If you're looking for a loud, fuzzy, catchy-… Read Full Bio ↴www.myspace.com/bangups
If you're looking for a loud, fuzzy, catchy-as-hell and at times abrasive record, look no further than Bangups EP "Ten Dollars An Hour." Hailing from Grand Rapids, Michigan, Bangups consists of guitarist/vocalist Joey Dornbos and drummer Brent French. They've got that dirty, bluesy, early White Stripes thing going on, though with pop sensibilities reminiscent of The Strokes & The Animals. All of this makes for a very energetic listen.
One stand-out track is the foot-stomping "Sunburnt Love." This song centers on "Sweet Little Janie..." She's got "the jeans with the butterflies on the back pockets" that make the "boys' eyeballs pop out of their sockets." It's a dirty little tale of a young fellow's sexual encounters, the love that follows, and the inevitable break up; truly the makings of a typical youngster's summer. The snares just pound on the chorus, as the lyrics sing, "My sunburnt love died in the autumn rain.
Another notable track is an oddball tune titled, "Bible Camp." Musically, this sounds like a blues song. Lyrically, however, it's a full-out fundamentalist sermon. With a healthy dose of sarcasm, the words sound like they're spoken by some overprotective youth group leader. As the chorus prays, "Dear God, keep us safe on the road/Be with the kids and their chaperones...in Jesus' name amen/Now kids don't you dare forget this here bible church you represent...in Jesus' name amen."
This is the kind of music that Michigan, home to such greats as Iggy & The Stooges, Death, and The White Stripes, has used to smash a dent in rock n' roll history. Though Bangups have been around just a short time, they'll do their state proud if they keep cranking out albums like this one.-JS
Ten Dollars
Bangups Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dad made money at a factory
I use to feel so much shame
About my trouble with school and the grades I made
I'm a ten dollar an hour
Holy Bible nurtured nobody
We went to church and we learned the rules
There was concern for my spiritual growth
Jesus was the third word out of my mouth
I'm a ten dollar an hour
Holy Bible nurtured nobody
And Mr. use to be
You ain't getting your disguise on me
Well Dad got weak and he cheated on Mom
Mom was strong and she forgave him
I use to feel so much pain
About being betrayed but I loved him the same
I'm a ten dollar an hour
Holy Bible nurtured nobody
Well after high school Dad got me a job
Didn't go to college I felt too dumb
I spent all of my time and my energy
On my songs riffs and melodies
I'm a ten dollar an hour
Holy Bible nurtured nobody
And Mr. use to be
You ain't getting your disguise on me
In "Ten Dollars," Bangups, an American indie rock band, narrate the story of a person who grew up in a working-class home with humble beginnings. The singer shares a room with his younger sister, and his father works in a factory, earning meager wages. The singer experiences trouble with academics and feels shame about his grades. He is not nurtured by the Holy Bible, and he earns a modest ten dollars an hour.
The singer remembers his religious upbringing, where his mother always cooked food at home, and they went to church, where they learned the rules. The ten-dollar-per-hour worker reminisces about once feeling concerned about his spiritual growth and how he used to utter the word "Jesus" every chance he could. Despite this, the singer was not captivated by the Holy Bible and developed his values.
The story continues with the singer's father cheating on his mother, as he suffered from weakness; however, his mother forgave him. Despite the betrayal, the singer could not help but love his father the same. He then discloses how he got a job after high school and how he could not attend college because he felt too dumb. Still, he devoted all his time and energy to create his music riffs and melodies. Bangup's "Ten Dollars" narrates an inspiring tale of a modest worker whose love for music overrides their social status.
Line by Line Meaning
My little sister shared a room with me
When we were younger, my sister and I shared a room
Dad made money at a factory
My dad worked at a factory to earn money for our family
I use to feel so much shame
I used to feel really ashamed of myself
About my trouble with school and the grades I made
I felt ashamed because I struggled with school and didn't get good grades
I'm a ten dollar an hour
I work a low-paying job that pays ten dollars an hour
Holy Bible nurtured nobody
Reading the Bible didn't really help me or my family
Well Mom stayed home and she cooked the food
My mom stayed at home and made food for our family
We went to church and we learned the rules
We went to church and were taught about religious rules
There was concern for my spiritual growth
My family was worried about me growing spiritually
Jesus was the third word out of my mouth
I talked about Jesus a lot growing up
And Mr. use to be
I used to be different
You ain't getting your disguise on me
I won't be fooled by your deception
Well Dad got weak and he cheated on Mom
My dad cheated on my mom because he was in a bad place
Mom was strong and she forgave him
My mom was forgiving and chose to stay with my dad
I use to feel so much pain
I felt a lot of pain because of my dad's actions
About being betrayed but I loved him the same
Even though I felt betrayed, I still loved my dad
After high school Dad got me a job
After I finished high school, my dad got me a job
Didn't go to college I felt too dumb
I didn't go to college because I didn't feel smart enough
I spent all of my time and my energy
All my time and energy was focused on my music
On my songs riffs and melodies
I worked hard on writing and composing my music
Writer(s): JOSEPH DORNBOS, BRENT FRENCH
Contributed by Camilla E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Frog
on Buddy Holly's Ghost
it's a great and catchy song, but I still can't figure out what the meaning is.