Their sound is usually compared to that of Aussie rock legends AC/DC, though they also draw heavy influence from other Aussie bands like Rose Tattoo and The Angels. They have entertained audiences on the main stage at the 2006 Big Day Out and at such legendary venues as The Tote, The Espy, The Duke of Windsor, The Gaelic Club, Spectrum, The Metro, as well as putting on a highly-praised set at the prestigious Wacken Open Air Festival in 2008. Airbourne have also shared the stage with The Rolling Stones, You Am I, The Living End, Mötley Crüe, Motörhead, Rose Tattoo, Magic Dirt, After The Fall & The Detroit Cobras to name a few.
Their music has been featured in NHL 08, NHL 09, Skate, Madden 08, Madden 09, Guitar Hero World Tour, a trailer for Medal of Honor: Airborne, Nascar 08, a Battlefield: Bad Company trailer, WWE's Royal Rumble 2008, and Burnout Paradise.
Get Busy Livin'
Airbourne Lyrics
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It's a phony lullaby that you're blindly sold
Like a dog gone mad in this raging heat
Like a gambler been had
And shunned to the streets with nothin' to eat
The damage is done, so let's drink it up
We got nothing to lose; it's up to you
Come on, get busy livin', or get busy dyin'
I can't pay my bills and I can't pay the new tax
I got obsolete skills so they gave me the axe
So I kiss the world goodbye 'cause the times have changed
It ain't the same
No, the future is slain and I ain't to blame
The damage is done so let's drink it up
We got nothing to lose; it's up to you
Come on, get busy livin', or get busy dyin'
Come on, get busy livin', or get busy dyin'
Come on, you gotta get up, you gotta get out
You gotta give it all that you can
You gotta turn it up and play it loud
'Cause that's what livin' is all about
Get busy
I'm gonna ride every wave and break every chain in my way
Gonna live till I die, drink and get high every day
Come on, get busy livin', or get busy dyin'
Come on, get busy livin', or get busy dyin'
Come on, get busy livin', or get busy dyin'
Come on, get busy livin', or get busy dyin'
Get busy
Are you livin'?
Get busy
Get busy livin', yeah
The lyrics to Airbourne's song "Get Busy Livin'" are about the struggles of life, the disillusionment with the system, and the need to embrace living to the fullest. The first verse talks about how everything that we have been taught and all that we believe to be true is an elaborate lie. The line "It's a phony lullaby that you're blindly sold" suggests the idea that life may seem comforting and easy, but it's not. The next few lines compare the difficulties of life to a dog going mad, a gambler who has been cheated, and a person who has been abandoned with nothing to eat. Despite all this, the damage is already done, and so we might as well accept our fate and live life as best we can.
The chorus of the song, "Come on, get busy livin', or get busy dyin'" is a call to action. It implies that we have a choice, and that choice is to live life to the fullest or let it die away. The second verse talks about the singer's personal struggles with bills and job loss. They feel obsolete and unable to keep up with the times. However, they realize that they are not solely responsible for their failures, and the future has been destroyed by a system that is not working the way it should.
The bridge of the song continues with the theme of embracing life and getting busy living. It encourages the listener to get up and out and to give it all they can. To turn up the music and play it loud, and to break every chain in their way. The song ends with a repetition of the chorus, followed by the line "Are you livin'?" which is a rhetorical question aimed at the listener.
Line by Line Meaning
It's all a lie--everything I've been told
The singer claims that everything they have been taught in life is a falsehood.
It's a phony lullaby that you're blindly sold
The singer describes the conventional way of living as a false sense of security that one is sold without questioning.
Like a dog gone mad in this raging heat
The singer compares their state of mind to a crazed animal in intense heat.
Like a gambler been had And shunned to the streets with nothin' to eat
The artist compares their financial state to a gambler's loss who ends up homeless on the streets.
The damage is done, so let's drink it up We got nothing to lose; it's up to you
The artist acknowledges that the damage is already done and suggests that they might as well enjoy whatever freedom they have left.
Come on, get busy livin', or get busy dyin'
The singer is urging the listener to choose a path for their life (proactive living or passive surrender) and not waste time hesitating.
I can't pay my bills and I can't pay the new tax I got obsolete skills so they gave me the axe
The singer is describing the struggles of trying to find financial stability when they do not have the right set of skills and when the economy is not favorable.
So I kiss the world goodbye 'cause the times have changed It ain't the same No, the future is slain and I ain't to blame
The artist has given up on trying to fix the system and suggests that the situation is beyond their control or influence.
Come on, you gotta get up, you gotta get out You gotta give it all that you can You gotta turn it up and play it loud 'Cause that's what livin' is all about
The artist urges the listener to pursue life with everything they have got and to live life to the fullest, without holding back.
I'm gonna ride every wave and break every chain in my way Gonna live till I die, drink and get high every day
The artist intends to live life radically and not hold back, pursuing every opportunity for pleasure and adventure.
Get busy livin', yeah
The singer repeats the song's refrain to urge the listener once again to live their lives to the fullest.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: JOEL FRANCIS O'KEEFFE, RYAN O'KEEFFE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind