Go Back to the Zoo (GBTTZ) was a band founded in Nijmegen,The Netherlands b… Read Full Bio ↴Go Back to the Zoo (GBTTZ) was a band founded in Nijmegen,The Netherlands by the two brothers Teun and Cas Hieltjes, in 2008. Teun (guitar) and Cas (vocals) had been playing together since they were little kids, when one day they decided they needed a drummer. They called their friend Bram and told him the good news, and so Bram became the drummer. A while later they met a nice guy while standing in the waiting line for a Strokes concert. His name was Lars, and Cas, Teun and Bram decided that Lars should be the bass player. Lars, who had never touched a bass guitar in his life, liked the idea and started practicing like crazy. And so Go Back to the Zoo was born.  
From that moment on they have been writing songs in a dusty old cellar (that also stored a collection of mounted animals). All across the Netherlands Go Back to the Zoo performed their songs, and all across the Netherlands the people liked it.

In 2008 they recorded an EP with producer Torre Florim (De Staat), which got picked up by national radio. Their single ‘Beam me up’ was used by Nike for a worldwide campaign and after that, things went crazy. Go Back to the Zoo got signed to Universal Music and in May 2009 ‘Beam me up’ was released as their first official single. In December 2009 they released their second single 'Electric' with a video which features the bandmembers as musical transformers. Friday, the 13th of August, Go Back To The Zoo released their debutalbum called 'Benny Blisto'.

In January 2016, Go Back To The Zoo announced their end as Go Back To The Zoo. They continue making other music in another band called St. Tropez.

Beam Me Up
Go Back to the Zoo Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'm in the centre, oh won't you pick me up
I'm in the centre, oh please beam me up
I'm in the centre, oh won't you pick me up, oh ooh
You can say what you want to
But I won't do as I'm told to,
I'm up, all night thinking about nothing,
'Cause there's nothing to dream about
It ain't easy living on poor part of town

It ain't easy, it's so hard
I'm in the centre, oh won't you pick me up
I'm in the centre, oh please beam me up
I'm in the centre, oh won't you pick me up
I'm 64 and I'm sitting on the couch watching 'as the world turns',
Oh I know there is nothing in this life I have done,
And put my heart into,
It ain't easy living on poor part of town
It ain't easy, it's so hard
I try, I try
I'm in the centre, oh won't you pick me up

I'm in the centre, oh please beam me up
I'm in the centre, oh won't you pick me up

Overall Meaning

The song "Beam Me Up" by Go Back to the Zoo is a call for help from someone who feels stuck in life; someone who is struggling and wants to escape. The songwriter is in the center of their troubles and is pleading for someone to come and save them. They are tired of living on the poor side of town and feeling like nothing they have done in life has been worth it. They are up all night thinking about nothing, and there's nothing to dream about. The songwriter has given up hope and is desperately seeking a way out.

The repetition of the phrase "I'm in the center" emphasizes the songwriter's feeling of being trapped and helpless. The line "you can say what you want to, but I won't do as I'm told to" suggests that the songwriter has been told by someone to toughen up or forget about their problems, but they are not willing to just accept their situation. The lyrics "I'm 64 and I'm sitting on the couch watching 'as the world turns'" reveals that the songwriter is elderly and feeling depressed about their unfulfilled life.

Overall, "Beam Me Up" is a poignant and relatable song about feeling trapped in life and searching for a way out.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm in the centre, oh won't you pick me up
I am feeling lost and need someone to rescue me from this situation.

I'm in the centre, oh please beam me up
I am hoping for a quick and easy solution to my problems, like being transported to another planet.

You can say what you want to
I am not interested in others' opinions or judgments about me.

But I won't do as I'm told to
I am independent and make my own decisions.

I'm up, all night thinking about nothing
I am struggling with feelings of emptiness or boredom.

'Cause there's nothing to dream about
I feel like I lack direction or purpose in my life.

It ain't easy living on poor part of town
I am facing economic hardship and social inequality.

It ain't easy, it's so hard
I am expressing the difficulty of my situation.

I'm 64 and I'm sitting on the couch watching 'as the world turns'
I am feeling unfulfilled and stuck in my routine.

Oh I know there is nothing in this life I have done
I am reflecting on my life and feeling like I haven't accomplished anything significant.