all that pot) and then becoming the most materialist of people, a culture of over-indulgence, waste and greed. It's a very phony society, so far from what was fantasized about.
"I'd like to buy the world a toke" starts off by mocking the movement. Basically, we're all worse off now because of the 60's and the band calls them out for it because we are the ones left to deal with the fallout.
The first verse, I think, is about how he wishes he could fix things and help the world change for the better. Also, that everytime shit starts to get good, someone has to, I guess in a way start a chain of reaction and cause things to go awry again.
I think the chorus means hurry up and get your act together.
I think that the 2nd verse is about how we were in a recession in the 60's and how our nation got themselves out of it and it was a happy and good time. Then there were the hippies which I think the singer is trying to say that most of them weren't even completely in it for the promotion of love and peace, but because it was the "cool" thing to do at the time.
Then I think the last verse is about how when you do stupid shit instead of doing what's right, you hurt the people around you and the people that love and care about you. Also, that you need to stop thinking selfishly and think about how what you're doing is affecting not only you, but the people around you.
It's all about DOING something to help our nation and to help yourself. Be somebody, don't just watch as we destroy our home.
I don't know, I could be wrong and people could have different opinions, but that's what I got out of it.
the chorus i think means that we need to hurry up and act on it and try to change things or we're in some way going to destroy ourselves.
the 2nd verse is just about our history, i suppose. we were in recession and we got out of it and then along came the hippies who spoke of love and peace, but i don't think the singer really believes they even fully practiced what they preached.
the last verse i think just means that when you do stupid shit instead of making something of yourself or trying to fix things, you're hurting the people around you and it's not fair. the end just makes me think about how some people just need to cut the shit cuz all their doing is making shit worse.
idk, but that's my take on it. lol
Allow if you're still alive six to eight years to arrive -- People will try to stop other ideas | It will take 6 to 8 years to start back up
And if you follow, there may be a tomorrow -- If there's a peaceful world, it won't fight itself.
But if the offer is shun you might as well be walkin' on the sun -- Otherwise, the nuclear war will cause as much fallout/radiation as if you lived and walked on the sun.