He has released five albums and has spent the last eighteen years touring the country in his mother's Toyota Previa minivan, providing Canadians with a truly wild performance. He has shared the stage with acts like The Rheostatics, The Constantines, Cuff the Duke, The Silverhearts, The Guthries, and Joel Plaskett.
He has played such high profile schmooze fests like Halifax Pop Explosion, SappyFest (Sackville), Close to the Coast (Charlottetown), and Ranchfest (Vancouver).
He hopes one day to be rich and famous, buy a deep fryer for his bedroom, and finally dance with a girl when Stairway to Heaven is the last song of the night.
Too Dumb to Live
B.A. Johnston Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The tides shall rise and upon midnight he strikes
Jump, jump
Can you picture that
You can beat your God with a baseball bat
Jump, jump
Can you picture that
Jab at the skies with a jagged pike
Spill his guts blind his all-seeing eye
With tears in your eyes, you beg and plead
"oh god not me not I"
Jump, jump
Can you picture that
You can beat your God with a baseball bat
Jump, jump
Can you picture that
You can beat your God with a baseball bat
The lyrics of "Too Dumb to Live" by B.A. Johnston are cryptic and difficult to interpret, but it seems that the song is narrated from the perspective of someone who is facing their own mortality. The opening line "The roads run red with the blood of a man so beyond terrified of his time" implies a scene of violence or tragedy, perhaps the moment of the singer's own death. The idea of being "beyond terrified of his time" suggests a fear of mortality, a sense that one's life has been cut short before it was meant to end. The second line "The tides shall rise and upon midnight he strikes" continues the theme of an impending end, with the image of the tide coming in metaphorically representing the unstoppable force of time.
The chorus of the song consists of the lines "Jump, jump / Can you picture that / You can beat your God with a baseball bat". The phrase "jump, jump" could be interpreted as a call to action, as though the singer is urging themselves to take control of their fate. The second line is more enigmatic, but could suggest a sense of rebellion or defiance in the face of an unyielding force (such as time or death). The final line "You can beat your God with a baseball bat" is a provocative image that is difficult to decipher, but could suggest a rejection of traditional religious beliefs and an assertion of individual power.
The verse following the chorus has a more violent and disturbing tone, with the lyrics "Jab at the skies with a jagged pike / Spill his guts blind his all-seeing eye / With tears in your eyes, you beg and plead / 'oh god not me not I'". The imagery of violence against a deity figure is unsettling, and the sense of desperation in the singer's voice ("tears in your eyes, you beg and plead") suggests a deep fear of what comes after death.
Overall, "Too Dumb to Live" by B.A. Johnston is a complex and enigmatic song that is open to interpretation. It deals with themes of mortality, fear, and rebellion, and leaves the listener with a sense of unease and uncertainty.
Line by Line Meaning
The roads run red with the blood of a man so beyond terrified of his time
The streets are stained with the blood of a man who was too afraid to live in this era
The tides shall rise and upon midnight he strikes
He will wait for the opportune moment to act
Jump, jump
Take quick action
Can you picture that
Imagine it
You can beat your God with a baseball bat
You have the power to defy even the almighty
Jab at the skies with a jagged pike
Fight against the impossible
Spill his guts blind his all-seeing eye
Destroy everything in your path, even that which may seem all-knowing
With tears in your eyes, you beg and plead
Even in desperation, you may not find salvation
"oh god not me not I"
A plea for mercy from a futile situation
Jump, jump
Take quick action
Can you picture that
Imagine it
You can beat your God with a baseball bat
You have the power to defy even the almighty
Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: Alexander Avak
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Standing The Gaff
Great track. Thanks for posting.