Life on the Nickel
Foster the People Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling
Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling
Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling
But I can't seem to catch a dime
Take a little hit and I lose the time

I took the man and his horse
And ran before he looked up
I said the light's gonna change
But I'm calm and feeling warm
And now I'm sticking out my hands
And feeling weightless again

You got to push, got to shove
I've got to eat before they eat me
Got the crown and the cup
I've got to write to my family
And say, "I'm calm and feeling warm."
I'm not quite there, but I'm close
And it's a world of a difference

Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling
Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling
Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling
But I can't seem to catch a dime
Take a little hit and I lose the time

I've got the worst all behind me
Yeah they'll never be able to find me
I'm the king of the city
I'm a roach and they're all primates
This is meal time
Real life
I'm not gonna fight
No, I'm gonna start a war

I've been right
I've been wrong
My smokes have come and gone
I've been crazy
Been fed enough to not wind up dead
And I'm lonely
My eyes have been closed to the world
'Cause the world's got nothing for me

Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling
Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling
Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling
But I can't seem to catch a dime
Take a little hit and I lose the time

Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling
Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling
Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling
But I can't seem to catch a dime
Take a little hit and I lose the time

Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling




Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling
Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling

Overall Meaning

The song "Life on the Nickel" by Foster the People speaks about a person who is constantly hustling but cannot seem to catch a break. The repeated lines "yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling" emphasize the character's struggle to make ends meet. Despite all the efforts they put in, they cannot seem to earn a dime. The line "take a little hit and I lose the time" suggests that the character might be using drugs to cope with their problems but instead ends up losing even more time.


The line "I took the man and his horse and ran before he looked up" indicates that the character is willing to go to extremes to survive in their current situation. They are willing to deceive someone to make a quick buck. The line "I'm a roach and they're all primates" conveys the character's feelings of being an outsider in a society that is not accepting of them.


The bridge in the song highlights the character's resilience and survival instinct. Despite facing many challenges, they have managed to overcome the worst and emerge as the "king of the city." The line "I'm not gonna fight, no, I'm gonna start a war" suggests that the character is ready to take on the world and fight for what they believe in.


Overall, "Life on the Nickel" is a powerful commentary on the struggles of the working class and the lengths that people will go to survive in a society that often leaves them behind.


Line by Line Meaning

Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling
I am constantly working hard to make money, but it feels like I can never catch a break.


But I can't seem to catch a dime
Despite my efforts, I am unable to earn any money.


Take a little hit and I lose the time
Even if I take a small break, I end up losing valuable time that I could have spent working.


I took the man and his horse
I stole from someone without being noticed by them.


And ran before he looked up
I escaped from the scene before the person could notice the theft.


I said the light's gonna change
I lied to someone in order to get away with something.


But I'm calm and feeling warm
Despite my dishonest actions, I feel comfortable and at ease.


And now I'm sticking out my hands
I am now begging for money because I have not been successful in my hustling.


And feeling weightless again
Despite my struggles, begging for money makes me feel free because I do not have to worry about making an effort.


You got to push, got to shove
In order to succeed, you have to be aggressive and assertive.


I've got to eat before they eat me
I have to prioritize taking care of myself before worrying about others taking advantage of me.


Got the crown and the cup
I have achieved success and am reaping the benefits of my hard work.


I've got to write to my family
I have to communicate with my loved ones despite my busy lifestyle and the struggles I face.


And say, "I'm calm and feeling warm."
I want to assure my family that despite my difficulties, I am at peace with myself and my situation.


I'm not quite there, but I'm close
I have not yet achieved all of my goals, but I am making progress and am close to success.


And it's a world of a difference
The progress I have made has made a significant impact on my life and the way I see things.


I've got the worst all behind me
I have overcome the most difficult aspects of my life.


Yeah they'll never be able to find me
I have moved on and am no longer affected by the negative aspects of my past.


I'm the king of the city
I have achieved a level of success and status in my community.


I'm a roach and they're all primates
I am insignificant compared to others who are more successful and powerful.


This is meal time
This is a critical moment where I need to focus and work hard in order to achieve my goals.


Real life
This is the reality of the hardships I face and the challenges I must overcome.


I'm not gonna fight
I am not going to give up or back down in the face of adversity.


No, I'm gonna start a war
I am going to aggressively pursue my goals and challenge those who try to stand in my way.


I've been right
At times I have made the correct choices and succeeded.


I've been wrong
At other times, I have made mistakes and faced setbacks.


My smokes have come and gone
Things in my life have been unpredictable and unstable.


I've been crazy
I have faced mental health issues and difficult times.


Been fed enough to not wind up dead
I have had enough resources and support to avoid the worst outcomes despite my difficulties.


And I'm lonely
Despite my success and progress, I still feel isolated and unsupported.


My eyes have been closed to the world
I have not been able to fully engage with the world and experience all it has to offer because of my struggles.


'Cause the world's got nothing for me
Despite my efforts and progress, I still feel that the world has not given me what I deserve.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MARK FOSTER, PAUL EPWORTH

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

Luis Fernando Reyes

Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling
Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling
Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling
But I can't seem to catch a dime
Take a little hit and I lose the time
I took the man and his horse and ran before he looked up
I said the light's gonna change but I'm calm and feeling warm
And now I'm sticking out my hands and feeling weightless again
You got to push, got to shove
I've got to eat before they eat me
Got the crown and the cup
I've got to write to my family
And say, "I'm calm and feeling warm"
I'm not quite there, but I'm close
And it's a world of a difference
Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling
Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling
Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling
But I can't seem to catch a dime
Take a little hit and I lose the time
I've got the worst all behind me
Yeah, they'll never be able to find me
I'm the king of the city
I'm a roach and they're all primates
This is meal time, real life
I'm not gonna fight
No, I'm gonna start a war
I've been right I've been wrong
My smokes have come and gone I've been crazy
Been fed enough to not wind up dead and I'm lonely
My eyes have been closed to the world
'Cause the world's got nothing for me
Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling
Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling
Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling
But I can't seem to catch a dime
Take a little hit and I lose the time
Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling
Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling
Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling
But I can't seem to catch a dime
Take a little hit and I lose the time
Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling
Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling
Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling



Serrano Sanchez Erick Samuel

Yet again I'm hustling, hustling, hustling [x3]
But I can't seem to catch a dime
Take a little hit and I lose the time

I took the man and his horse
And ran before he looked up
I said the light's gonna change
But I'm calm and feeling warm
And now I'm sticking out my hands
And feeling weightless again

You got to push, got to shove
I've got to eat before they eat me
Got the crown and the cup
I've got to write to my family
And say, "I'm calm and feeling warm."
I'm not quite there, but I'm close
And it's a world of a difference

Yet again I'm hustling, hustling, hustling [x3]
But I can't seem to catch a dime
Take a little hit and I lose the time

I've got the worst all behind me
Yeah they'll never be able to find me
I'm the king of the city
I'm a roach and they're all primates
This is meal time
Real life
I'm not gonna fight
No, I'm gonna start a war

I've been right
I've been wrong
My smokes have come and gone
I've been crazy
Been fed enough to not wind up dead
And I'm lonely
My eyes have been closed to the world
'Cause the world's got nothing for me

Yet again I'm hustling, hustling, hustling [x3]
But I can't seem to catch a dime
Take a little hit and I lose the time

Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling [x3]
But I can't seem to catch a dime
Take a little hit and I lose the time

Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling [x3]



Rocket

Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling
Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling
Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling
But I can't seem to catch a dime
Take a little hit and I lose the time
I took the man and his horse and ran before he looked up
I said the light's gonna change but I'm calm and feeling warm
And now I'm sticking out my hands and feeling weightless again
You got to push, got to shove
I've got to eat before they eat me
Got the crown and the cup
I've got to write to my family
And say, "I'm calm and feeling warm"
I'm not quite there, but I'm close
And it's a world of a difference
Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling
Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling
Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling
But I can't seem to catch a dime
Take a little hit and I lose the time
I've got the worst all behind me
Yeah, they'll never be able to find me
I'm the king of the city
I'm a roach and they're all primates
This is meal time, real life
I'm not gonna fight
No, I'm gonna start a war
I've been right I've been wrong
My smokes have come and gone I've been crazy
Been fed enough to not wind up dead and I'm lonely
My eyes have been closed to the world
'Cause the world's got nothing for me
Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling
Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling
Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling
But I can't seem to catch a dime
Take a little hit and I lose the time
Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling
Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling
Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling
But I can't seem to catch a dime
Take a little hit and I lose the time
Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling
Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling
Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustlingYet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling
Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling
Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling
But I can't seem to catch a dime
Take a little hit and I lose the time
I took the man and his horse and ran before he looked up
I said the light's gonna change but I'm calm and feeling warm
And now I'm sticking out my hands and feeling weightless again
You got to push, got to shove
I've got to eat before they eat me
Got the crown and the cup
I've got to write to my family
And say, "I'm calm and feeling warm"
I'm not quite there, but I'm close
And it's a world of a difference
Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling
Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling
Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling
But I can't seem to catch a dime
Take a little hit and I lose the time
I've got the worst all behind me
Yeah, they'll never be able to find me
I'm the king of the city
I'm a roach and they're all primates
This is meal time, real life
I'm not gonna fight
No, I'm gonna start a war
I've been right I've been wrong
My smokes have come and gone I've been crazy
Been fed enough to not wind up dead and I'm lonely
My eyes have been closed to the world
'Cause the world's got nothing for me
Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling
Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling
Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling
But I can't seem to catch a dime
Take a little hit and I lose the time
Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling
Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling
Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling
But I can't seem to catch a dime
Take a little hit and I lose the time
Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling
Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling
Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling



All comments from YouTube:

Darth Gumby

This whole album is lit

ripped

Str8 bussin

SteveNever1

Why you think it’s called torches?

Kyle Joynt

I smell smoke

1 More Replies...

Moi Rodriguez

No puedo creer que ya sean 10 años de estas joyas 😭

Rail Faner

Almost 12 now 😭

April Nichols

Torches is my favorite FTP Album. Did a lot of soul searching and healing to every song. A torch for my soul in the darkest times of my life.

Darin Dalton

You guys really helped me out in life with your music. Thank you guys so much!!

Finding Keno

💯

tails

100
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