Although a vein of social and political humor runs though even his earliest work, Bern's work became more explicitly political during the 2004 US presidential election campaign, with songs such as "Bush Must Be Defeated" and "President" highlighting his sometimes surreal political takes.
Bern is reflexively literate, in the style of his favorite authors, including L.A.'s legendary bohemians Charles Bukowski and John Fante, urbane fantasist James Thurber, and yarn-spinning humorist Ring Lardner. He is in love with the power of words to turn on themselves, to frolic, to bite, and his strong, friendly voice can go from earnest to ferocious within seconds. Being captivated by Dan is the easy part; describing his music to the non-initiated is more difficult. One journalist tried: "topical-poetical-sarcastic-punk-folk." An admirable effort, further elaborated by the New York Times: "He veers from comedy to anger, conjectures to shaggy-dog stories; he takes sidelong approaches to theology, science fiction, consumer culture, art, love and baseball."
City of Models
Dan Bern Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Even the little girls bring grown men to their knees
Walkin' down the street you're like a mannequin
Leafin' through the pages of Cosmopolitan
In the city of models
Strip shows and one night stands
City of models
You're invisible, so it's okay to stare
Impossibly high asses float nine feet in the air
Every step is hot, the sand is neon blue
Wish you were here so you could be beautiful too
In the city of models
City of one night stands
City of models
City of perfect tans
It's all right
Everybody and their brother tonight
Gonna be lookin' at each other
Look at each other
Into skirts and pants, tThe long, long legs are poured
Inside of halter tops, the big, soft things are stored
Someone's sleeping by the sidewalk grocery store
Get me out of here, I can't take anymore
Of the city of models
Strip shows and one night stands
City of models
City of perfect tans
City of models
Strip shows and one night stands
City of models
City of perfect tans
The lyrics to Dan Bern's song "City of Models" depict a hypersexualized environment where even young girls are affected by the societal pressures to conform to impossible beauty standards. The singer of the song is seemingly a man who finds himself walking down the streets of the city, surrounded by perfect-looking women who are like mannequins in their stillness. He is surrounded by advertisements and media images that perpetuate the ideal of beauty and perfection, making him feel invisible in comparison.
The lyrics further showcase the objectification of women through lines like "impossibly high asses float nine feet in the air" and "big, soft things are stored" inside halter tops. Despite witnessing the degradation and commodification of women, the singer seems to be unable to tear himself away from the allure of the perfect models.
The lyrics are a biting commentary on the fashion industry, which has long been criticized for perpetuating unrealistic beauty standards that are harmful to both men and women. By presenting a world where even little girls are affected, Bern underscores the toxic nature of this industry and the negative impact it can have on society.
Line by Line Meaning
Even the little girls have caught the disease
The unhealthy desire for physical attractiveness affects even young girls
Even the little girls bring grown men to their knees
The unrealistic beauty standards projected by young girls cause grown men to feel inferior
Walkin' down the street you're like a mannequin
The obsession with looks leaves people appearing lifeless and artificial
Leafin' through the pages of Cosmopolitan
Society pressures individuals to conform to impossible standards through popular media outlets
In the city of models
Strip shows and one night stands
City of models
City of perfect tans
The environment of the city places emphasis on physical attractiveness, with an abundance of sexual activity and a desire for the perfect tan
You're invisible, so it's okay to stare
The culture of the city promotes objectification, making it seem acceptable to stare at others
Impossibly high asses float nine feet in the air
The unrealistic standards for physical beauty have created a culture where even the most impossible of features is still desired
Every step is hot, the sand is neon blue
The city perpetuates a culture of superficiality and excess, where even the mundane is over-glamorized
Wish you were here so you could be beautiful too
The pressure to conform to physical beauty standards is pervasive, causing people to feel inferior and wishing they looked different
It's all right
Everybody and their brother tonight
Gonna be lookin' at each other
Look at each other
The city perpetuates an environment of objectification and comparison, where it is acceptable to judge and scrutinize others
Into skirts and pants, the long, long legs are poured
Inside of halter tops, the big, soft things are stored
Someone's sleeping by the sidewalk grocery store
Get me out of here, I can't take anymore
The constant bombardment of unrealistic beauty standards and the resulting culture of objectification wear on individuals, leading to feelings of frustration and a desire to escape
Contributed by Hannah M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.