Smash Mouth's 1999 hit "All Star" is about Climate Change
A Short Essay by Rebecca S
- - Climate Change first entered the mainstream conscious in January 1999
- - Smash Mouth's guitarist and song-writier Greg Camp is a renowned animal-lover and hiking enthusiast
- - Greg Camp also studied meteorogology before dropping out of college to perform music full-time
"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"
This part of the song is about a dork nerd in highschool. He also happens to be the son of a milti-billion dollar oil barron (the CEO of BHP). The young billionaire heir is gross and he can't get laid - here is a photo:
"Well the years start coming and they don't stop coming, Fed to the rules and I hit the ground running"
The young heir to billions of oil bucks grows older, and works his way up in his dad's company, showing all the mean kids at highschool that they were wrong about him.
"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?"
"Live for fun" refers to breaking the regulatory rules to increase profits. The "back streets" refers to the bribes the CEO paid to regulators to cover up pollution and C02 emissions.
"You'll never know if you don't go, You'll never shine if you don't glow
"Never shine if you don't glow" refers to the glow of pollution and carbon emissions.
"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."
He just parties and destroys the environment/climate and dosn't care because he's making so much money.
"It's a cool place and they say it gets colder. You're bundled up now, wait 'til you get older.
But the meteor men beg to differ, judging by the hole in the satellite picture."
The Meteor Men are referring to the climate scientists, and the hole in the picture is the hole in the ozone layer.
"The ice we skate is getting pretty thin the water's getting warm so you might as well swim."
Self-explanatory. The ice is melting and the sea level is rising.
"My world's on fire, how about yours? That's the way I like it and I'll never get bored."
"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
All that glitters is gold. Only shooting stars break the mold"
(chorus)
"Somebody once asked could I spare some change for gas? I need to get myself away from this place"
This part is from the point of view of an average person living in 2045 and dealing with consequences of climate change.
"I said, "Yup" what a concept, I could use a little fuel myself and we could all use a little change."
The fuel and change is both literal and figurative. Neither of the people can afford fuel/gas becasue it's $10.47 a liter, and they are poor because of the extreme end-phase climate capitalism they live under. The reference to change is ironic, because it refers to the catastrophic change in climate, but also their need for change in their lives.
"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 (go!)"
(the extra "go!" refers to the mobs of angry, hungry people in the streets yelling at the CEO.
You'll never shine if you don't glow.
"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."
Do you understand now?......
