She woke me up with a bang, bang
Looking' over cross eyed had a big
Hunch that the world was a big lie
When I got up all the blood to my head
I got so dizzy fell back into my bed
I went over to the way side
Looking for the high tide
What will I find will I find will I find
All I saw was a man that had a hat
That had a pom-pom he's been there for
Years can someone tell me how long

Wake up to tell me
Wake up to show me
What I could not find

You see this woman woke me up
At a quarter to three and I didn't
Know it then but she put a spell on
Me said I had to go down to where
The cliffs meet the sea and meet an
Old man to present my plea
So I headed way down to the big pier
To await and confront my big fear
I wheeled around behind to my
Blindside to find an old man with a
Lime and a kind eye
Mister, mister with your beard so long
Won't you be a saint and tell me
Just where I'm going
He pointed to a conk shell and then
To the lime and said this is all
I really need to get by

Chorus

Hey mister man
I know you don't know
Who you think I think I am
But I can safely say, that I
Should've been sleeping the day
Away I said scuse me, you got the
Time he shrugged his shoulders
Said get a spine
Coconut hit me on the head
Jonesin' for a fig
I booked last night
I need another fix
Just then I see a twinkle twinkle
In the old man's eye and a wave
Tossed bottle is thrown to the sky
I caught it on the rebound
It landed with a soft sound
I took out the message and put the
Bottle down
Inside was the antidote to the spell
I read it to the man 'cause he
Couldn't read so well
Said don't worry about a
Thing you know you
Path is true just ease your
Mind have a banana
Or two

Goodness, goodness, woe is me
The man nearly flipped to lean
That he was free but just before we
Left and started kicking it
I picked up the bottle and star sixed it

If that woman comes to you with
Her song so sweet, say damn
Let the poor sucker sleep



Lyrics submitted by dragonflower44, edited by donnyboy

Track duration: 04:05

"Bang Bang" as written by Andre Young, Brian Anthony Bailey, Marshall Mathers, Royal Harbor

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.

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Bang Bang song meanings
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46 Comments

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  • 0
    My Opinion:Any time I am stressed, worried, or thinking to myself I might have screwed up I think of this line: "Don't worry about a thing you know your path is true, Just ease your mind have a banana or two" As long as in your conscious you know your path is true, you have nothing to worry about and everything else out of your control is not worth trying to have control over.
    Flag kylekwton September 09, 2012   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:I've been listening to Dispatch for about ten years. What I've learned is that most of their songs are written as stories or poems and are not to be taken literally, but each has a distinct meaning. This particular song actually is about drugs, but instead of promoting them, the band is actually providing commentary on the life of a junkie. Those who said that the song is discussing the meaning of life are also correct. The song actually reminds me of an old Indian folktale of a man who was seduced by a woman who possessed him and the only way that he could get clean again was venturing to a sacred river and meeting the guardian of life who cleansed him by instilling in him a new meaning of life that led him to abandon his old ways of womanizing and drinking. I think that that's what this song is about, the life of a junkie who has become enlightened by some higher power (the old man), be it God, knowledge, or just a newfound respect for the sanctity of life. I actually view the woman in this song as the substance or the addiction. In essence I believe that this song is telling us that everyone has power over their own life and also the power to change that life around at any time.
    Flag sharpie600on September 02, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:The Beginning - Woman wakes you up - eventually you begin to question your life and choices that are based on staying high (looking for the high tide). This made him hunch that the world was a big lie (it is, if you are thinking about reality and not directly perceiving it).

    The Chorus - wake up to show me what I could not find (love)

    Next Verse - confront big fear - confront my blind side - the man is either Wisdom or his blind side personified. The man's message seems to be that everything you fear (or are blind to) is because you aren't satisfied with a simple lime and conch shell.

    The last sentence is saying, when the woman (actions based on staying up) come to sing, know they are not going to bring satisfaction.

    This is just a metaphor for how we are already in Gods kingdom, and believing we are not is what awakens the sucker. So let the poor sucker sleep.
    Flag GoldenSpectreon August 25, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i always thought there might be a reference to the book Lord of The Flies with the conch shell jawn thrown in there and its all they need to get by.. like in the book how whoever holds the shell or somethin is the leader and allowed to speak... i dno.. just my thoughts
    Flag alba_matton December 18, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:YOU'RE ALL WRONG!!! lol

    IT'S ABOUT A GUY GOING DOWN ON HIS GIRLFRIEND!!!!
    Flag regg41784on July 21, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Just to let you guys know I believe the conch shell reference is referring to the philosophy of I think Ralph Waldo Emerson. Which is about not living in your past because you can never return there.
    Flag ajerusalemchildon June 12, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I agree that the old man is the guy's spirit or inner wisdom and that the song is about taking it easy and not worrying so much. i think when he goes to visit the old man that it might actually in a dream. he dreams of this woman at 2:45 am, who wakes him "up at a quarter to 3:00". in this dream the woman sends him to the old man
    Flag hankwisneron November 07, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:this song is about a man that has been asleep his whole life, he has been blind and ignorant. until a woman opens his eyes and it all comes as a rush to him. and she sends him down to an even wiser man. who teaches him to live freely and happily without material possessions or unnecessary wants or needs. and he goes on living happily.
    Flag buddhat_matton March 10, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I'm not quite sure what this song means. I do tend to agree with some of the earlier people that maybe not knowing is a good thing.I love Dispatch because they tell a great story in a lot of their songs. I can't tell you how many times I have listend to this song or The General and thought how it could be made into a great movie. Appreciate the rhythm and rhymes people. Some things you need to take at face value.
    BTW: The line "I know you don't know who you think I think I am" is probably my favorite line out of any song ever.
    Flag cdubb4201on February 03, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:sucks that dispatch broke up. they were mad.
    Flag turjake2on September 06, 2006   Link

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