Lyrics for Step Right Up as interpreted by archmastermind

Step Right Up Lyrics
Step right up, step right up, step right up,
Everyone's a winner, bargains galore
That's right, you too can be the proud owner
Of the quality goes in before the name goes on
One-tenth of a dollar, one-tenth of a dollar, we got service after sales
You need perfume? we got perfume, how 'bout an engagement ring?
Something for the little lady, something for the little lady,
Something for the little lady, hmm
Three for a dollar
We got a year-end clearance, we got a white sale
And a smoke-damaged furniture, you can drive it away today
Act now, act now, and receive as our gift, our gift to you
They come in all colors, one size fits all
No muss, no fuss, no spills, you're tired of kitchen drudgery
Everything must go, going out of business, going out of business
Going out of business sale
Fifty percent off original retail price, skip the middle man
Don't settle for less
How do we do it? how do we do it? volume, volume, turn up the volume
Now you've heard it advertised, don't hesitate
Don't be caught with your drawers down,
Don't be caught with your drawers down
You can step right up, step right up

That's right, it filets, it chops, it dices, slices,
Never stops, lasts a lifetime, mows your lawn
And it mows your lawn and it picks up the kids from school
It gets rid of unwanted facial hair, it gets rid of embarrassing age spots,
It delivers a pizza, and it lengthens, and it strengthens
And it finds that slipper that's been at large
under the chaise lounge for several weeks
And it plays a mean Rhythm Master,
It makes excuses for unwanted lipstick on your collar
And it's only a dollar, step right up, it's only a dollar, step right up

'Cause it forges your signature
If not completely satisfied, mail back unused portion of product
For complete refund of price of purchase
Step right up
Please allow thirty days for delivery, don't be fooled by cheap imitations
You can live in it, live in it, laugh in it, love in it
Swim in it, sleep in it,
Live in it, swim in it, laugh in it, love in it
Removes embarrassing stains from contour sheets, that's right
And it entertains visiting relatives, it turns a sandwich into a banquet
Tired of being the life of the party?
Change your shorts, change your life, change your life
Change into a nine-year-old Hindu boy, get rid of your wife,
And it walks your dog, and it doubles on sax
Doubles on sax, you can jump back Jack, see you later alligator
See you later alligator
And it steals your car
It gets rid of your gambling debts, it quits smoking
It's a friend, and it's a companion,
And it's the only product you will ever need
Follow these easy assembly instructions it never needs ironing
Well it takes weights off hips, bust, thighs, chin, midriff,
Gives you dandruff, and it finds you a job, it is a job
And it strips the phone company free take ten for five exchange,
And it gives you denture breath
And you know it's a friend, and it's a companion
And it gets rid of your traveler's checks
It's new, it's improved, it's old-fashioned
Well it takes care of business, never needs winding,
Never needs winding, never needs winding
Gets rid of blackheads, the heartbreak of psoriasis,
Christ, you don't know the meaning of heartbreak, buddy,
C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon
'Cause it's effective, it's defective, it creates household odors,
It disinfects, it sanitizes for your protection
It gives you an erection, it wins the election
Why put up with painful corns any longer?
It's a redeemable coupon, no obligation, no salesman will visit your home
We got a jackpot, jackpot, jackpot, prizes, prizes, prizes, all work guaranteed
How do we do it, how do we do it, how do we do it, how do we do it
We need your business, we're going out of business
We'll give you the business
Get on the business end of our going-out-of-business sale
Receive our free brochure, free brochure
Read the easy-to-follow assembly instructions, batteries not included
Send before midnight tomorrow, terms available,
Step right up, step right up, step right up
You got it buddy: the large print giveth, and the small print taketh away
Step right up, you can step right up, you can step right up
C'mon step right up
(Get away from me kid, you bother me...)
Step right up, step right up, step right up, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon
Step right up, you can step right up, c'mon and step right up,
C'mon and step right up

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  • 18 Comments
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smartbunny
02-06-2009

Rated 0 
I had no idea about that Doritos radio ad.

I used Step Right Up in a short film I made about a mall in NJ; it was up on YouTube for several years before they muted the soundtrack due to copyright issues. But I was not using the song to sell anything, nor would I. It was just the intro to my film, that I made for fun.

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Eatapch4pce
01-22-2009

Rated 0 
Tom Waits is a genious and I absolutly love this song. It is defenitely about the snakey salesmen that live and are around today. It does everything and that is exactly where our country is headed today. We will soon have this one product that does all for us, just look at the ipod, turned video game, turned internet accessable, pretty soon you will be able to rent movies and basically everything else that Tom Waits says

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Fantomas77
04-27-2008

Rated 0 
There's a video of this song live in, I think, 73', maybe? On YouTube and it's so awesome to see. I got the pleasure of actually seeing Tom Waits in Cleveland, OH @ the House of Blues. Talk about a highlight in my concert going career! THANK YOU TOM!

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Irishmonk
10-26-2007

Rated 0 
Quite possibly the best laundry list of marketing jargon ever to appear in a pop song. One of my favourites from Tom Waits' "accessible" (pre-swordfishtrombones) period.

Best line:
"Change your shorts, change your life, change your life
Change into a nine-year-old Hindu boy, get rid of your wife."

And, no, this song is NOT about heroin addcition. (Though it does predict Viagra.)

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Gigsley
10-04-2007

Rated 0 
sounds like he's trying to sell drugs.
"service after sales, No muss, no fuss, no spills, you're tired of kitchen drudgery, it slices it dices and it lasts a lifetime, it forges your signature and gives you excuses for the lipstick on your collar. it's a friend, a companion, and gives you denture breath, etc etc etc etc."
so tom's a drug salesman now...

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envika
09-11-2007

Rated 0 
does anyone else have the feeling that this was completely improvised?

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_Misirlou_
07-27-2007

Rated 0 
iwell, i believe this songs meaning takes place in the depression. Because there where these chumps that sold these products that was said to cure or fix anything, well they say it does, jsut to make some scratch.

also if you watch Ren and Stimpy, there is this episode that relates to this topic, some jerk was trying to sell "salve" that did everything you ever needed, and he suckered in stimpy in buying it, jackass.

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mammadaddio
07-07-2007

Rated 0 
Yeah the 'change into a nine-year-old Hindu boy" is totally the best. Man, it must have taken him a year to write this song, really. Incredibly detailed when you think of all the sales gimmicks he had to think of.

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smartbunny
02-16-2007

Rated 0 
"Change into a nine-year-old Hindu boy" - best line.

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majestikmoose9
12-12-2006

Rated 0 
A HILARIOUS song. God I love Tom Waits.

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patobrien
10-16-2006

Rated 0 
hilarious song. pretty obvious meaning

"it gives you an erection, it wins the election!"

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destroyalltacos
06-19-2006

Rated 0 
There's stuff in there typical of all different kinds of advertising, from print ("Read the easy-to-follow assembly instructions, batteries not included") to TV ("No muss, no fuss, no spills, you're tired of kitchen drudgery") to the sketchy guy selling fake rolexes and cheap jewelry on the street ("How 'bout perfume? We got perfume! Something for the little lady"). I like some of Tom's surreal warping of ad cliches; notice that it *gives* you dandruff and denture breath rather than curing these things, and that it doesn't actually clean unwanted lipstick stains on your collar, it just makes up a good excuse for you to tell your girlfriend when she notices them.

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BeatJunkie08
03-16-2006

Rated 0 
Tom Waits is awesome this song is about snake oil salesmen on the surface, it's just a fun song to listen to.

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thither
07-28-2005

Rated 0 
Totally. Ironically, The Frito-Lay company totally ripped off this song and used it (well, a song based on it) in a commercial selling Doritos. Tom Waits sued them and won - he's one of the few artists left with the integrity to not want his music used in commercials.

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Chilli220
07-20-2005

Rated 0 
Its about how ridiculously commercialised everything has become...

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Sander_vn
12-10-2004

Rated 0 
I think the song is about more than a man trying to sell some products to another man. Obviosly this represents the consumption-community, and how money and possesion determens our whole life.
For example:
"That's right, it filets, it chops, it dices, slices,
Never stops, lasts a lifetime, mows your lawn
And it mows your lawn and it picks up the kids from school "
this passage is about how people sell their responsabilities to other people.
"Tired of being the life of the party?
Change your shorts, change your life, change your life "
is about the way businessman, and commercial developers use our complexes to make us buy their products(beautyproducts...)

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Cobra-cornelius
12-01-2004

Rated 0 
truly, it's as if no one can comment on his music except for Waits himself

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PiKuelo
06-25-2004

Rated 0 
god... this song is marvellous! i hadn't read the lyrics, and now i find that it's about somebody trying to sell something to another guy! hahaha, Tom Waits is a true genius

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