The Bay Way
I.M.P. Lyrics


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Can′t stop, addicted to the shindig
Chop Top, he says I'm gonna win big
Choose not a life of imitation
Distant cousin to the reservation
Defunct the pistol that you pay for
This punk, the feeling that you stay for
In time I want to be your best friend
East side lovers living on the west end
Knocked out but boy you better come to
Don′t die, you know the truth as some do
Go write your message on the pavement
Burn so bright I wonder what the wave meant
White heat is screaming in the jungle
Complete the motion if you stumble
Go ask the dust for any answers
Come back strong with fifty belly dancers

The world I love
The tears I drop
To be part of
The wave, can't stop
Ever wonder if it's all for you?
The world I love
The trains I hop
To be part of
The wave, can′t stop
Come and tell me when it′s time to

Sweetheart is bleeding in the snow cone
So smart, she's leading me to ozone
Music the great communicator
Use two sticks to make it in the nature
I′ll get you into penetration
The gender of a generation
The birth of every other nation
Worth your weight, the gold of meditation
This chapter's going to be a close one
Smoke rings, I know your going to blow one
All on a spaceship persevering
Use my hands for everything but steering
Can′t stop the spirits when they need you
Mop tops are happy when they feed you
J. Butterfly is in the treetop
Birds that blow the meaning into bebop

The world I love
The tears I drop
To be part of
The wave, can't stop
Ever wonder if it′s all for you?
The world I love
The trains I hop
To be part of
The wave, can't stop
Come and tell me when it's time to

Wait a minute I′m passing out
Win or lose, just like you
Far more shocking
Than anything I ever knew
How about you?
Ten more reasons
Why I need somebody new just like you
Far more shocking than anything I ever knew
Right on cue

Can′t stop, addicted to the shindig
Chop Top, he says I'm gonna win big
Choose not a life of imitation
Distant cousin to the reservation
Defunct the pistol that you pay for
This punk, the feeling that you stay for
In time I want to be your best friend
East side lovers living on the west end
Knocked out but boy, you better come to
Don′t die you know the truth as some do
Go write your message on the pavement
Burn so bright I wonder what the wave meant

Kick start the golden generator
Sweet talk but don't intimidate her
Can′t stop the gods from engineering
Feel no need for any interfering
Your image in the dictionary
This life is more than ordinary
Can I get two, maybe even three of these?
Coming from space
To teach you of the Pleiades




Can't stop the spirits when they need you
This life is more than just a read through

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of “Can’t Stop” by RHCP’s, tell the story of a life that cannot be stopped, a life that must be lived to the fullest. The song starts with the singer being addicted to the shindig, full of hope and excitement to win big at life. He then urges the listeners to not choose a life of imitation, but to be their own self. He describes himself as a distant cousin to the reservation, which means being neither here nor there, kind of in a limbo.


The “defunct pistol that you pay for” in some ways relates to the concept of consumerism, which has penetrated deep within people’s lives, with everyone paying for materialistic possessions that have lost their true meaning. The feeling of punk that people stay for is akin to the notion that one loves staying in their comfort zone. The song tells how the singer wants to be the best friend of the listener, and paints a picture of east side lovers living on the west end, highlighting the idea that the lovers come from different backgrounds.


In conclusion, this song is a beautiful and poetic representation of a person's ambitions to achieve their dreams, to live their lives to the fullest and to be authentic. It’s a reminder to not succumb to the societal pressure of imitation and to carve out one’s path in life.


Line by Line Meaning

Can′t stop, addicted to the shindig
I am unable to resist the lively party


Chop Top, he says I'm gonna win big
Chop Top is confident that he will have great success


Choose not a life of imitation
Do not copy others' lifestyles or actions


Distant cousin to the reservation
I am not closely connected to or associated with reservation


Defunct the pistol that you pay for
Stop using the gun you bought


This punk, the feeling that you stay for
The emotional state that keeps you coming back, punk music in this instance


In time I want to be your best friend
Over time, I hope to become your closest companion


East side lovers living on the west end
People from the east side are in love with the west end


Knocked out but boy you better come to
You've been knocked out but you better recover soon


Don′t die, you know the truth as some do
Do not pass away, some people know the truth


Go write your message on the pavement
Express yourself, write your message on the road


Burn so bright I wonder what the wave meant
You shine so bright and I wonder what the wave of energy or excitement was


White heat is screaming in the jungle
The hot temperature is screaming in the jungle


Complete the motion if you stumble
Finish the movement even if you falter


Go ask the dust for any answers
Consult the dust for solutions


Come back strong with fifty belly dancers
Return with a show of strength: fifty belly dancers


The world I love
I love the world


The tears I drop
I cry


To be part of
To be included in something


The wave, can't stop
I cannot resist the wave of excitement or energy


Ever wonder if it's all for you?
Have you ever thought about whether it's all for you?


The trains I hop
I hop on trains


Come and tell me when it's time to
Let me know when it's time


Sweetheart is bleeding in the snow cone
The love of my life is hurt and in misery


So smart, she's leading me to ozone
She's intelligent and she takes me to a different world or level


Music the great communicator
Music is an excellent means of communication


Use two sticks to make it in the nature
Use sticks to make music in the natural world


I'll get you into penetration
I'll get you deeply into something


The gender of a generation
The sex of a generation


The birth of every other nation
The creation of every other country


Worth your weight, the gold of meditation
Meditation is as good as gold, worth as much as you weigh


This chapter's going to be a close one
This section is going to be a tough one


Smoke rings, I know your going to blow one
I know you're going to blow a smoke ring


All on a spaceship persevering
All on a spaceship pushing through


Use my hands for everything but steering
Use my hands for everything except steering


Can't stop the spirits when they need you
You can't stop the spirits when they require you


Mop tops are happy when they feed you
The Beatles are delighted to feed you


J. Butterfly is in the treetop
Jimi Hendrix is in the treetop


Birds that blow the meaning into bebop
Birds that impart the significance into bebop music


Kick start the golden generator
Rev up the magnificent generator


Sweet talk but don't intimidate her
Be charming but do not scare her


Can't stop the gods from engineering
Gods cannot be prevented from creating


Feel no need for any interfering
No desire to interfere


Your image in the dictionary
Your appearance in the dictionary


This life is more than ordinary
Life is beyond mundane


Can I get two, maybe even three of these?
May I have two or perhaps even three of these items?


Coming from space
Arriving from space


To teach you of the Pleiades
To educate you about the Pleiades star cluster


This life is more than just a read through
This existence is more than a run-through


Wait a minute I'm passing out
Wait, I am losing consciousness


Win or lose, just like you
Win or lose, similar to you


Far more shocking than anything I ever knew
Vanishingly unlikely, more than I ever anticipated


How about you?
What about you?


Ten more reasons
Ten additional reasons


Why I need somebody new just like you
Why I need someone, exactly like you?


Right on cue
At the perfect moment




Writer(s): I.m.p.

Contributed by Riley R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Numero Uno

@H Y P H Y WOW Vegas! fantastic, bet it was fun, wish I coulda been there, cool as hell. We could walk the bay bridge now? funny hahah gotta check that out when I get back.

The music scene has changed a lot, it bieber looking like a starved chicken Vanilla Ice with tats HAHAH and all girls tryin to look like low class Kim Kardashian, dyeing their hair and eyebrows black, getting tanned and talkin shit all the time, Sweden has a lot of hot girls and yes of course Vietnam

Yeah I love Frisco still too, it changed a lot last time I was home, but it's cool, things go in cycles and I always stay positive and hit the gym, and no I don't wear a hood and shades and hide in the corner of the gym hoggin up weights hHAHAHA,

I still miss the 90s, I don't regret nothing, I had a blast all the time, it was a funny time really, it was weird at times, wack gangbangers trying to start shit with people all the time, no hard drugs around really, just 40s and cigs for me, I mean I heard about weed with raid sprayed on it, and PCP heads, and extasy, crank, and other weird stuff, but never would touch that shit with a 10 foot pole, I was always hitting the gym then, I remember being so excited about the muscle mags, and buying new supplements, playing football, Mortal Kombat, Street fighter, Super Nintendo, and eating like a king, and hanging with hot girls,

Yeah let's hang out when I get back bro, have a great week



All comments from YouTube:

H Y P H Y

Listened to this the other day while taking the BART. Memories are priceless

Numero Uno

@H Y P H Y HAAHHAAH good stuff Hyphy i was rolling out laughing, BART damn i haven't rode bart in so long or the MUNI, now I'm living the laptop lifestyle in south east asia, can't wait to come back to California

True memories are priceless, I don't regret anything from back in the day, I had a great time ; ) Coit Tower, Twin Peaks, late at night, the beach, cliff house, the hill lookout across the street from the cliff house, FT Funston late at night, cruising around, OLD English 40s Cigarettes, no hard drugs around then, wouldn't touch em anyway

Have a great week bro

H Y P H Y

@Numero Uno thanks for the amazing reply bro. Some times I have the moments where I cruise the coast listening to all my Bay music. Now living in LA, there's no BART system here and some people act as if they're too classy to be regular humans. I'm glad I cam still drive to the Bay at least once a month, last weekend I ran 5 miles around Merritt and walked the Bay Bridge.

I've considered Thailand as a second home, still doing research and visiting once every quarter. How do you like SE Asia? Tell me about it please.

Numero Uno

@H Y P H Y WOW Cool bro, you live in LA, I love Los Angeles, I was living in Culver City for a while when I was on a TV show, it was live, loved it, still miss it ; )

Your right a lot of people nowadays are impersonal, not friendly, I remember back in the 90s you could kick it with girls and guys you didn't even know it was fun, remember?

Damn, 5 miles around Lake Merritt, cool as hell, I miss running too, I'll pick it up when I get back to California,
I'm in Vietnam now, it's cool, hot and humid, I went into business online for myself and never looked back, that's how I could travel the world now, I could be anywhere.

Thailand is cool, been to Bangkok and pattaya once, I like Vietnam better, Thailand as a second home is cool tho, I'm gonna come home soon, we can hang out when I get back bro, have a great week, and hit me up anytime : )))))

H Y P H Y

@Numero Uno sorry for the late reply bro, went to Vegas for a week. But yeah, I'm glad people are keeping the good Bay memories alive. I still love the Bay, just not a fan of its modern music scene. I'd love to buy you a round on the house whenever you make it back to CA. The Bay Bridge has been built up so you can walk it now, so dope!

Numero Uno

@H Y P H Y WOW Vegas! fantastic, bet it was fun, wish I coulda been there, cool as hell. We could walk the bay bridge now? funny hahah gotta check that out when I get back.

The music scene has changed a lot, it bieber looking like a starved chicken Vanilla Ice with tats HAHAH and all girls tryin to look like low class Kim Kardashian, dyeing their hair and eyebrows black, getting tanned and talkin shit all the time, Sweden has a lot of hot girls and yes of course Vietnam

Yeah I love Frisco still too, it changed a lot last time I was home, but it's cool, things go in cycles and I always stay positive and hit the gym, and no I don't wear a hood and shades and hide in the corner of the gym hoggin up weights hHAHAHA,

I still miss the 90s, I don't regret nothing, I had a blast all the time, it was a funny time really, it was weird at times, wack gangbangers trying to start shit with people all the time, no hard drugs around really, just 40s and cigs for me, I mean I heard about weed with raid sprayed on it, and PCP heads, and extasy, crank, and other weird stuff, but never would touch that shit with a 10 foot pole, I was always hitting the gym then, I remember being so excited about the muscle mags, and buying new supplements, playing football, Mortal Kombat, Street fighter, Super Nintendo, and eating like a king, and hanging with hot girls,

Yeah let's hang out when I get back bro, have a great week

1 More Replies...

Northern Pacific Recovery Tenwinkel

I love it!!!

C K

Daaaamn that rap was fast

Can't stand dogs

I don't think there was real words in that shit😅

The Conscious Community

this shit FIRE!!!!!

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