Bootsy Whoosh
08-27-2002, 04:14 PM
I heard that 80s Kim Wilde song "Kids in America" on the radio the other day, and it got me thinking about POD's more recent "Youth of a Nation".
Both songs seem to profess (by their titles at least) to be a snapshot of teenage life in America in their times. What struck me was how utterly different the songs were both in mood and content. "Kids in America" is largely upbeat and optimistic, whereas "Youth of a Nation" is a very dark and almost hopeless song.
Do you really think life for the youth in America has changed so dramatically since the 80s? Do you think Kim Wilde's song simply presented a sugar-coated view of life in the 80s, as seemed to be a rampant trend back then? Or do think POD's song over-exaggerates problems youth face today?
~*~*~*~*~
For those of you who need a refresher on these songs, here are the lyrics:
Kids in America
Written by Ricky & Marty Wilde
Looking out a dirty old window/Down below the cars in the/City go rushing by/I sit here alone/And I wonder why
Friday night and everyone's moving/I can fell the heat/But it's shooting/Heading down/I search for the beat in this dirty town
Down town the young ones are going
Down town the young ones are growing
Chorus :
We're the kids in America (x 2)
Everybody live for the music-go-round
Bright lights the music gets faster/Look boy, don't check on your watch/Not another glance/I'm not leaving now, honey not a chance
Hot-shot, give me no problems/Much later baby you'll be saying never mind/You know life is cruel, life is never kind
Kind hearts don't make a new story
Kind hearts don't grab any glory
(Chorus)
Come closer, honey that's better/Got to get a brand new experience/Feeling right/Oh don't try to stop baby
Hold me tight
Outside a new day is dawning/Outside Sububia's sprawling everywhere/I don't want to go baby/New York to East California
There's a new wave coming I warn you
(Chorus)
We're the kids/We're the kids/We're the kids in America
~*~*~*~*~
Youth of a Nation
Last day of the rest of my life/I wish I would've known
Cause I didn't kiss my mama goodbye
I didn't tell her that I loved her and how much I care
Or thank my pops for all the talks/And all the wisdom he shared
Unaware, I just did what I always do/Everyday, the same routine
Before I skate off to school
But who knew that this day wasn't like the rest
Instead of taking a test/I took two to the chest
Call me blind, but I didn't see it coming/Everybody was running
But I couldn't hear nothing
Except gun blasts, it happened so fast/I don't really know this kid
Even though I sit by him in class
Maybe this kid was reaching out for love
Or maybe for a moment/He forgot who he was
Or maybe this kid just wanted to be hugged
Whatever it was/I know it's because
[chorus:]
We are, We are, the youth of the nation
Little Suzy, she was only twelve/She was given the world
With every chance to excel
Hang with the boys and hear the stories they tell
She might act kind of proud/But no respect for herself
She finds love in all the wrong places
The same situations/Just different faces
Changed up her pace since her daddy left her
Too bad he never told her/She deserved much better
Johnny boy always played the fool
He broke all the rules/So you would think he was cool
He was never really one of the guys
No matter how hard he tried/Often thought of suicide
It's kind of hard when you ain't got no friends
He put his life to an end/They might remember him then
You cross the line and there's no turning back
Told the world how he felt/With the sound of a gat
[chorus]
Who's to blame for the lives that tragedies claim
No matter what you say/It don't take away the pain
That I feel inside, I'm tired of all the lies
Don't nobody know why/It's the blind leading the blind
I guess that's the way the story goes
Will it ever make sense/Somebody's got to know
There's got to be more to life than this
There's got to be more to everything
I thought exists
[chorus]
~*~*~*~*~
Both songs seem to profess (by their titles at least) to be a snapshot of teenage life in America in their times. What struck me was how utterly different the songs were both in mood and content. "Kids in America" is largely upbeat and optimistic, whereas "Youth of a Nation" is a very dark and almost hopeless song.
Do you really think life for the youth in America has changed so dramatically since the 80s? Do you think Kim Wilde's song simply presented a sugar-coated view of life in the 80s, as seemed to be a rampant trend back then? Or do think POD's song over-exaggerates problems youth face today?
~*~*~*~*~
For those of you who need a refresher on these songs, here are the lyrics:
Kids in America
Written by Ricky & Marty Wilde
Looking out a dirty old window/Down below the cars in the/City go rushing by/I sit here alone/And I wonder why
Friday night and everyone's moving/I can fell the heat/But it's shooting/Heading down/I search for the beat in this dirty town
Down town the young ones are going
Down town the young ones are growing
Chorus :
We're the kids in America (x 2)
Everybody live for the music-go-round
Bright lights the music gets faster/Look boy, don't check on your watch/Not another glance/I'm not leaving now, honey not a chance
Hot-shot, give me no problems/Much later baby you'll be saying never mind/You know life is cruel, life is never kind
Kind hearts don't make a new story
Kind hearts don't grab any glory
(Chorus)
Come closer, honey that's better/Got to get a brand new experience/Feeling right/Oh don't try to stop baby
Hold me tight
Outside a new day is dawning/Outside Sububia's sprawling everywhere/I don't want to go baby/New York to East California
There's a new wave coming I warn you
(Chorus)
We're the kids/We're the kids/We're the kids in America
~*~*~*~*~
Youth of a Nation
Last day of the rest of my life/I wish I would've known
Cause I didn't kiss my mama goodbye
I didn't tell her that I loved her and how much I care
Or thank my pops for all the talks/And all the wisdom he shared
Unaware, I just did what I always do/Everyday, the same routine
Before I skate off to school
But who knew that this day wasn't like the rest
Instead of taking a test/I took two to the chest
Call me blind, but I didn't see it coming/Everybody was running
But I couldn't hear nothing
Except gun blasts, it happened so fast/I don't really know this kid
Even though I sit by him in class
Maybe this kid was reaching out for love
Or maybe for a moment/He forgot who he was
Or maybe this kid just wanted to be hugged
Whatever it was/I know it's because
[chorus:]
We are, We are, the youth of the nation
Little Suzy, she was only twelve/She was given the world
With every chance to excel
Hang with the boys and hear the stories they tell
She might act kind of proud/But no respect for herself
She finds love in all the wrong places
The same situations/Just different faces
Changed up her pace since her daddy left her
Too bad he never told her/She deserved much better
Johnny boy always played the fool
He broke all the rules/So you would think he was cool
He was never really one of the guys
No matter how hard he tried/Often thought of suicide
It's kind of hard when you ain't got no friends
He put his life to an end/They might remember him then
You cross the line and there's no turning back
Told the world how he felt/With the sound of a gat
[chorus]
Who's to blame for the lives that tragedies claim
No matter what you say/It don't take away the pain
That I feel inside, I'm tired of all the lies
Don't nobody know why/It's the blind leading the blind
I guess that's the way the story goes
Will it ever make sense/Somebody's got to know
There's got to be more to life than this
There's got to be more to everything
I thought exists
[chorus]
~*~*~*~*~