Deciphering an All Star

Nostalgia:

I love this song for two reasons:

1) its goofy, fun tune reminds me of high school, full of carefree fun and irresponsibility. And most importantly,

2) the message of the song is surprisingly inspiring and encourages you to think outside the box and go for your dreams without fear of failure. It really hits a personal chord with me and my own life experiences so far.

Don't let the goofy costumes, random video content, and pop tune fool you. Remember this song came out in the age of boy bands and pop fluff, so it needed to have some "bubble gum" to break into the mainstream audience and be successful. But if you listen closely, you'll see that Smash Mouth really hits it out of the park with the lyrics. It wasn't until adulthood, when I could see past the smoke and mirrors of the random video, that I was able to fully appreciate and understand the message in this song.

Here's the video with the lyrics posted underneath. Take a listen and read for yourself! What do the lyrics mean to you? Let me know in the comments! If you're not getting the message, let me know too, I might do a follow up with my interpretation if there's enough inquiry. 

Enjoy the song and Carpe Diem guys!

XoXo Whit

"All Star" by Smash Mouth Lyrics

Somebody once told me the world is gonna roll me
I ain't the sharpest tool in the shed
She was looking kind of dumb with her finger and her thumb
In the shape of an "L" on her forehead

Well the years start coming and they don't stop coming
Fed to the rules and I hit the ground running
Didn't make sense not to live for fun
Your brain gets smart but your head gets dumb

So much to do so much to see
So what's wrong with taking the back streets
You'll never know if you don't go
You'll never shine if you don't glow

[Chorus:]
Hey now you're an All Star get your game on, go play
Hey now you're a Rock Star get the show on get paid
And all that glitters is gold
Only shooting stars break the mold

It's a cool place and they say it gets colder
You're bundled up now but wait 'til you get older
But the meteor men beg to differ
Judging by the hole in the satellite picture

The ice we skate is getting pretty thin
The waters getting warm so you might as well swim
My world's on fire how about yours
That's the way I like it and I'll never get bored

[Repeat Chorus]

Somebody once asked could I spare some change for gas
I need to get myself away from this place
I said yep what a concept
I could use a little fuel myself
And we could all use a little change

Well the years start coming and they don't stop coming
Fed to the rules and I hit the ground running
Didn't make sense not to live for fun
Your brain gets smart but your head gets dumb
So much to do so much to see
So what's wrong with taking the back streets
You'll never know if you don't go
You'll never shine if you don't glow