Lyrics for Billy Brown as interpreted by jonisofsparta

Billy Brown Lyrics
Oh Billy Brown had lived an ordinary life.
Two kids, a dog, and a cautionary wife.
While it was all going according to plan
Then Billy Brown fell in love with another man.
He met his lover almost every single day
Making excuses through his dodgy holiday
On some relgion that he said newly found
They didn’t know his faith was earthly bound

Brown…Oh Billy Brown.
Don’t let the stars get you down.
Don’t let the waves let you drown.
Brown…Oh Billy Brown.
Gonna pick you up like a paper cup.
Gonna shake the water out of every nook.
Oh Billy Brown.

Oh Billy Brown needed a place, somewhere to go.
He found an island off the coast of Mexico
Leaving his lover and his family behind.
Oh Billy Brown needed to find some peace of mind.
And on his journey and his travels on the way,
He met a girlie who was brave enough to say,
When they made love he shared the burden of his mind.
Oh Billy Brown you are a victim of the times.

Brown…Oh Billy Brown.
Don’t let the stars get you down.
Don’t let the waves let you drown.
Brown…Oh Billy Brown.
Gonna pick you up like a paper cup.
Gonna shake the water out of every nook.
Oh Billy Brown.
Brown…Oh Billy Brown.
Gonna pick you up like a paper cup.
Gonna shake the water out of every nook.
Oh Billy Brown.

Oh Billy Brown had lived an ordinary life.
Two kids, a dog, and a cautionary wife.
While it was all going according to plan
Then Billy Brown fell in love with another man.

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Avatar-rock
01-28-2007

Rated 0 
When you copy and paste lyrics... at least check them out.
I think you'll find it's 'dodgy' holiday, 'unto his faith he said he'd duty found' and maybe his faith was 'earthly' bound?
Kinda narrative song with a clear meaning, the guy realises he's gay, but tries to hide from it and ignore it?
The chorus suggests it may be kinda applicable to a larger range of things, basically, be who you are, and don't feel forced to change yourself because of what others think and say. do what's natural?

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yes_justlove
02-12-2007

Rated 0 
I agree with the proposed changing of lyrics, and actually created this account for the purpose of righting them myself. Glad to see that someone else is paying attention. :)

I think the version I have might be different? Because the lyrics in the one I'm listening to are definitely "On some relgion that he said newly found." instead of, "Unto his faith..." Aside from that possible difference, I agree with Avatar-rock's revisions.

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5thgair
03-24-2007

Rated 0 
I love this song.. definately my favourite Mika one.. im surprised theres hardly any comments here.. im hoping mika releases this as a single.. this is pure genius and the tune is so frikken catchy.. but in a good way!!
i hum this all the time!!
and as for the meaning.. well i think the song speaks for itself.. its written so simply and easy to understand, unlike most sings these days..
Mika is a genius!!
-Lisa

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5thgair
03-24-2007

Rated 0 
*songs these days
** sorry im a shitty typer

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bluchickenlvr04
03-28-2007

Rated 0 
I definitely hope this song gets released as a single because it will be a controversy in music and that will make Mike stand out for who he is. The entire cd, which I got upon day of release *yesterday*, is absolutely amazing. I love Mika. He's incredibly talented.

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sedative
03-31-2007

Rated 0 
it has great lyrics. "it was all going according to plan, then billy brown fell in love with another man"

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Del Marquis
04-06-2007

Rated 0 
Mika explained his setiments towards the song here:

I just thought it was a brilliant story to put into a pop song — the idea of a man leaving his wife for another man. I really don’t know why it hasn’t been done before.

When you’re writing songs, you always want to play with intrigue and you always want to pull certain strings. The point of writing pop music is that, in a way, you can write about anything.

And it’s amazing how many younger listeners really love it and really identify with this little character Billy Brown, this cartoon character.

A few of my cousins are all around 12 to 15 years old. This is their favourite song. They find it funny and sweet.

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bluchickenlvr04
04-09-2007

Rated 0 
FYI,

if that is straight from Mika's own mouth in some interview, I'm surprised he didnt also put in what he said in another interview. When asked if it was autobiographical, Mika said "No, it's actually about a friend I knew."

Billy Brown isnt just a character.

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skullgirl99
04-12-2007

Rated 0 
wot is FYI?

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bluchickenlvr04
04-12-2007

Rated 0 
FYI = for your information

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bluchickenlvr04
04-12-2007

Rated 0 
FYI = for your information

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fairy42991
04-17-2007

Rated 0 
I love this song also and i have the version that mentions the religion also. This whole CD is a good value for the money you are spending.

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fairy42991
04-17-2007

Rated 0 
I love this song also and i have the version that mentions the religion also. This whole CD is a good value for the money you are spending.

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mikalover
04-19-2007

Rated 0 
if u listen closely 2 the second line, it definately has a sillable between a and cautionary and it sounds to me like macautionary... even though thats not a word. it doesnt sound like precautionary, though that would make sense... lol any suggestions??? if u listen closely ull no wot i mean

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Moopy
04-22-2007

Rated 0 
I would suggest that these lines should read:

Two kids, a dog, and then the cautionary wife.
While it was all going accordingly to plan

oh, and religion is missing an i :)

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sunnysenny
04-26-2007

Rated 0 
I agree with mikalover, I don't know what that syllable is either, it's weird. I agree with Avatar-rock (the first comment) on the meaning. Good song.

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bluchickenlvr04
08-01-2007

Rated 0 
i keep hearing "an accationary wife" but accautionary isnt a word

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victorporto
09-10-2007

Rated 0 
I have a different concept of what this song really means. It's not that Billy Brown found himself gay, he only found himself confused. After all, he still has his wife, his male lover (though he left them) and, after going to that island off the coast of Mexico, he found this girl who he would make love to.

He is just "a victim of the times", of his time, of our time. It's a time of confusion in every way, and, strictly on this case, it's a time of sexual confusion. Nobody is 100% straight or 100% gay, they say. We just didn't find ourselves yet.

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Thylaylii
01-18-2008

Rated 0 
I think as the song is fairly self explanitory it is just nice to know the story behind it- thanks Del Marquis and bluchickenlvr04 ;D
Otherwise, I have a slightly different interpretation to a latter part of the song;
"He met a girlie who was brave enough to say,
When they made love he shared the burden of his mind.
Oh Billy Brown you are a victim of the times."
I'm not sure he actually got into relations with the girl, but rather told her why he was on the island, and she gave him advice on why he felt so good when he was with the guy rather than his own family:
"When they made love he shared the burden of his mind."
That's what i like to think anyway, maybe Billy Brwon was a little gulity for what he did?
The last line of that verse confuses me though, a victim of the times? I can only think this would be Billy getting stressed with his family and so finding someone who he felt better to be with, but any other opinions on this line?

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seamoraine
03-07-2008

Rated 0 
i also agree with victorporto. other than the obvious story of a bisexual man, it hovers around the metaphor of doubt and dismay. even the most perfect have skeletons in their closet that they manage to hide away from the world. it's hard to escape these fallacies of life. even though you would think that today's world is a lot more tolerant and accepting than the kind of views they shared in the olden days, social conventions really haven't progressed very far. we're still as embedded into our backward thoughts as ever, and no matter what science proves about life, we will never really have a "real" answer to it all.

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Mystnmist
03-26-2008

Rated 0 
I think the song is along the same lines as what people have previously said, being sexually confused, but I think that "He met a girlie who was brave enough to say,
When they made love he shared the burden of his mind.
Oh Billy Brown you are a victim of the times. " is more speaking of the fact that people are made to choose a label, gay straight, or otherwise, and then have problems trying to live up to that image, instead of just living their lives openly.

I think him being a victim of the times is about how he basically destroyed his own life because he couldn't live with a lie, but also couldn't commit to his "secret life" because it wasn't right for him. And then he met this girl that's like "You poor guy, twisting yourself up for no good reason"

I really didn't mean to go that in depth with an analysis. Damn you, Mika :-D

I really do like his music, though. He has a brilliant way of making the most depressing thing into a happy format.

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amaleesunshine
05-25-2008

Rated 0 
I'm pretty sure it's "precautionary wife" rather than "cautionary". It makes more sense, and there's obviously a syllable before that phrase. "Precautionary" would mean to keep others from thinking he was gay to start with. "Cautionary", on dictionary.com, means "of the nature of or containing a warning", which doesn't make much sense.

As for the girlie on the island, I think it was meant to be punctuated like this:

He met a girlie who was brave enough to say,
"When they made love he shared the burden of his mind.
Oh Billy Brown you are a victim of the times."

Meaning, she thought that when he made love with this man, Billy Brown was freed of the burden of keeping his sexuality hidden. And the fact that he HAD that burden in the first place made him a "victim of the times".

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FiFiCat
08-10-2008

Rated 0 
Does anyone know what the meaning of the line "gonna shake the water out of every nook" refers to? love this song :-)

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xtasy
08-10-2008

Rated 0 
hey you know, "victim of the times" could mean like, BAD timing, to fall in love with another person :) now he loves: "2 kids, his wife, and the lover". That is why the word "another" is so important "Then Billy Brown fell in love with ANOTHER man" :D right?

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teajenny
03-22-2009

Rated 0 
I feel he's kind of exploring how uncertain life is:

"While it was all going according to plan
Then Billy Brown fell in love with another man"

You never know what's going to happen next, nor who you might fall in love with. The reference
to being a "victim of the times" could apply to the greater sexual freedom that people have now.

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