Formed in 1997, the band released their first album, 1999s Composition No. 1 on independent record label Eartube Empire. They then recorded an album entitled Call It What You Want for Squint Entertainment, containing tracks produced by the band and by Mario C, will.i.am and Prince Paul. Squint never released the album, but they did release a promotional EP titled Big Broke L.A. that contained tracks from Call It What You Want.
LA Symphony independently released the Baloney EP in 2002. Originally, 1000 limited edition copies were pressed, hand-numbered and shipped in resealable sandwich bags. Baloney was later re-pressed.
Following the Baloney EP, LA Symphony was signed to Gotee Records. They then released The End Is Now in 2003, Less Than Zero in 2005 and Disappear Here in 2005.
Charlie Brown
L.A. Symphony Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And what it is homie,
Why don't you go ahead and lay some of that funk on me
Now I've been rapping and speaking
In Puerto-Rican for deacons and people freaking in club
But it's the love that I'm seeking
Eleven years in the weekend in the making, I'm taken beatens
You name it, this probably happened because of rapping
The roof was on fire at once but now it's collasping
The actions taken by my attorny don't turn the head of the head of the head of the company
And this really troubles me
What in the heck are we gonna do about our circumstance
We can stay and walk away. either way it hurts our chance to advance
[Chorus]
Why everybody trying to pick on me
Is it because my crew is legendary
Or is it that they thinking they can take it easy
Well come and find out so you can get shined out
How many raps I gotta write, feels like the yellow brick road
In '99 signed, put on hold not to be sold, and I'm told
This is the business where nothing gets done
What's the use of making songs if they will never see the sun
Sometimes I run to the bible to restore my faith
But the crew disagree saying "How long we gotta wait?"
My faith to create great feels fake and frustrates
My loves and my hates, my whole emotional state
It makes me want to break to Amsterdam and face paint
Build a private pirate ship, steadily rob a bank
But thanks to my momma, got a conscious that's too strong
I'm always doing right but somehow somethings going wrong
[Chorus]
Why everybody trying to pick on me
Is it because my crew is legendary
Or is it that they thinking they can take it easy
Well come and find out so you can get shined out
[Pigeon John]
Another brick upon my face please
Crazy situations only time I'm on my knees
And I don't needĀ ?????????????? Hold up, wait a minute
Ok, well,Ā ??????????????? excel. w-w-well, slow down, youĀ ??????
See all I really want is to be rich and back slide
Down the side of a mountain with the Gucci handglide
Is thatĀ ???????????????, been good for feasible time
And it's easy to slip and the return of the Son will earn Jesus some shine
Right? Huh, Ok, well next idea: How about you work out a record deal
Why not? God, you may fired. Why not a deal with Sire?
God, you're frustrating me. You're hands created me, right?
Then what I'm gonna do with this guilty that's just killing this mic
[Chorus x 2]
The lyrics to L.A. Symphony's song "Charlie Brown" are a powerful expression of the frustrations and challenges faced by artists in the music industry. The song begins with a plea for someone to lay down some "funk" - a request for musical inspiration, perhaps, or a desire for someone to share their wisdom and experience. The first verse speaks to the struggle of making a career in music - the years of hard work and dedication, the obstacles faced along the way, and the pressure to succeed. The second verse deals with the emotional toll of this struggle - the sense of disillusionment and frustration that can set in, and the temptation to give up or turn to destructive behavior.
Ultimately, the chorus of the song represents a call to action - a refusal to let the struggles of the industry hold the artists down. The line "Why everybody trying to pick on me" suggests that there are forces working against the artists, but the response is to keep pushing forward, to keep creating and striving for success. The repetition of the word "legendary" highlights the central role that music plays in the artists' lives, and the line "come and find out so you can get shined out" suggests that success is available to those who are willing to work for it.
Overall, "Charlie Brown" is a powerful and introspective song that speaks to the challenges of making a career in music, and the emotional toll that can take on the artists involved. It is a testament to the resilience and determination of those who pursue their passion in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
And who you is homie,
Who are you, my friend?
And what it is homie,
What's the deal, my friend?
Why don't you go ahead and lay some of that funk on me
Why don't you share your cool style with me?
Now I've been rapping and speaking
I've been performing my music and giving speeches
In Puerto-Rican for deacons and people freaking in club
I've performed for church deacons and people dancing in clubs
But it's the love that I'm seeking
But what I really want is love
Eleven years in the weekend in the making, I'm taken beatens
For eleven years, I've worked at this on weekends and suffered setbacks
Forsaken, but faking Caucasians, Jamaicans, even Asians
I've been ignored, but pretended to be people of different races
You name it, this probably happened because of rapping
Anything you can think of has probably happened as a result of my music
The roof was on fire at once but now it's collasping
My career was once great, but now it's falling apart
The actions taken by my attorny don't turn the head of the head of the head of the company
Even my lawyer can't influence the top executives of the company
And this really troubles me
This is very upsetting to me
What in the heck are we gonna do about our circumstance
What can we do about our situation?
We can stay and walk away. either way it hurts our chance to advance
Whether we stay or leave, it will damage our chances of success
Why everybody trying to pick on me
Why are people always targeting me?
Is it because my crew is legendary
Is it because my group is famous?
Or is it that they thinking they can take it easy
Or do they believe they can get away with disrespecting me?
Well come and find out so you can get shined out
Well, come and challenge me and you'll regret it
How many raps I gotta write, feels like the yellow brick road
I've written so many raps, it feels like I'm on a never-ending journey
In '99 signed, put on hold not to be sold, and I'm told
I was signed to a record deal in 1999, but then it was put on hold and I was told it wouldn't be released
This is the business where nothing gets done
This is an industry where nothing ever gets accomplished
What's the use of making songs if they will never see the sun
What's the point of writing music if it will never be heard by anyone?
Sometimes I run to the bible to restore my faith
Sometimes I turn to the Bible to regain my faith
But the crew disagree saying "How long we gotta wait?"
But my group disagrees, and wants to know how much longer we have to wait
My faith to create great feels fake and frustrates
My belief that I can create great music is starting to feel untrue and is making me upset
My loves and my hates, my whole emotional state
My feelings of love and hate are affecting my entire being
It makes me want to break to Amsterdam and face paint
It makes me want to flee to Amsterdam and paint my face
Build a private pirate ship, steadily rob a bank
Or build a pirate ship and rob a bank bit by bit
But thanks to my momma, got a conscious that's too strong
But thanks to my mother, I have a conscience that is too strong
I'm always doing right but somehow somethings going wrong
I always try to do the right thing, but something always goes wrong
Another brick upon my face please
Every challenge feels like another brick hitting my face
Crazy situations only time I'm on my knees
I'm only on my knees in the craziest circumstances
And I don't need ??????????????
And I don't need what? (The line is incomplete and the meaning is unclear)
Hold up, wait a minute
Wait a second
Ok, well, ??????????????? excel. w-w-well, slow down, you ??????
Okay, well, what are you trying to say? Please speak clearly
See all I really want is to be rich and back slide
Honestly, all I want is to be wealthy and relax
Down the side of a mountain with the Gucci handglide
I want to be carefree, sliding down mountains with Gucci hand glides
Is that ????????????????, been good for feasible time
Is that possible? It has been a good idea for some time
And it's easy to slip and the return of the Son will earn Jesus some shine
It's easy to mess up and when Jesus returns, he will become even more popular
Right? Huh, Ok, well next idea: How about you work out a record deal
Right? Hmm... okay, well, how about you get a record deal?
Why not? God, you may fired. Why not a deal with Sire?
Why not? God, you might be fired. Why not make a deal with Sire?
God, you're frustrating me. You're hands created me, right?
God, you're making me frustrated. You created me, right?
Then what I'm gonna do with this guilty that's just killing this mic
So what am I going to do with this guilt that is destroying my ability to perform?
Why everybody trying to pick on me
Why is everyone trying to target me?
Is it because my crew is legendary
Is it because my group is famous?
Or is it that they thinking they can take it easy
Or do they believe they can get away with disrespecting me?
Well come and find out so you can get shined out
Well, come and challenge me and you'll regret it
Contributed by Penelope V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.