Teenage Riot

Album: Daydream Nation (1988)
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  • You're it
    No, you're it
    Hey, you're really it
    You're it
    No, I mean it, you're it
    Say it
    Don't spray it
    Spirit desire
    (Face me) spirit desire (don't displace me) spirit desire
    We will fall
    Miss me
    Don't dismiss me
    Spirit desire
    Spirit desire, spirit desire, spirit desire

    We will fall
    Spirit desire
    We will fall
    Spirit desire, spirit desire, spirit desire
    We will fall
    Spirit desire

    Yeah, everybody's talking 'bout the stormy weather
    And what's a man to do but work out whether it's true?
    Looking for a man with a focus and a temper
    Who can open up a map and see between one and two
    Time to get it
    Before you let it get to you

    Here he comes now
    Stick to your guns and let him through
    And everybody's coming from their winter vacation
    Taking in the sun in an exaltation to you
    You come running in on platform shoes
    With Marshall stacks to at least just give us a clue
    Ah, here it comes
    I know it's someone I knew
    Teenage riot in a public station
    Gonna fight and tear it up in a hypernation for you

    Now I see it
    I think I'll leave it out of the way
    Now I come near you
    And it's not clear while you make your way
    Looking for a ride to your secret location
    Where the kids are setting up a free-speed nation for you
    Got a foghorn, and a drum, and a hammer that's rockin'
    And a cord and a pedal and a lock, that'll do me for now
    It better work out
    I hope it works out my way
    'Cause it's getting kind of quiet in my city head
    It takes a teenage riot to get me out of bed right now
    You better look it
    We're gonna shake it up to him
    He acts the hero
    We paint a zero on his hand

    We know it's down
    We know it's bound too loose
    Everybody's sound is 'round it
    Everybody wants to be proud to choose
    So who's taking blame for the stormy weather?
    You're never gonna stop all the teenage leather and cooze
    It's time to go 'round
    A one-man showdown, teach us how to fail
    We're off the streets now
    And back up the road on the riot trail Writer/s: Kim Gordon, Lee Ranaldo, Steve Shelley, Thurston Moore
    Publisher: Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 2

  • Luna Loud from Royal Woods, MichiganI like the band, and the song, and the idea of having rock n' roll for president, but like, what's the song-writing process/lyrical technique for these guys? Do they make it up as they go along? Is it like a stream-of consciousness sort of thing like Kurt Cobain did? Do they get deep-thinking and philosophical? I know they're not storyteller-type lyricists, as I can tell by listening to this and their other material.

    Also, musically, I know they're known for using a lot of alternate tunings on their axes (they've even inspired other alternative acts like Soundgarden and Pearl Jam to do that in some of their songs). Do they sit down and write riffs or do they just jam out in the studio and then try to make it into a somewhat coherent structure and then put their lyrics over it? Just curious.
  • John from Los Angeles, CaThis song is great, but I need to add this awesome trivia fact about Sonic Youth--their original drummer, Richard Edson, was the valet in Ferris Bueller.
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