Someone tell me why
I do the things that I don't want to do
When you're around me, I'm somebody else
Someone tell me why I act like a fool
When things don't go my way
When you're around me, I'm somebody else

There is good reason I guess
Having once gone too far
When you clean out the hive
Does it make you want to cry
Are you still being followed by the teenage FBI

Someone tell me why [x2]



Lyrics submitted by stalkgirl

Track duration: 01:38

"Teenage FBI" as written by Robert E. Jr. Pollard

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

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Teenage Fbi song meanings
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18 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:Okay the nose-picking thing, if this bloody song is based on that I'm never going to be able to listen to this bloody song again.

    I think, myself, that it could be about someone dating someone else/liking someone else, and like the 'Teenage FBI' following them around everywhere ... and that he feels like he acts really stupid around the person ... driving them further away ... ? And the 'Having at once gone too far', might have been them acting really stupid in front of them, stopping their chances of being with them. The 'Cleaning out the hive' could be cleaning out the room, and finding stuff that makes them remember how stupid they were ...

    Anything to get off the other bloody subject. Urgh.
    Flag Lixaon January 28, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:ok clean out the hive
    could mean cleaning out thr room, finding things that trigger memorues....makes you wanna hide?
    Flag lost_b1atchon December 31, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:yeah I read about the nose-picking thing too... still feel that this song perfectly captures teenage self-consciousness. Also funny how 40+ year old Bob sounds like an earnest teenager singing it.
    Flag Quonseton April 26, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:im so mad that this band and rob pollard havent got had the recognition they deserve
    Flag Xeanson February 21, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:im so mad that this band and rob pollard havent got had the recognition they deserve
    Flag Xeanson February 21, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:its 1 of my fav gbv songs i think its about paranoia in general, and how ridiculous u can b when ure stoned, so my advice is to get stoned get paranoid and listen to the lyrics, and theyl make perfect sense
    Flag Xeanson February 21, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Just got this off the Buffy soundtrack I bought yesterday and I love it.

    It's all about stereotypes and paranoia when you're a teenager. It's quite simple really, could be applied to teens in any TV series.
    Flag Zytheon February 19, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I can't be bothered typing out the whole paragraph but the new GbV biography "Guided by Voices: A Brief History : Twenty-One Years of Hunting Accidents in the Forests of Rock and Roll" by Jim Greer has a section on song meanings.

    Bob states that he was teaching in class, he picked and a student saw it and broadcast it to the whole class. He also confirmd that I'm right - the bit about cleaning out the hive and crying is when you pull a hair.
    Flag elwyn5150on December 18, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song is about picking your noise? I really doubt that.... but hey! Maybe...

    Also, "Teenage FBI" was on the first Buffy soundtrack
    Flag ErinsEmoTearson March 21, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think if you put all of the above meanings together you get the true meaning of the song: picking your nose leads you to be caught by the "teenage FBI" or aka - the kids that pick on you for picking your nose.
    Flag Preciouszipsteron March 18, 2005   Link

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