The core of Geggy Tah comprises Greg Kurstin and Tommy Jordan. Each of them has a younger sister who was unable to pronounce her brother's name when very young; "Geggy" and "Tah" were the baby girls' mispronunciations of their brother's names.
Geggy Tah's first release, Grand Opening, appeared in 1994 on David Byrne's Luaka Bop label. For their 1996 release Sacred Cow, they added drummer Daren Hahn to the lineup. Also on Luaka Bop, the album spawned the hit single "Whoever You Are." The song appeared in a Mercedes commercial circa 2001.
In 1999, the band announced a new album entitled Music Inspired by The Fragrance, and released two songs ("Space Heater" and "Sweat") on the web in mp3 format. However (in part because of Luaka Bop's move from Warner Brothers to Virgin Records) the album went unreleased until 2001, by which point it had acquired a new title: Into The Oh.
L.A. Lujah
Geggy Tah Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
L.A. Lujah
Driving through a drive-thru
Rolling down bullet proof glass
Buy a swirly ice cream
And the little bro radio blasts
L.A. Lujah
Descend into L.A.X.
Can't wait to get the rental car
And blast the ratey radio
And run into a movie star
L.A. Lujah
L.A. Lujah
L.A. Lujah
L.A. Lujah
Bless the holy
Bless the wood
Bless the hills
Bless the hood
Bless the
Sensitive people who feel
And the ones
Honking their automobile horns
A breathing fire woman
Is down on her hands and knees
In the middle of the freeway
(Is she praying?)
She's just looking for the lost car key
L.A. Lujah
L.A. Lujah
L.A. Lujah
L.A. Lujah
L.A. Lujah
L.A. Lujah
L.A. Lujah
L.A. Lujah
La la la La La
La la la La La
La la la La la la
La la la La La
The song "L.A. Lujah" by Geggy Tah is a joyful and satirical tribute to the city of Los Angeles. As the song progresses, the lyrics describe different experiences one might have while driving through Los Angeles, from getting ice cream at a drive-thru to encountering a "breathing fire woman" searching for her lost car key on the freeway. The chorus of "L.A. Lujah" serves as a kind of prayer or blessing for the city, acknowledging both its blessings (the "holy" and the "wood") and its imperfections (the "hood" and the "automobile horns"). However, the overall tone of the song is celebratory, as the repeated refrain of "L.A. Lujah" suggests a kind of exuberant, religious joy.
One interpretation of the song is that it's a kind of love letter to Los Angeles, a city that's often maligned for its traffic, smog, and superficiality. Geggy Tah seems to be celebrating the city's quirkiness, and the way that it can inspire both wonder and frustration in equal measure. Another possible interpretation is that the song is designed to be a kind of antidote to the negative stereotypes about Los Angeles that are perpetuated in media and popular culture. By playfully highlighting some of the city's idiosyncrasies, Geggy Tah is perhaps challenging listeners to reconsider their preconceptions about L.A.
Line by Line Meaning
Driving through a drive-thru
Going through a fast food drive-thru lane while in a vehicle
Rolling down bullet proof glass
Lowering bullet-resistant windows for improved communication and safety
Buy a swirly ice cream
Purchasing soft-serve ice cream with a spiral shape
And the little bro radio blasts
Playing loud music from the car stereo
Descend into L.A.X.
Landing at Los Angeles International Airport
Can't wait to get the rental car
Looking forward to renting a car for transportation
And blast the ratey radio
Listen to the radio station that rates and plays new music
And run into a movie star
Hoping to coincidentally meet a celebrity
Bless the holy
Bestow divine favor to people or things deemed sacred
Bless the wood
Consecrate the trees or wooden structures
Bless the hills
Invoke a blessing upon the elevated landscape
Bless the hood
Praise and sanctify the neighborhood community
Bless the sensitive people who feel
Express appreciation for people who are empathetic and emotional
And the ones honking their automobile horns
Acknowledge those who are aggressively sounding their car horns
A breathing fire woman
A woman who is irate and emotional
Is down on her hands and knees
Crouched down and searching
In the middle of the freeway
In the center of a busy, multi-lane highway
(Is she praying?)
Questioning whether the woman is performing a religious act
She's just looking for the lost car key
Searching for a lost car key on the ground
La la la La La
Nonsensical repetition of sounds or syllables
La la la La La
Nonsensical repetition of sounds or syllables
La la la La la la
Nonsensical repetition of sounds or syllables
La la la La La
Nonsensical repetition of sounds or syllables
Contributed by Sophia K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Joel Johnson
on Whoever You Are
This song is so catchy, so great in every way. This song can NEVER get old.