Beginning in 1976, The Greg Kihn Band put out several albums on the Beserkley Records label. Their most popular album was 1983's "Kihnspiracy", which reached the top 20 of the Billboard Album Chart. Many of the band's albums contained puns on the name "Kihn" within their titles. Aside from their own material, Kihn is also known for his eclectic choice of cover songs, included on his Kihnspicuous Taste double CD "best of" were versions of Love's "Little Red Book", The Only Ones' "Another Girl, Another Planet" Jackie Wilson's "Your Love is Lifting Me Higher & Higher", and even "I Fall to Pieces" made famous by Patsy Cline.
Since 2001, the Greg Kihn Band has been one of the opening acts at the annual Kihncert, which is organized by San Jose, California radio station KUFX-FM (promotional name 98.5 K-Fox), where Kihn is the morning DJ. His son Ry Kihn (named for guitarist Ry Cooder) sometimes plays with his dad's band, as well as a band of his own, Big Fun USA.
Kihn has also written four novels, Horrow Show, Shade of Pale, Mojo Hand, and Big Rock Beat, and released a collection of short stories by himself, and other well known rock musicians, named Carved In Rock: Short Stories By Musicians. Contributors include Ray Manzarek of The Doors, Pete Townshend of The Who, Joan Jett, and Ray Davies of The Kinks.
He recently recovered from a surgery performed on his back, and was back on the air at KUFX on 08/09/06.
Kihn has a new live album entitled Extended Versions out through Sony Records.
Kihn loves Corvettes and supposedly bought one in early December 2006.
Small Change
Greg Kihn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But me I must be different cause I don’t forget
It hurts me when you lie
It makes me wonder why
I’m standing on a backstreet of a lost goodbye
It ain’t fair, it’s a treacherous lie
It’ll turn your heart to get it if you don’t know why
I don’t care what, the wise men say
Small change, in my pockets tonight
Oh, it’s all strange
What can you get with small change?
Oh I want more and more now, I can’t get high
The power in my heart no longer gets me by
My shoes have still got pride
My soles are on my side
They tell me not to worry
Let my conscience be my guide
My feet would never lie
They walk until they die
They never have to follow cause they got no place to hide
Small change, in my pockets tonight
Oh, it’s all strange
What can you get with small change?
Small change
I don’t care (ooh ooh waa)
Not me
I don’t care (ooh ooh waa)
Not me
I don’t care (ooh ooh waa)
Not me
I don’t care (ooh ooh waa)
Not me
I don’t, I don’t
The lyrics of Greg Kihn Band’s song, “Small Change,” tell a story of someone who feels the weight of lies and deceit in their relationship. The singer acknowledges that not everyone reacts the same way to being lied to, but for them, it hurts and they can’t forget it. They stand on a backstreet of a “lost goodbye,” facing the treacherous nature of lies that can turn one’s heart if not careful. Despite what the wise men say, the singer knows that having nothing is better than being in a relationship built on falsehoods.
In the second verse, the singer’s desires have changed; they crave more than just material possessions to make them happy. The power that once resided in their heart is no longer enough. But the singer’s shoes still have pride, and their soles tell them not to worry and let their conscience guide them. Their feet continue to walk towards their destiny without a place to hide, even though it could lead them to their death.
Overall, the song “Small Change” is a commentary on the nature of deceit in relationships and how it can profoundly affect someone. The singer realizes the importance of being truthful and genuine, even if it means having nothing at all.
Line by Line Meaning
Well you may never cry or get upset
You seem to never show emotion, but I am different because I cannot forget things easily.
But me I must be different cause I don’t forget
I cannot forget things easily like you do, as much as I want to be like you.
It hurts me when you lie
Lies from you make me feel hurt and betrayed.
It makes me wonder why
I often question why you feel the need to deceive me.
I’m standing on a backstreet of a lost goodbye
I am alone in a forgotten corner, bidding farewell to someone who has moved on without me.
It ain’t fair, it’s a treacherous lie
What you did is not just unjust but also deceitful.
It’ll turn your heart to get it if you don’t know why
Doing something without understanding the reason could harden your heart in the end.
I don’t care what, the wise men say
I do not give heed to the wisdom of others, as it is my own life experience that informs me.
If you only got nothing no one can take that away
Having nothing may not be desirable, but at least it cannot be taken away from you.
Small change, in my pockets tonight
I don't have much money with me at the moment.
Oh, it’s all strange
The situation feels unfamiliar and confusing to me.
What can you get with small change?
With very little money, you can hardly afford anything of significant value.
Oh I want more and more now, I can’t get high
I crave for more in life, but no amount of material wealth can bring me true fulfillment anymore.
The power in my heart no longer gets me by
Feelings of love or passion that once sustained me are no longer enough to make me feel content or motivated.
My shoes have still got pride
Even though I am not rich, I still take care of my things with pride.
My soles are on my side
My shoes may wear out, but they will never abandon me on my journey.
They tell me not to worry
My shoes reassure me that I don't have to worry about not having enough material possessions.
Let my conscience be my guide
I trust my inner voice to lead me towards the right path.
My feet would never lie
My shoes may wear out, but they will never deceive me by taking me down the wrong path.
They walk until they die
My shoes will serve me until they can no longer function.
They never have to follow cause they got no place to hide
My shoes may not have a place to hide, but they also don't have to follow anyone because they take me where I choose to go.
Small change
Again, I am lamenting my lack of wealth.
I don’t care (ooh ooh waa)
I am not bothered by material wealth, as it is not what makes me happy.
Not me
I am different from those who are only after material gain.
I don’t, I don’t
Once again, I emphasize that I am not interested in accumulating wealth.
Contributed by Lucy S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.