Stick Up
grandson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴Now, Tommy's a good father
Two sons and a daughter
But he wakes up and he asks himself:
"Why even bother?"
If he cannot feed his family
The wage he's paid's insanity
Every day he's dealing with a new calamity
Lost his old occupation
But it wasn't immigration
It was a machine, automation that replaced him
Politicians left him, corruption since the recession
So he grabs his Smith and Wesson, says he'll teach 'em all the lesson like:
"Get down on the ground!
It's a stick up! Nobody make a sound!
Don't even hiccup, or I'm emptying a round!
I'm done playing games, so I'm going down in flames!
Let it rain over Washington!
It's a stick up! Nobody make a sound!
Don't even hiccup, or I'm emptying a round!
I'm done playing games, so I'm going down in flames!
Let it rain over Washington!"
Now first he'd lost his pension
Sunk into depression
Congress is defecting
It's been adding to the tension
Came back from war, and he's been post-traumatic stressing
Can't afford his medicine he took for his aggression
He needs help, relying on this system that rejects him
Took away his benefits, but left him with his weapon
Bought a one way ticket
He's entering the thicket
To do the only thing that he's thinking will make a difference like:
"Get down on the ground!
It's a stick up! Nobody make a sound!
Don't even hiccup, or I'm emptying a round
I'm done playing games, so I'm going down in flames!
Let it rain over Washington!
It's a stick up! Nobody make a sound!
Don't even hiccup, or I'm emptying a round!
I'm done playing games, so I'm going down in flames!
Let it rain over Washington!"
There's a cold wind blowing
I'm just warning and preparing ya
There's a cold wind blowing
And it's coming for America
And it's coming for America
And it's coming for America
"Get down on the ground!
It's a stick up! Nobody make a sound!
Don't even hiccup, or I'm emptying a round!
I'm done playing games, so I'm going down in flames!
Let it rain over Washington!
It's a stick up! Nobody make a sound!
Don't even hiccup, or I'm emptying a round!
I'm done playing games, so I'm going down in flames!
Let it rain over Washington!"
Overall Meaning
The song "Stick Up" by Grandson brings to light the issue of poverty, unemployment, and the consequent despair in the country. The singer, Tommy, is a father of two sons and a daughter but struggles to feed his family due to the low wage and loss of his job to automation. He is a victim of corruption and is left with no support from politicians to cope with the stress and depression he is facing. The lyrics suggest that Tommy resorts to violence and robbing, as he feels helpless to get his voice heard.
The stanza, "Lost his old occupation, But it wasn't immigration, It was a machine, automation that replaced him" depicts the scenario of job loss due to artificial intelligence. The verse, "Congress is defecting, It's been adding to the tension," represents the plight of citizens facing neglect from politicians. The line, "Came back from war, and he's been post-traumatic stressing," describes the after-effects of soldiers' lives, the physical and mental trauma that they suffer, and the lack of support from society. The chorus of the song is a call to arms, a rebellion against the politicians and the system that have left them hopeless and voiceless.
Line by Line Meaning
Now, Tommy's a good father
Tommy is a responsible dad.
Two sons and a daughter
Tommy has two sons as well as a daughter.
But he wakes up and he asks himself:
However, every day Tommy questions himself.
"Why even bother?"
He asks himself about the point of trying.
If he cannot feed his family
Tommy struggles to provide for his loved ones.
The wage he's paid's insanity
Tommy is paid a crazy low wage.
Every day he's dealing with a new calamity
It's just one problem after another for Tommy.
Lost his old occupation
Tommy has lost his previous job.
But it wasn't immigration
However, immigration isn't the problem.
It was a machine, automation that replaced him
Machines, not people, replaced Tommy's job.
Politicians left him, corruption since the recession
Politicians have ignored him and corruption has run rampant ever since the recession.
So he grabs his Smith and Wesson, says he'll teach 'em all the lesson like:
Now, Tommy takes matters into his own hands by getting a gun.
"Get down on the ground!
The start of Tommy's stick-up message.
It's a stick up! Nobody make a sound!
Tommy robs the place and tells everyone to keep quiet.
Don't even hiccup, or I'm emptying a round!
Tommy will shoot anyone who makes a noise.
I'm done playing games, so I'm going down in flames!
Tommy doesn't care about the consequences anymore and is willing to go down with a fight.
Let it rain over Washington!
Tommy wants to bring ultimate destruction to the city.
Now first he'd lost his pension
Tommy also lost his retirement income.
Sunk into depression
As a result, he became depressed.
Congress is defecting
The government is failing its citizens.
It's been adding to the tension
This is making things worse for Tommy and others.
Came back from war, and he's been post-traumatic stressing
Tommy is suffering from PTSD after serving in the military.
Can't afford his medicine he took for his aggression
Tommy can't pay for the medication that helps with his anger management issues.
He needs help, relying on this system that rejects him
Tommy is in need of assistance, but the system has failed him.
Took away his benefits, but left him with his weapon
Tommy lost his benefits, but can still have his gun.
Bought a one way ticket
Tommy is one step away from a point of no return.
He's entering the thicket
He's getting himself into a very difficult and dangerous situation.
To do the only thing that he's thinking will make a difference like:
Tommy believes that his only option is to cause violence.
"Get down on the ground!
Tommy reminds us of his stick-up.
It's a stick up! Nobody make a sound!
Tommy is now a full-time criminal.
Don't even hiccup, or I'm emptying a round
He will not hesitate to shoot anyone.
There's a cold wind blowing
There are signs of trouble ahead.
I'm just warning and preparing ya
Tommy is alerting us to an impending danger.
And it's coming for America
The danger is affecting the whole country.
"Get down on the ground!
Tommy repeats his earlier instructions for emphasis.
It's a stick up! Nobody make a sound!
Tommy is a man with nothing to lose.
Don't even hiccup, or I'm emptying a round!
He's willing to resort to lethal means for his cause.
I'm done playing games, so I'm going down in flames!
Tommy has nothing left to lose and is ready for martyrdom.
Let it rain over Washington!
Tommy wants the entire city to go down with him.
And it's coming for America
Tommy is warning the nation that it is on the brink of collapse.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Alex Chavez, Chester John Krupa Carbone, Jordan Benjamin, Kevin Hissink, Michael Abundes
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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