Dirty belly of a secret town
Cheap trick hookers that are hanging out at the bar in the Greyhound station
And the bare-chested boys are going down on every thing that the momma believes
Pack of smokes and a little bump of cocaine, help you feel not so strange

Said old Pa, "She don't get off, unless somebody standing near her."
"And she'll shine, once she's crossed the line, cause all tied to the chair."
I said, "Lay it now on the ground, throw in a white noise sound, like a tranny on a ten."

All the bubbas got their heads in a nod,
They don't know what they love or deserve to get
Chances are they tab their worm in a slab,
Doesn't even know which fish that he like to bite tonight, ah tonight, tonight, tonight

Ah maybe tonight
Said old Pa, "She don't get off, unless somebody standing near her."
"And she'll shine, once she's crossed the line, hands all tied to the chair."
I said, "Lay it now on the ground, throw in a white noise sound, like a tranny on a ten."
Comes home on call, isn't that peace,
Fingers in the dirt, and he's spitting out his teeth
He's spitting out his teeth

I said, Lay it on the ground, throw in a white noise sound, like a tranny on a ten



Lyrics submitted by laextasis

Track duration: 05:01

"Trani" as written by Nathan/followill Followill

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group, WINDSWEPT HOLDINGS LLC

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Trani song meanings
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  • 0
    My Interpretation:To me, the song is a ballad telling a story. I believe the song indeed refers to a transvestite, a social outcast (lower on the social ladder than even the cheap hookers at the bus station) who is confused and alone, and whose only solace is in "a pack of smokes and a little bump of cocaine."

    The first verse sets the tone: a small town full of young people without opportunities and futures, just kind of wasting their lives away with coke, vulgarity, and prostitution.

    The second verse refers to the "bubbas," the adult counterparts to the "bare chested boys" who waste away their time in a bar or strip club getting shitfaced and looking to pick up a cheap date. They're sexually indiscriminate (don't know what they love or deserve to get...) and will basically f**k anything with a pulse.

    Perhaps the Trani, seeing this and longing for sexual fulfillment, goes home with one. These hopes end in blood as the song climaxes into the guitar solo; a fight ensues once his real gender identity is revealed (cops on the call... freaks... spitting out his teeth).

    The chorus is a little more ambiguous, but as some others have said, the "Ol' Pa" part may be the Trani describing his alter-ego in the third person. "Oscillating on the ground, blowing white noise sound, like a trani on ten" could be a double meaning; the transvestite on the floor shaking and screaming after overdosing on coke/having a nervous breakdown/being beat up and abused, much like a transistor radio turned all the way up blowing static.
    Flag FriendZoneon April 11, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:ok people....this one is easy...trani on a ten (inch)....inch being the word that is left out for obvious reasons...
    Flag flinghammeron February 09, 2012   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:great song, ridiculous comments. "its a transvestite" "ten is a measurement of coke" "he's saying gin/tin"

    the lyrics are "oscillating on the ground, blowing white noise sound, like a trani on ten"
    it's a description of an overdose. oscillating on the ground is pretty obvious. a 'trani' is a transistor radio, 'on ten' refers to full volume - common rock n roll slang as most amps go up to ten. hence if you turn a transistor radio up to full volume it kinda crackles and sounds like white noise and sounds altogether pretty fucked up - as i'm sure a person would sound while OD'ing.

    the first verse sets the scene. the second verse describes a girl who only takes drugs when there's people to witness it - the song seems to be about young people getting mixed up in grimy stuff just sort of for the sake of it, out of confusion, not really having a purpose or direction in their lives, and it all ending pretty tragically. hence it's a sad and angry song, and seeing these people ruin their lives really affected him.

    that's my two cents anyhow.
    Flag spinnacton April 06, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:‘My’ interpretation of the bits of the song that need it, others should be obvious

    A dirty belly of a secret town
    Cheap trick hookers are hanging out in the bars near the greyhound station
    Bare-chested boys are going down on everything that their mamma believes
    ** young boys out to get laid and doing all the things their mumma said not to do, hence the 'going down on everything.....'
    A bag of smoke and a little bump of cocaine
    Help you feel not so strange

    ** I think this bit is actually one of the young men explaining his experience with the hookers to his Pa (aka Dad)
    I said "Ol' Pa, she don't get off
    ** she doesn't act like a hooker unless....see below
    Unless somebody is standing near
    ** someone is around that might bring some business.


    And she'll shine once she's crossed the line
    ** she acts like the hooker she is when….see below
    And's all tied to a chair"
    ** she’s tired to a chair….for example
    Oscillatin' on the ground, blowing white noise sound, like a trani on ten
    ** while getting fucked (and Oscillatin') on the ground she blows white noise sound (a quiet soothing sound, like a train on ten……….hmmm, this is the bit that doesn’t make sense to me. That is unless the reference to white noise is more symbolic of the multitude (+20,000) of frequencies that make up white noise, which you would think would be loud, like a train on ten, but is actually quiet. I don’t know, I think I’ve confused myself.

    We'll the bubba's got their heads in a knot
    ** the young boys (aka bubba’s) are confused
    They don't know what they love or deserve to give
    ** they don’t know what it is that they are feeling when they get laid, is it love? Should they feel anything (deserve to give)
    Chances are that that worm in his lap doesn't even know which fish he'd like to bite tonight
    ** Worm in his lap is his dick and he is unsure which hooker he will fuck tonight
    Oh tonight, tonight, tonight
    Oh maybe tonight

    Cops on the call
    Beating up the freaks
    ** This is actually weeding out the freaks. Cops looking out for the freaks who frequent prostitutes. The cops don’t mind the young boys using them but weed out the freaks.
    Fingers in the dirt
    ** Beating up the freaks, as in fingers in the dirty as a result of having your ass kicked and being face down on the ground
    Spitting out his teeth, spitting out his teeth
    ** again, be beaten by the cops
    Flag mattsharon February 16, 2011   Link
  • 0
    My Opinion:"Chances are that that worm in his lap doesn't even know which fish he'd like to bite tonight" --- saying the other guy he describes in the song has a "worm in his lap" (a small dick) and doesnt even know which "fish" (fish lips) (pussy) he wants to "bite" (screw)
    Flag zola1991on December 15, 2010   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning:The lyrics are "trani on Ten", KOL were/are big fans of Pearl Jam, their first album being Ten. I think this means like a radio playing Ten (the album).
    Flag jake145on November 07, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Also, it could be ten as in volume i suppose since any speaker emits a crackling when loud enough. All I know is that I REALLY don't think it's a transvestite. Like someone else mentioned, they're not going to be so emotional about a tranny.
    Flag user12name3on October 01, 2010   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:Okaaay. Drawing on a few comments seen on here, this is what I get from the chorus, it's somewhat crude but I hope someone agrees. "Oscililating on the ground, blowing white noise sound. Like a Trani on tin". Ok 1. "Blowing white noise sound", and "oscilating": sounds a bit like a girl giving head, to me. Hence blowing (blow-job, as if you didn't know haha) and oscilating. 2. "White noise sound": supports my theory about giving head. Ever heard a chick give head? They do make that noise when they choke. Why would someone be making a white noise while coking out? It's not cocaine, which brings me to 3. "Like a trani on tin": transistor radios were called trani's and they had a hollow/tinny sound so imagine one on tin. Why would they spell it Trani if it were a transvestite? Trani is most definately what they called transistor radio way back, I know. 4. No one takes 10 mg or oz of coke, 10 mg is too little 10 oz is suicide lol. And you're not gonna pop 10 of anything, weather it be pills, lines or what. It's not ten and it's not cocaine. That's my opinion anyhow.
    Flag user12name3on October 01, 2010   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:Okaaay. Drawing on a few comments seen on here, this is what I get from the chorus, it's somewhat crude but I hope someone agrees. "Oscililating on the ground, blowing white noise sound. Like a Trani on tin". Ok 1. "Blowing white noise sound", and "oscilating": sounds a bit like a girl giving head, to me. Hence blowing (blow-job, as if you didn't know haha) and oscilating. 2. "White noise sound": supports my theory about giving head. Ever heard a chick give head? They do make that noise when they choke. Why would someone be making a white noise while coking out? It's not cocaine, which brings me to 3. "Like a trani on tin": transistor radios were called trani's and they had a hollow/tinny sound so imagine one on tin. Why would they spell it Trani if it were a transvestite? Trani is most definately what they called transistor radio way back, I know. 4. No one takes 10 mg or oz of coke, 10 mg is too little 10 oz is suicide lol. And you're not gonna pop 10 of anything, weather it be pills, lines or what. It's not ten and it's not cocaine. That's my opinion anyhow.
    Flag user12name3on October 01, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:If you watch them sing it live, its definitely not "tranny on a ten" because he very clearly doesn't say "a".
    The song is called Trani (Not Tranny!) and trani on ten (as has been previously said many times) makes most sense, in the context of the line before about white noise, as a reference to a transistor radio "blowing white noise sound"
    Flag IFollowFollowillWillyon August 23, 2010   Link

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