Tropicalia
Beck Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Oh, when they beat upon a broken guitar
And all the streets, they reek of tropical charms
The embassies lie in hideous shards
Where tourists snore and decay

When they dance in a reptile blaze
You wear a mask, an equatorial haze
Into the past, a colonial maze
Where there's no more confetti to throw

You wouldn't know what to say to yourself
Love is a poverty you couldn't sell
Misery waits in vague hotels
To be evicted

You're out of luck, you're singing funeral songs
To the studs, they're anabolic and bronze
They seem to strut in their millennial fogs
'Til they fall down and deflate

You wouldn't know what to say to yourself
Love is a poverty you couldn't sell
Misery waits in vague hotels
To be evicted

Oh, and now, you've had your fun
Under an air-conditioned sun
It's burned into your eyes
Leaves you plain and left behind
I'll see them rise and fall
Into the jaws of a pestilent love

You wouldn't know what to say to yourself
Love is a poverty you couldn't sell




Misery waits in vague hotels
To be a victim

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Beck's song "Tropicalia" describe a surreal, almost dystopian world, wrought with poverty, decay, and colonialism. The singer describes an urban landscape where guitars are beaten upon until they've broken, the streets are filled with "tropical charms" that reek, and the embassies are in "hideous shards". In this world, tourists come to decay and snore, while the wealthy strut about in "millennial fogs", before ultimately falling down and deflating.


The lyrics suggest a world turned upside down, where everything is disordered and decaying. Even love is described as a "poverty you couldn't sell", while misery waits in "vague hotels" to be evicted. The singer also references a colonial maze, possibly referring to the history of Western exploitation of other cultures. The song seems to suggest a critique of modern society and the excesses of capitalism, which have led to a world where everything is disposable and even love is commodified.


As the song reaches its conclusion, the singer describes a world burning into their eyes, which leaves them "plain and left behind". The final stanza depicts rising and falling into the jaws of a "pestilent love". The lyrics suggest that even in a world filled with decay and disorder, love can still be a destructive force.


Overall, "Tropicalia" is a powerful critique of modern society and the excesses of capitalism. It's a surreal, yet vivid picture of a world where everything is disposable, and love is as destructive as it is romantic.


Line by Line Meaning

Oh, when they beat upon a broken guitar
In a place where music is a symbol of hope and happiness, even a broken guitar can be a companion in expressing people's struggles and feelings.


And all the streets, they reek of tropical charms
The beauty of the place is both a curse and a blessing because it attracts tourism but also has people exploiting it leading to its end.


The embassies lie in hideous shards
The symbols of power and stability that are embassies are in shambles; a demonstration of how fragile and unreliable they are in such nations.


Where tourists snore and decay
The tourists who come looking for fun and adventure become out of touch with the harsh reality of the place and become a burden to society when they get older or fall sick.


When they dance in a reptile blaze
The people have to adapt and survive in a place where the sun is hot and everything is exotic and dangerous like a reptile.


You wear a mask, an equatorial haze
To fit in and survive, people have to hide their true selves and create an image for themselves; a haze of their true selves that obscures the way they genuinely feel.


Into the past, a colonial maze
The legacy of colonialism still looms large and has created a lasting impression that continues to shape the present-day reality of the place.


Where there's no more confetti to throw
The past joys and celebrations are fleeting, and now, there's nothing left to celebrate.


You wouldn't know what to say to yourself
With all these vices and hardships around them, people struggle to find identity and purpose in their lives and what they truly believe in.


Love is a poverty you couldn't sell
In such a place, love is not commodified like in other places, and people do not survive by exploiting and selling emotions; it's something words fail to describe.


Misery waits in vague hotels
Hopelessness and misery are everywhere and waiting just around the corner, even in the most luxurious of places: vague hotels.


To be evicted
People are always on the move, have to adapt or leave, and cannot create any attachment in such an unstable situation.


You're out of luck, you're singing funeral songs
People in this place cannot predict their fate, are always surrounded by death, and must lament the losses they endure constantly.


To the studs, they're anabolic and bronze
People's bodies have to be strong and durable to withstand the stress and hardships the place brings; they often become immune to the problems around them.


They seem to strut in their millennial fogs
People in such places seems to carry on despite the uncertainty of the future, knowing that each step might lead to their demise.


'Til they fall down and deflate
Despite the resilience, there comes a time when even the strongest of people cracks and breaks, and their spirit is deflated too.


Oh, and now, you've had your fun
People who visit the place seeking moments of joy and excitement do not understand the harsh realities of the place fully.


Under an air-conditioned sun
Even the sun has to be controlled and modified to adapt to the people's needs, further highlighting the powerlessness of people in such a place.


It's burned into your eyes
The memory of the harsh realities and the suffering that people endure is unforgettable and permanent, and it changes a person forever.


Leaves you plain and left behind
People who have gone through the ordeal become disconnected from the rest of the world and feel left out and ordinary compared to the experiences that molded them.


I'll see them rise and fall
People's fate and destiny are unpredictable, and they always have to ride the rollercoaster of struggle, hoping for the best for their future.


Into the jaws of a pestilent love
People's love and passion for life cannot be infected or destroyed by any hardships or evil the place brings; they persevere and endure.




Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Beck Hansen

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions