That track won a Grammy Award and became an international 40 hit in many countries while also being featured in several films. Later singles with significant airplay include "You All Dat", "Move It Like This", and "Best Years of Our Lives" among others. Yet their commercial fortunes came in fits and starts after the 2002 album 'Move It Like This'. While barely releasing any more material, they toured often during the past decade, finally becoming a dormant project over the past several years as its members pursued other endeavors. This changed in October 2015 when a rejuvenated group released the album 'Ride With Me'.
Website: http://www.bahamen.com/
Rat Race
Baha Men Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I sit down at the table and I hear my daddy say
Life is nothing
It's a nothing
Life is nothing but a slap in the face
Life is nothing
It's a nothing
Life is nothing but a fat rat race
Ooh yeah yeah, ooh yeah yeah
Every night I have a dream that you're taking off your dress
The only thing you're wearing is a button on your chest
And the button, it says nothing,
Life is nothing but a slap in the face
Life is nothing
It's a nothing
Life is nothing but a fat rat race
What is life?
What is life?
A rat race
A rat race
What is life?
What is life?
A rat race
A rat race
A rat race
A rat rat race
Ooh yeah yeah, ooh yeah yeah
Ooh yeah yeah, ooh yeah yeah
It's a jungle out there and I know I don't belong
So all night long I just sing my stupid song
Ooh yeah yeah, ooh yeah yeah
Ooh yeah yeah, ooh yeah yeah
Life is nothing
It's a nothing
Life is nothing but a slap in the face
Life is nothing
It's a nothing
Life is nothing but a fat rat race
What is life?
A rat race
What is life?
A rat race
A rat, a rat race
A rat race
Ooh yeah yeah, ooh yeah yeah
Ooh yeah yeah, ooh yeah yeah
Ooh yeah yeah, ooh yeah yeah
Ooh yeah yeah, ooh yeah yeah
Baha Men's "Rat Race" is an anthem that reflects the struggle many people feel with the monotonous routine of everyday life. The lyrics of the song convey the feeling of disappointment and frustration that can arise from constantly feeling stuck in a cycle of meaningless activities. The opening verse begins with the singer waking up each morning and hearing his father say "life is nothing but a slap in the face," which sets the tone for the rest of the song. The phrase "life is nothing" is repeated throughout the song, emphasizing the feeling of emptiness and despair.
The second verse of the song shifts from the mundane routine of everyday life to a dream world where the singer imagines an idyllic scene with nothing but a button on someone's chest. Despite this seemingly perfect scene, the button says nothing, emphasizing the idea that even in a dream world, there is still an underlying sense of meaninglessness. The chorus of the song emphasizes the idea of life as a rat race and repeats the phrase "what is life?" as if the singer is questioning the entire point of existence.
Overall, "Rat Race" is a powerful song that highlights the feeling of being stuck in a never-ending cycle of monotony and questioning the purpose of life itself.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I wake up in the morning each and every day
The singer wakes up daily and begins his daily routine.
And I sit down at the table and I hear my daddy say
The singer's dad says something to him while they're at the table together.
Life is nothing
It's a nothing
Life is nothing but a slap in the face
The singer's dad tells him that life is nothing and is only a cruel punishment.
Life is nothing
It's a nothing
Life is nothing but a fat rat race
The dad repeats that life is a competition, and it's all about winning:
Every night I have a dream that you're taking off your dress
The singer has a dream about someone taking off their clothes.
The only thing you're wearing is a button on your chest
The person in the dream is only wearing a button on their shirt.
And the button, it says nothing,
Life is nothing but a slap in the face
The button on the person's chest is meaningless, just like life itself.
What is life?
What is life?
A rat race
A rat race
The singer asks a rhetorical question about life being nothing but a race, just like a rat race.
What is life?
What is life?
A rat race
A rat race
A rat race
A rat rat race
The singer repeats that life is like a rat race, which is a never-ending cycle of competition and stress.
It's a jungle out there and I know I don't belong
So all night long I just sing my stupid song
The singer feels like he doesn't fit into the competitive world out there, so he just sings his own silly song all night long.
Life is nothing
It's a nothing
Life is nothing but a slap in the face
The singer reaffirms his belief that life is meaningless yet harsh.
Life is nothing
It's a nothing
Life is nothing but a fat rat race
The singer again reiterates that life is a never-ending, cutthroat competition.
What is life?
A rat race
What is life?
A rat race
A rat, a rat race
A rat race
The singer repeats that life is like a rat race and mocks the idea that life would be any different.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JON CARIN, RICK CHERTOFF, DAVID FORMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind