Nickelback - All the Right Reasons - Rockstar (Unedited) -
Song Meaning via Wikipedia
The song details the stereotype that most people have about the life of a rockstar. The lead singer, Chad Kroeger, assumes the role of a person wanting to get to that life. It also features many clichés and popular beliefs of what fame can get one, such as
“I want a brand new house/ on an episode of Cribs/ And a bathroom I can play baseball in/ And a king size tub big enough/ for ten plus me/ I’ll need a credit card that’s got no limit/ And a big black jet with a bedroom in it/ Gonna join the mile high club/ At thirty-seven thousand feet/ I want a new tour bus full of old guitars/ My own star on Hollywood Boulevard.” [1]
Spoken-word vocals between each verse are provided by Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top. Gibbons assumes the role of the rock star who has already made it, asking challenging questions to the would-be newcomer. Others have interpreted his lines as the devil egging the narrarator on to sell his soul for the rockstar lifestyle, (i.e. “Tell me watcha want”,”Ah, so watcha need? “). [2] It is also mentioned that Billy Gibbons character is not an aged rocker. As he is offering not just advice to the new rocker it is possible that Billy’s character may be the devil. This comes from the long history in music of hopefuls allegedly selling their souls for fortune and fame as a musician. The most famous of these being blues patriarch Robert Johnson.
Lyrics via eLyrics.net
I’m through with standing in line
To clubs we’ll never get in
It’s like the bottom of the ninth
And I’m never gonna win
This life hasn’t turned out
Quite the way I want it to be
(Tell me what you want)
I want a brand new house
On an episode of Cribs
And a bathroom I can play baseball in
And a king size tub big enough
For ten plus me
(So what you need?)
I’ll need a credit card that’s got no limit
And a big black jet with a bedroom in it
Gonna join the mile high club
At thirty-seven thousand feet
(Been there, done that)
I want a new tour bus full of old guitars
My own star on Hollywood Boulevard
Somewhere between Cher and
James Dean is fine for me
(So how you gonna do it?)
I’m gonna trade this life for fortune and fame
I’d even cut my hair and change my name
[Chorus:]
‘Cause we all just wanna be big rockstars
And live in hilltop houses driving fifteen cars
The girls come easy and the drugs come cheap
We’ll all stay skinny ’cause we just won’t eat
And we’ll hang out in the coolest bars
In the VIP with the movie stars
Every good gold digger’s
Gonna wind up there
Every Playboy bunny
With her bleach blond hair
Hey hey I wanna be a rockstar
Hey hey I wanna be a rockstar
I wanna be great like Elvis without the tassels
Hire eight body guards that love to beat up assholes
Sign a couple autographs
So I can eat my meals for free
(I’ll have the quesadilla, uh huh)
I’m gonna dress my ass
With the latest fashion
Get a front door key to the Playboy mansion
Gonna date a centerfold that loves to
Blow my money for me
(So how you gonna do it?)
I’m gonna trade this life for fortune and fame
I’d even cut my hair and change my name
[Chorus]
And we’ll hide out in the private rooms
With the latest dictionary and today’s who’s who
They’ll get you anything with that evil smile
Everybody’s got a drug dealer on speed dial
Hey hey I wanna be a rockstar
I’m gonna sing those songs
That offend the censors
Gonna pop my pills from a pez dispenser
I’ll get washed-up singers writing all my songs
Lip sync em every night so I don’t get ‘em wrong
[Chorus]
And we’ll hide out in the private rooms
With the latest dictionary and today’s who’s who
They’ll get you anything with that evil smile
Everybody’s got a drug dealer on speed dial
Hey hey I wanna be a rockstar
Hey hey I wanna be a rockstar
