The Daddies' music is primarily a mix of swing, ska and rock, characterized by a prominent horn section and sardonic, often morbid, lyricism. While the band's earliest albums were rooted predominantly in punk rock and funk, their subsequent studio albums have since incorporated influences from many diverse genres of popular music and Americana into their sound, including rockabilly, glam rock, psychedelia, rhythm and blues, country, soul and world music.
Say It to My Face
Cherry Poppin' Daddies Lyrics
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Daddy's unemployment check is all we got; I need a long sleeve helmet just to cover all my thought
Go after the neighbors now you must protect your home
Tears of rage are streaming down your drunken muzzle
Paranoia foaming from the things your brother stole
If you can intimidate then you can control, yeah
Say it to my face
Say it to my face you fuckin' coward
If you're gonna talk you better say it to my face
I hearted when you farted; it smelled like rubber bands
Is that the sound of boiling fat or is it clappin hands
I'm a little blacker then the other sheep
I dreamed I'ze makin love to dolphins when I'ze dumpin in my sleep
How now say it to my face, I'm in a bad bad way
I'll find a cow and I'll buck it a rodeo
I'll put your battery on my tongue
Go fetch a knife and then off with your thumbs
Say it to my face
Say it to my face you fuckin' coward
Say it to my face
If you're gonna talk you better say it to my face
Face!
The lyrics to Cherry Poppin’ Daddies's song, "Say It to My Face," depict a heated conversation where someone is challenging another to speak their mind directly to them. The lines, "Tears of rage are streaming down your drunken muzzle, Paranoia foaming from the things your brother stole, If you can intimidate then you can control," suggest that the person being challenged is likely someone who talks behind other people's backs and gossips. The singer of the song seems to have finally caught on to this and is demanding that the person say it to their face if they have something to say.
The overall mood of the song is quite aggressive, and the lyrics are interspersed with references to boxing ("Thrilla in Manilla, Frazier and Ali"), food ("can of olives, bag of chips"), and personal struggles ("Daddy's unemployment check is all we got; I need a long sleeve helmet just to cover all my thought"). The singer seems to be fed up with people talking behind their back and wants the truth to be out in the open.
Overall, "Say It to My Face" is a call to honesty and directness in communication, rather than passive aggression and gossip. The singer is demanding that people take responsibility for what they say and own up to it, rather than hiding behind lies and deceit.
Line by Line Meaning
Thrilla in Manilla, Frazier and Ali, can of olives, bag of chips, a case of Genesee
We have very little and are stuck with cheap food and beer, but let's enjoy ourselves by making references to famous boxing matches and snacks.
Daddy's unemployment check is all we got; I need a long sleeve helmet just to cover all my thought
We're poor and struggling, and I'm so stressed out that I feel like I need a physical barrier to protect my thoughts.
Go after the neighbors now you must protect your home
We feel threatened and need to defend ourselves, even if it means attacking our own neighbors.
Tears of rage are streaming down your drunken muzzle
You're so angry and drunk that you're literally crying from your mouth.
Paranoia foaming from the things your brother stole
You're paranoid that your own brother is trying to steal from you.
If you can intimidate then you can control, yeah
We believe that if we can intimidate others, we can control them and get what we want.
Say it to my face
If you have something to say, say it directly to me and don't be a coward about it.
Say it to my face you fuckin' coward
We're so angry and defensive that we're lashing out and insulting anyone who doesn't speak to us directly.
Say it to my face
Again, we're emphasizing the importance of direct communication and not hiding behind gossip or rumors.
If you're gonna talk you better say it to my face
We're warning people not to talk behind our backs and to be upfront with us if they have something to say.
I hearted when you farted; it smelled like rubber bands
We're being intentionally ridiculous and vulgar to express our disdain for someone.
Is that the sound of boiling fat or is it clappin hands
We're using surreal and disturbing imagery to convey a sense of chaos and confusion.
I'm a little blacker then the other sheep
We feel like outsiders or outcasts in some way, possibly because of our race or social standing.
I dreamed I'ze makin love to dolphins when I'ze dumpin in my sleep
We're making a bizarre and possibly disturbing confession to express our own personal weirdness or eccentricity.
How now say it to my face, I'm in a bad bad way
We're in a really bad mood and want anyone who has a problem with us to confront us directly.
I'll find a cow and I'll buck it a rodeo
We're making an absurd and violent threat to seem tough and intimidating.
I'll put your battery on my tongue
We're using edgy and provocative language to threaten someone's safety.
Go fetch a knife and then off with your thumbs
We're making another violent threat to intimidate and scare someone.
Face!
This is likely just an exclamation or catchphrase to end the song on a memorable note.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: AMIR RASHON PERRY, BERNARD JAMES FREEMAN, DAVID DARNELL BROWN, MARLON J. GOODWIN, PREMRO VONZELLAIRE SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind