Darin was a very special and talented entertainer. He was a Grammy award winning singer ('Mack The Knife'), a respected member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ('Dream Lover', 'Splish Splash', 'If I Were A Carpenter') a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, a successful record producer, an Oscar nominated actor and a strong supporter of the American Heart Association. Bobby was married to actress Sandra Dee from 1960-1967. They had one son, Dodd, born in December 1961. As a result of complications from a rheumatic heart, Bobby's life was tragically cut short in 1973.
Darin's mother, Vanina Cassotto, had given birth to him when she was 16, and as a result, her parents raised Darin as though he were their son while Vanina was presented off as his elder sister. Darin did not learn the truth about his parentage until he was 32.
For more on Bobby Darin, watch "Beyond the Sea," in which Kevin Spacey portrays the entertainer.
questions
Bobby Darin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How do you make it fall
Well you chip away
Every day
And soon the clay
Will fade away
And the hole you've dug
In the dream you hug
In your ear
Can't you hear.
How do you kill the sunshine
How do you turn it out
Well you close your eyes
To the cries
And the lies
In the law's disguise
And the light will fade
In the evenin' shade
Which is only made
By the sun
Are you dumb.
How do you kill the ocean
How do you make it dry
Well you first dilute
Then pollute
Cut the fruit
At the root
And the ocean's floor
Will be like a whore
Who will lie no more
'cause she's dead
Use your head.
How do you kill the country
How does she disappear
Well you trade your tent
In for rent
That will be spent
On poured cement
And the things that grew
When the earth was new
Which have nurtured you
Will be gone
Blow your horn.
How do you kill an idea?
In our surprising world, war can ensue in many forms than just that of guns and bombs. In Bobby Darin's song Questions, the artist highlights this idea by posing several questions concerning how certain things can be destroyed or eliminated. The chorus suggests that all these things can be ended by simply ignoring them, or sprouting them with pollution and destruction until they eventually disappear.
The first verse refers to how one may destroy a mountain – by chipping away at it consistently until it eventually crumbles and dies. The second verse asks how to kill sunshine – by closing your eyes and turning a blind eye to what is happening before you, so much so that it no longer exists. The third verse speaks of killing the ocean – by polluting and diluting its waters, which leads to the death of fishes and the degradation of the ocean floor. Finally, the last verse talks about how to kill a country – by building on lands that grow food and crops, which are later replaced with concrete structures, leading to the death of agricultural livelihoods, among other things.
In essence, it seems as though Bobby Darin is posing these questions to expose how humanity has an inclination to destroy things slowly, often without realizing it. The song encourages individuals to think about the consequences of their actions and the impact it has on our environment and the world in general.
Line by Line Meaning
How do you kill a mountain
How does one destroy or bring down a strong foundation or powerful entity?
How do you make it fall
What actions can you take to weaken and topple the mountain?
Well you chip away
Slowly break down the mountain piece by piece
Every day
Consistently and continuously over time
And soon the clay
The solid, unyielding structure of the mountain will begin to break apart
Will fade away
Slowly but surely disappear or disintegrate
And the hole you've dug
The progress you've made in bringing down the mountain
In the dream you hug
The vision or goal you strive towards
Will be like a bug
The progress you've made will seem insignificant to the larger task at hand
In your ear
A reminder that the task is not complete
Can't you hear.
Are you not listening or are you ignoring the message?
How do you kill the sunshine
How does one get rid of something bright and positive?
How do you turn it out
How can you extinguish the light or hope provided by the sunshine?
Well you close your eyes
Ignore the good, refuse to see the positive
To the cries
To the calls for help or sounds of happiness and joy
And the lies
Misleading statements or beliefs
In the law's disguise
Under the guise of what is right or lawful
And the light will fade
The brightness and positivity will diminish
In the evenin' shade
In the darkness or negativity surrounding the original light source
Which is only made
The darkness is only present because the brightness has been removed
By the sun
By the original source of hope and positivity
Are you dumb.
A rhetorical question, asking if the listener is unaware of the cause and effect of their actions
How do you kill the ocean
How does one damage or ruin a vast, seemingly indestructible body of water?
How do you make it dry
How can you remove the water from the ocean?
Well you first dilute
Begin to weaken the concentration and purity of the ocean water
Then pollute
Introduce harmful and damaging substances to the ocean water
Cut the fruit
Destroy the life that thrives in the ocean
At the root
At the source or beginning of life in the ocean
And the ocean's floor
The foundation and support system of the ocean's life
Will be like a whore
The destruction of the ocean will leave it vulnerable and exploited
Who will lie no more
No more life or honesty will exist where there was once abundance and truth
'cause she's dead
The complete and total destruction of the ocean's life has occurred
Use your head.
A message to use critical thinking and common sense in choices and actions
How do you kill the country
How does one remove the beauty and sustainability of their homeland?
How does she disappear
How does the country transition from a thriving, natural place to one of concrete and progress?
Well you trade your tent
Give up the simple way of living close to and with nature
In for rent
In exchange for living in a manmade, urban space
That will be spent
Investing in things that separate us from the natural, sustainable way of life
On poured cement
The development of manmade surfaces, rather than the nurturing and use of the natural ground
And the things that grew
The self-sustaining growth and life that exists in nature
When the earth was new
During a time where nature was valued and viewed as necessary for human survival
Which have nurtured you
The natural world has provided life and sustainability for humans up to this point
Will be gone
The destruction of these life-giving spaces and sources will lead to a loss of support for human life
Blow your horn.
A call to action, to wake up and do something to protect and preserve nature
How do you kill an idea?
How does one remove or eradicate a thought, belief, or concept?
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
hategreed1
I LOVE this album. It's one of the GREAT buried treasures in recording history. He gave Americans a great gift of prescience with this song, and Americans didn't listen. Listening to it now....we're THERE.
EDITH SYMMANS
Bobby Darin is such a mega multi talented man, to this day no one has ever been able to achieve what he did with his songs. His ability to dig deep into the heart and soul of each song and deliver the most wonderful heart felt song in his recordings and to his live audiences is indeed a testament to Bobby Darin. The rich tones and sound are unique to Bobby. Thank God the world was blessed with his masterful unique abilities and talents, and massive contribution to the world of music. RIP BD !
Brandon Szparagowski
This album is so good, its a tragedy this isnt on spotify and other streaming services
tenniscollector
Thanks. Great Song and a shame that the album was not more of a success. Great Opening song to his 1968... Born Walden Robert Cassotto record.
Chicken Little Syndrome
This is great.
hategreed1
With this album, Walden Robert Cassotto CREATED RAP. But it took Americans 40 years to catch up, and they still haven't equaled his for LISTENABILITY and PROFUNDITY of lyrics.
Batty Jr. Jarmon
What about Louis Jordan?
hategreed1
This song has the same messages/theme that Marvin Gaye expressed in "What's Going On". This one by Bobby was earlier. 1968. Marvin's was released in 1971.
B.K Cook
Buried treasure of a record. Sad killer record. Cant say enough about this skipped l.p
Dag Nabbit
Just saw this LP came out on a list of establishment type older Recording Artists who decided to take a swing at 60s rock/pop/ psychedelia . Cassotto by Bobby Darin is considered one of those Classics that never got it’s due . Well it took two listenings and I have to say Bobby Darin actually accomplished it . Yet it almost seems this was ahead of its time with its 70s type of stylings , arrangements , eclecticism , instrumentation etc. I always wondered if Bobby Darin was overrated and questioned his inclusion in RocknRoll Hall of Fame . Well I have flushed that notion . He was actually better than I thought