What's Up
a rock song written by Linda Perry for 4 Non Blondes' debut album Bigger, B… Read Full Bio ↴a rock song written by Linda Perry for 4 Non Blondes' debut album Bigger, Better, Faster, More! (1992). It was released as the album's second single in 1993 (see 1993 in music). It was very successful in Brazil and in several European countries, peaking at number one in Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Germany, Ireland, Norway and the Netherlands.

What's Up
4 Non Blondes Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Twenty-five years and my life is still
Trying to get up that great big hill of hope
For a destination

I realized quickly when I knew I should
That the world was made up of this brotherhood of man
For whatever that means
And so I cry sometimes
When I'm lying in bed just to get it all out
What's in my head
And I, I am feeling a little peculiar

And so I wake in the morning and I step outside
And I take a deep breath and I get real high
And I scream from the top of my lungs
"What's going on?"

And I say, "Hey-ey-ey-ey-ey
Hey-ey-ey"
I said, "Hey, what's going on?"

And I say, "Hey-ey-ey-ey-ey
Hey-ey-ey"
I said, "Hey, what's going on?"

Ooh, ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, uh-huh
Ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, uh-huh

And I try, oh my God, do I try
I try all the time
In this institution

And I pray, oh my God, do I pray
I pray every single day
For a revolution

And so I cry sometimes
When I'm lying in bed
Just to get it all out
What's in my head
And I, I am feeling a little peculiar

And so I wake in the morning
And I step outside
And I take a deep breath and I get real high
And I scream from the top of my lungs
"What's going on?"

And I say, "Hey-ey-ey-ey-ey
Hey-ey-ey"
I said, "Hey, what's going on?"

And I say, "Hey-ey-ey-ey-ey
Hey-ey-ey"
I said, "Hey, what's going on?"

And I say, "Hey-ey-ey-ey-ey (wake in the morning and step outside)
Hey-ey-ey" (take a deep breath and I get real high)
I said, "Hey, what's going on?" (And I scream, what's going on?)

And I say, "Hey-ey-ey-ey-eh (wake in the morning and step outside)
Hey-ey-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah" (take a deep breath and I get real high)
I said, "Hey, hey, what's going on?" (And I scream, what's going on?)

Ooh, ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, uh-huh

Twenty-five years and my life is still




Trying to get up that great big hill of hope
For a destination

Overall Meaning

In "What's Up," Linda Perry of 4 Non Blondes sings about her struggle to understand the world and her place in it. She acknowledges the difficulties of life - trying to overcome obstacles and make sense of the chaos around her - but remains determined to persevere in order to reach her ultimate destination. The opening lyric, "Twenty-five years and my life is still / Trying to get up that great big hill of hope / For a destination" captures the sense of frustration and uncertainty she feels, despite her age and experience.


The second verse reflects on Perry's realization of the interconnectedness of humanity, with the line "That the world was made up of this brotherhood of man / For whatever that means." This statement speaks to the complexity of human relationships and the challenges that can arise when trying to understand and relate to others. The chorus, featuring Perry's powerful declaration of "Hey-ey-ey-ey" and repeated refrain of "What's going on?" conveys a sense of urgency and frustration, as she searches for answers and tries to make sense of the world around her.


Overall, the lyrics to "What's Up" are a powerful expression of the struggles many people face in trying to navigate life's challenges and find meaning in their experiences.


Line by Line Meaning

Twenty-five years and my life is still
I've been alive for 25 years and I'm still trying to figure out my purpose in life.


Trying to get up that great big hill of hope
My life is a struggle and I'm still working towards achieving my goals and finding happiness.


For a destination
I'm trying to find a purpose or a place in this world where I belong.


I realized quickly when I knew I should
I came to the realization that the world is full of different people from all walks of life.


That the world was made up of this brotherhood of man
Despite our differences, we are all human beings and should treat each other with respect and compassion.


For whatever that means
I'm not sure what this realization really means or how to put it into action.


And so I cry sometimes
I get overwhelmed by my emotions and have to let them out through tears.


When I'm lying in bed just to get it all out
I often find myself crying at night when I'm alone with my thoughts.


What's in my head
These tears are caused by the thoughts and worries that constantly occupy my mind.


And I, I am feeling a little peculiar
I feel a little bit strange, different or out of place compared to those around me.


And so I wake in the morning and I step outside
Every day I wake up and prepare to face the world again.


And I take a deep breath and I get real high
I try to take a moment to breathe and clear my mind before starting my day, sometimes using substances to help.


And I scream from the top of my lungs
Occasionally I get so overwhelmed by my emotions that I scream as loudly as I can to release it all.


"What's going on?"
I'm trying to understand why I'm feeling this way and what I need to do to change it.


And I try, oh my God do I try
Despite my struggles, I continue to work hard and try to better myself.


I try all the time, in this institution
I'm constantly putting in effort, often in a difficult or restrictive environment.


And I pray, oh my God do I pray
I turn to prayer as a way to seek guidance and comfort in my struggles.


I pray every single day
I make a consistent effort to pray and seek guidance.


For a revolution
I'm hoping for a major change in my life or in the world around me.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Linda Perry

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@pandorabox3768

Twenty-five years
And my life is still
I'm trying to get up
That great big hill of hope
For a destination

I realized quickly
When I knew I should
That the world was made up
For this brotherhood of man
For whatever that means

And so I cry sometimes
When I'm lying in bed
Just to get it all out
What's in my head
And I, I am feeling
A little peculiar

And so I wake in the morning
And I step outside
And I take deep breath
And I get real high
And I scream from the top of my lungs
What's going on?

And I say, hey, yeah, yeah-eah
Hey, yeah, yeah
I said, hey! What's goin' on?

And I sing, hey, yeah, yeah-eah
Hey, yeah, yeah
I said, hey! What's going on?

And I try, oh, my God, do I try
I try all the time
In this institution

And I pray, oh, my God, do I pray
I pray every single day
For a revolution

And so I cry sometimes
When I'm lying in bed
Just to get it all out
What's in my head
And I, I am feeling
A little peculiar

And so I wake in the morning
And I step outside
And I take deep breath
And I get real high
And I scream from the top of my lungs
What's going on?

And I say, hey, yeah, yeah-eah
Hey, yeah, yeah
I said, hey! What's goin' on?

And I sing, hey, yeah, yeah-eah
Hey, yeah, yeah
I said, hey! What's going on?

And I say, hey, yeah, yeah-eah
Hey, yeah, yeah
I said, hey! What's goin' on?

And I sing, hey, yeah, yeah-eah
Hey, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
I said, hey! What's going on?

Twenty-five years
And my life is still
I'm trying to get up
That great big hill of hope
For a destination



@shirogami4224

Twenty-five years and my life is still
Trying to get up that great big hill of hope
For a destination
And I realized quickly when I knew, I should
That the world was made up of this brotherhood of man
For whatever that means

And so I cry sometimes
When I'm lying in bed
Just to get it all out
What's in my head
And I am feeling a little peculiar

And so I wake in the morning
And I step outside
And I take a deep breath and I get real high
And I scream at the top of my lungs
What's going on?

And I say, hey hey, hey hey
I said hey, what's going on?
Ooh, ooh ooh

And I try, oh my God, do I try
I try all the time in this institution
And I pray, oh my God, do I pray
I pray every single day for a revolution

And so I cry sometimes
When I'm lying in bed
Just to get it all out
What's in my head
And I am feeling a little peculiar

And so I wake in the morning
And I step outside
And I take a deep breath and I get real high
And I scream at the top of my lungs
What's going on?

And I say, hey hey hey hey
I said hey, what's going on?

Twenty-five years and my life is still
Trying to get up that great big hill of hope
For a destination



@aliakbarmuda

If You want to read a lyric
wenty-five years and my life is still
Trying to get up that great big hill of hope
For a destination
I realized quickly when I knew I should
That the world was made up of this brotherhood of man
For whatever that means

And so I cry sometimes
When I'm lying in bed
Just to get it all out
What's in my head
And I, I am feeling a little peculiar
And so I wake in the morning
And I step outside
And I take a deep breath and I get real high
And I scream from the top of my lungs,
"What's going on?!"

[2x]
And I say, "Hey, hey, hey, hey!"
I said, "Hey, what's going on?"

Ooh, ooh, ooh

And I try, oh, my God, do I try
I try all the time
In this institution
And I pray, oh, my God, do I pray
I pray every single day
For a revolution

And so I cry sometimes
When I'm lying in bed
Just to get it all out
What's in my head
And I, I am feeling a little peculiar
And so I wake in the morning
And I step outside
And I take a deep breath and I get real high
And I scream from the top of my lungs,
"What's going on?!"

[4x]
And I say, "Hey, hey, hey, hey!"
I said, "Hey, what's going on?"

> Ooh, ooh, ooh

Twenty-five years and my life is still
Trying to get up that great big hill of hope
For a destination



All comments from YouTube:

@yakubagani8981

0% nudity
0% violence
0% bad word
100% HEYYEAYEAAAHEYYEAYEAA

@kanahasegawa5072

69 likes :>

@yakubagani8981

@@kanahasegawa5072 thank you

@carlosulloa6362

249 likes + 1 from me

@edithmr21o

318th like here

@yakubagani8981

Awesome thank you guys

521 More Replies...

@urrutiavalen

Wait, does this mean that the original performer of this song IS NOT He-Man?

@defaultuserhandle

Valentin Urrutia Just one of those cases where the cover is better than the original.

@defaultuserhandle

Well it was a joke, but there are plenty of covers better than the original out there.

@defaultuserhandle

The easiest one would be "I Will Always Love You" made very famous by Whitney Houston but was a Dolly Parton song.  Dolly even said that Whitney had more or less owned that song with her version with how well done it was.

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