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Chips Ahoy!
The Hold Steady Lyrics


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She put $900 on the fifth horse in the sixth race
I think its name is "chips ahoy!"
It came in six lengths ahead, we spent the whole next week getting high
At first I thought that she hit off some tip that she got from some other boy
We were overjoyed

Wo-ah-oh-ee-ah-oh-ee-oh
Wo-ah-oh-a-ee-oh-oh
Wo-ah-oh-ee-ah-oh-ee-oh
Wo-ah-oh-a-ee-oh-oh

I got a girl and she don't have to work
She can tell which horse is gonna finish in first
Some nights the painkillers make the pain even worse

Came in six lengths ahead
We spent the whole next week getting high
I love this girl but I can't tell when she's having a good time

How am I supposed to know that you're high if you won't let me touch you?
(Wo-ah-oh-ee-ah-oh-ee-oh)
How am I supposed to know that you're high if you won't even dance?
(Wo-ah-oh-a-ee-oh-oh)
How am I supposed to know that you're high if you won't let me touch you?
(Wo-ah-oh-ee-ah-oh-ee-oh)
How am I supposed to know that you're high if you won't even dance?
(Wo-ah-oh-a-ee-oh-oh)

She's hard on the heart and she's soft to the touch
She gets migraine headaches when she does it too much
She always does it too much

How am I supposed to know that you're high if you won't let me touch you?
(Wo-ah-oh-ee-ah-oh-ee-oh)
How am I supposed to know that you're high if you won't even dance?
(Wo-ah-oh-a-ee-oh-oh)
How am I supposed to know that you're high if you won't let me touch you?
(Wo-ah-oh-ee-ah-oh-ee-oh)
How am I supposed to know that you're high if you won't even dance?
(Wo-ah-oh-a-ee-oh-oh)
And you won't even dance

Overall Meaning

The Hold Steady's song "Chips Ahoy!" tells the story of a girl who places a huge bet on a horse named "Chips Ahoy!" in the sixth race, and ends up winning big. The singer and his friends spend the next week getting high and celebrating her big win. However, the girl's behavior becomes increasingly erratic and hard to decipher. The singer struggles to understand if she is actually having a good time or if she is just high.


The song's lyrics delve into themes of addiction, codependency, and the dangers of self-destructive behavior. The girl's love for gambling and getting high seems to be taking a toll on her health, as she suffers from migraine headaches when she indulges "too much." The singer's love for her is complicated, as he grapples with wanting to help her, but not being able to understand her behavior or her feelings.


Overall, "Chips Ahoy!" is a cautionary tale about the seductive allure of dangerous behavior, and the difficulties of trying to help someone who is going down a destructive path.


Line by Line Meaning

She put $900 on the fifth horse in the sixth race
She gambled $900 on a specific horse in a race


I think its name is 'chips ahoy!'
The horse she bet on is named 'chips ahoy!'


It came in six lengths ahead, we spent the whole next week getting high
The horse she bet on won the race by six lengths; they celebrated by getting high for a week


At first I thought that she hit off some tip that she got from some other boy
Initially, he believed she received insider information from another person


We were overjoyed
They were thrilled about the horse winning and their subsequent celebration


I got a girl and she don't have to work
He has a girlfriend who doesn't need to work for money


She can tell which horse is gonna finish in first
She has a talent for accurately predicting which horse will win a race


Some nights the painkillers make the pain even worse
On certain nights, his pain medication exacerbates his pain


She's hard on the heart and she's soft to the touch
His girlfriend is emotionally taxing but physically tender


She gets migraine headaches when she does it too much
When she engages in certain activities excessively, she experiences migraines


She always does it too much
She frequently engages in activities to excess


How am I supposed to know that you're high if you won't let me touch you? (Wo-ah-oh-ee-ah-oh-ee-oh)
The artist feels uncertain if his girlfriend is high if she won't let him touch her to confirm


How am I supposed to know that you're high if you won't even dance? (Wo-ah-oh-a-ee-oh-oh)
The singer feels uncertain if his girlfriend is high if she won't even dance


And you won't even dance
His girlfriend refuses to dance, adding to his inability to confirm her high state




Lyrics ยฉ RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: Craig Finn, Tad Kubler, Franz Nicolay

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@foundfathrsweredeist

"She put $900 on the fifth horse in the sixth race
I think its name is "chips ahoy!"
It came in six lengths ahead, we spent the whole next week getting high
At first I thought that she hit off some tip that she got from some other boy
We were overjoyed
I got a girl and she don't have to work
She can tell which horse is gonna finish in first
Some nights the painkillers make the pain even worse
Came in six lengths ahead
We spent the whole next week getting high
I love this girl but I can't tell when she's having a good time

How am I supposed to know that you're high if you won't let me touch you? (wo-ah-oh-ee-ah-oh-ee-oh)
How am I supposed to know that you're high if you won't even dance? (wo-ah-oh-a-ee-oh-oh)
How am I supposed to know that you're high if you won't let me touch you? (wo-ah-oh-ee-ah-oh-ee-oh)
How am I supposed to know that you're high if you won't even dance? (wo-ah-oh-a-ee-oh-oh)
She's hard on the heart and she's soft to the touch
She gets migraine headaches when she does it too much
She always does it too much
How am I supposed to know that you're high if you won't let me touch you? (wo-ah-oh-ee-ah-oh-ee-oh)
How am I supposed to know that you're high if you won't even dance? (wo-ah-oh-a-ee-oh-oh)
How am I supposed to know that you're high if you won't let me touch you? (wo-ah-oh-ee-ah-oh-ee-oh)
How am I supposed to know that you're high if you won't even dance? (wo-ah-oh-a-ee-oh-oh)
And you won't even dance"



@daveThbfusion

Weird, I swear

this touches bass and thumps the cabinet

wicked

and I wanted chips a hoy

but low that it was bare

and I journaled and remembered Al Kaprelian

cult hero

at WNDS back in the Day

and watched some vintage weather reports

YouTube #HIGHPRESSURE



@lordzanthartehallen8963

She put $900 on the fifth horse in the sixth race
I think its name is "chips ahoy!"
It came in six lengths ahead, we spent the whole next week getting high
At first I thought that she hit off some tip that she got from some other boy
We were overjoyed
Wo-ah-oh-ee-ah-oh-ee-oh
Wo-ah-oh-a-ee-oh-oh
Wo-ah-oh-ee-ah-oh-ee-oh
Wo-ah-oh-a-ee-oh-oh
I got a girl and she don't have to work
She can tell which horse is gonna finish in first
Some nights the painkillers make the pain even worse
Came in six lengths ahead
We spent the whole next week getting high
I love this girl but I can't tell when she's having a good time
How am I supposed to know that you're high if you won't let me touch you? (wo-ah-oh-ee-ah-oh-ee-oh)
How am I supposed to know that you're high if you won't even dance? (wo-ah-oh-a-ee-oh-oh)
How am I supposed to know that you're high if you won't let me touch you? (wo-ah-oh-ee-ah-oh-ee-oh)
How am I supposed to know that you're high if you won't even dance? (wo-ah-oh-a-ee-oh-oh)
She's hard on the heart and she's soft to the touch
She gets migraine headaches when she does it too much
She always does it too much
How am I supposed to know that you're high if you won't let me touch you? (wo-ah-oh-ee-ah-oh-ee-oh)
How am I supposed to know that you're high if you won't even dance? (wo-ah-oh-a-ee-oh-oh)
How am I supposed to know that you're high if you won't let me touch you? (wo-ah-oh-ee-ah-oh-ee-oh)
How am I supposed to know that you're high if you won't even dance? (wo-ah-oh-a-ee-oh-oh)
And you won't even dance



All comments from YouTube:

@shamone10

Wow havent heard this for 15 years, how on earth did it pop into my head enough to google it after so long :)

@vivelavidarocka

I love it!! Just simple, straight to the core ol' Rock n' Roll.

@stessaboi

saw them when they rolled through hawaii, came home smelling like smoke and totally sweaty, had a black eye, and bruised a rib. best show EVER.

@popcore5579

this honestly reads like a Hold Steady lyric

@pipesjacksonvoice

:) #unifiedscene :)

@Ruthlesshauser

This feels like lyrics from a hold steady joint

@CodyBenson13

Saw them last night, front row center for the 5th time. Craig gave me a high five on stage. Fucking amazing.

@bedspringkiss

The 37 people who dislike this song must be deaf. This is utterly fantastic!! Such a wonderful and underrated band!

@davidanalyst671

Ive heard this song for years, but never thought the video would be so awesome!!

@wildermidnight

this song is AWESOME!

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