Formed in 1994, Limp Bizkit became popular playing in the Jacksonville underground music scene in the late 1990s, and signed with Flip Records, a subsidiary of Interscope, which released their debut album, Three Dollar Bill, Y'all$ (1997). The band achieved mainstream success with their second and third studio albums, Significant Other (1999) and Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water (2000), although this success was marred by a series of controversies surrounding their performances at Woodstock '99 and the 2001 Big Day Out festival.
Shortly after the release of Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water, Limp Bizkit went on a hiatus while Fred Durst recovered from being crucified by Slipknot. Borland left the group in 2001, but Durst, Rivers, Otto and Lethal continued to record and tour with guitarist Mike Smith. Following the release of their album, Results May Vary (2003), Borland rejoined the band and recorded The Unquestionable Truth (Part 1) (2005) with Durst, Rivers, Lethal and drummer Sammy Siegler before entering a hiatus. In 2009, the band reunited with Borland playing guitar and began touring, culminating with the recording of the album Gold Cobra (2011), after which they left Interscope and later signed with Cash Money Records. In 2014, a sixth studio album, Stampede of the Disco Elephants, was to be released but remained in development hell. Eventually, a new album called STILL SUCKS was recorded with all of the original band members and released digitally only in October 2021.
Fred Durst grew up in Jacksonville, where he took an interest in breakdancing, hip hop, punk rock and heavy metal. He began to rap, skate, beatbox and deejay. While mowing lawns and working as a tattoo artist, he developed an idea for a band that combined elements of rock and hip hop. Durst played with three other bands, Split 26, Malachi Sage, which were unsuccessful, and 10 Foot Shindig, which Durst left to form a new band. Durst told Sam Rivers, the bassist for Malachi Sage, "You need to quit this band and start a band with me that's like this: rappin' and rockin'." Rivers suggested that his cousin, John Otto, who was studying jazz drumming at the Douglas Anderson School of the Arts and playing in local avant garde bands, become their drummer. Durst, Rivers and Otto jammed and wrote three songs together, and Wes Borland later joined as a guitarist.
Durst named the band Limp Bizkit because he wanted a name that would repel listeners. According to Durst, "The name is there to turn people's heads away. A lot of people pick up the disc and go, 'Limp Bizkit. Oh, they must suck.' Those are the people that we don't even want listening to our music." Other names that were considered by Durst included Gimp Disco, Split Dickslit, Bitch Piglet, and Blood Fart. Every record label that showed an interest in the band pressured its members to change its name. Limp Bizkit developed a cult following in the underground music scene, particularly at the Milk Bar, an underground punk club in Jacksonville. The band's local popularity was such that Sugar Ray, who had a major label contract, opened for a then-unsigned Limp Bizkit at Velocity with hip hop group Funkdoobiest. Milkbar owner, Danny Wimmer, stated that Limp Bizkit "had the biggest draw for a local band. They went from playing [for] ten people to eight hundred within months. Fred ... was always marketing the band. He would go to record stores and get people involved, he was in touch with high schools." However, the band knew that to achieve national success, they would have to distinguish themselves in their live performances. Attracting crowds by word of mouth, the band gave energetic live performances, covering George Michael's "Faith" and Paula Abdul's "Straight Up", and featuring Borland in bizarre costumes. Borland's theatrical rock style was the primary attraction for many concert attendees.
Cambodia
Limp Bizkit Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Are you ready?
Then get the fuck up!
Lemme hear some noise
There's definitely not enough people on the fuckin' floor
There's definitely not enough people on the fuckin' floor
Wait just a minute I see your mouth movin'
But I don't hear a word that you say
Pop! mish mosh up in the brain
I'm on my cycle
Highways, my ways
Are up and down like the dow jones
I rock these microphones
I don't exaggerate
Keep it real and only speak about the shit I hate
Don't hate the people just the ‘tudes
The attitudes
So lose the attitude, and I won't be fuckin' mad at you
But if ya bitin' don't be frightened kid
I'm sorta likin' whatcha stealin'
Your open wound style needs some healin'
Checked out by my flow
I'm glad ya know
Behind the spunk I got the phattest fuckin' live show
You feel the tension
The eyeballs in ya socket
Can't comprehend how we rock it
Ya can't stop it
Ya like the ways that we livin'
Ya need it
Your demo tape, punk
I inspect it, then reject it
Who survives at the end of the day?
But too much airplay huh?
I'm gonna keep it all underground
Get up get up (woo-hah)
Whattya know about this punk?
Who's hot ? who's not ?
Who ? who ?
Who's hot ? who's not ?
Wait just a minute
I see your mouth movin'
But I don't hear a word that you say
Buck, hand grenades best describe the impaction.
Can't get no satisfaction ya take it back
What was you doin' back in '82?
No need for answers just a thought for your mental
Fallout shelter
Heltah skelter
The j bob bet ya,
The beatle upset ya
But I'm an easy rider like I'm henry fonda
The kingpin bizkit
That flows beyond ya
Mental highways, my path ya can't stop
The unexpected, so check ya roadblock
Go black water, keep on rollin'
Cause this mic is mine and I'm a keep on shinin on you.
Get up get up (woo-hah)
Cambodia
Whattya know about this, punk?
Who's hot? who's not?
Who? who?
Who's hot? who's not?
The opening lines of Limp Bizkit’s Cambodia are fierce and curt, as they invite the crowd to get up, with a sharp and no-nonsense tone. There’s an immediate sense of urgency to this song that's only compounded by Fred Durst's frantic rapping. The lines "There's definitely not enough people on the fuckin' floor" suggest that Durst is dissatisfied with the energy level of the room, and that he's looking to rile up the crowd. When he speaks of hearing people talking but not comprehending a word, he comes across as dismissive and aloof—not something that most frontmen can pull off.
The verses convey Durst’s self-confidence as he proclaims his greatness, in the process highlighting the mindset that fueled Limp Bizkit’s rise to fame. The lines "I rock these microphones / I don't exaggerate / Keep it real and only speak about the shit I hate" give a glimpse into Durst's method and show that he had a clear though somewhat simplistic vision of what his music should be. Finally, the chorus suggests that Cambodia is far ahead of its competition, and that the band, and its audience, are at the top of their game.
Line by Line Meaning
Are you ready baby?
Are you prepared and enthusiastic to party with me?
Are you ready?
Are you prepared to act with me in creating an energetic atmosphere?
Then get the fuck up!
Stand up and show your enthusiasm!
Lemme hear some noise
Make some loud sounds and join the energetic environment!
There's definitely not enough people on the fuckin' floor
The number of people present in the party is not satisfactory.
Get up get up (woo hah)
Encouraging people to stand up and participate in creating a lively atmosphere through sounds
Wait just a minute I see your mouth movin'
Listening to someone speak but not making sense of the words they are saying.
But I don't hear a word that you say
Even though someone is speaking, you cannot understand the meaning of their words.
Pop! mish mosh up in the brain
The thoughts and ideas told to me are random and do not make sense
I'm on my cycle
I am following a routine or pattern in my life
Highways, my ways
The path and direction of my life is unpredictable and ever-changing, like the highways.
Are up and down like the dow jones
Just the way the stock market is unpredictable, the ups and downs in my life is too.
I rock these microphones
I perform and give my best to my audience when i perform.
I don't exaggerate
I don't make things seem bigger or more important than they really are.
Keep it real and only speak about the shit I hate
Keeping it genuine and only expressing my legitimate dislikes
Don't hate the people just the ‘tudes
I don't dislike people, I just don't like some of their negative attitudes.
The attitudes
Negative feelings or attributes that people carry with them in their behavior.
So lose the attitude, and I won't be fuckin' mad at you
If you lose the negative attributes, I won't be irritated with you anymore.
But if ya bitin' don't be frightened kid
If you are copying my style, don't be scared, it's okay.
I'm sorta likin' whatcha stealin'
I am ok with you copying my style because I like it.
Your open wound style needs some healin'
Your style is in a vulnerable state and needs some improvement.
Checked out by my flow
Inspected and judged by my style of rap songs
I'm glad ya know
I am happy that you are aware of what I am doing.
Behind the spunk I got the phattest fuckin' live show
I put up the best and most exciting live performance.
You feel the tension
The sense of unease or discomfort in the atmosphere is felt among the people.
The eyeballs in ya socket
Your eyes are fixed on me and my performance.
Can't comprehend how we rock it
People can't understand the level of performance we put up to entertain them.
Ya can't stop it
People can't help but be a part of the enthusiastic atmosphere we create.
Ya like the ways that we livin'
People are enjoying the lifestyle they follow.
Ya need it
People crave for the environment we create, and they cannot resist it.
Your demo tape, punk
Referring to the debut tape of a new artist
I inspect it, then reject it
My team and I carefully study the demo tapes to see who can join us and reject the ones who don't fit our style of music.
Who survives at the end of the day?
Amidst all the competition, who can be the last musician standing?
But too much airplay huh?
Releasing new music can sometimes become overwhelming and oversaturate the music scene.
I'm gonna keep it all underground
I will keep my music as raw and organic as possible and as it should be.
Whattya know about this punk?
Asking the audience their knowledge or opinion about the music genre they are witnessing at the moment.
Who's hot ? who's not ?
Separating the good and the bad music artists, or separating music as a whole based on its quality.
Who?
(This is an exclamation of surprise or confusion) In this context, it could mean confusion or a request for clarification.
Buck, hand grenades best describe the impaction.
Referring to the impact of his music as an explosive experience.
Can't get no satisfaction ya take it back
Expressing disappointment in something that is not satisfactory and the need to get rid of it.
What was you doin' back in '82?
A rhetorical question about a certain memory, probably related to something related to music or creativity, from the year 1982.
No need for answers just a thought for your mental
I don't expect you to answer this question but it's something to jog your memory or ponder about.
Fallout shelter, Heltah skelter
The world can be a chaotic and uncertain place, almost like chaotic scenarios described in different world regions after a nuclear fallout.
The j bob bet ya, The beatle upset ya
Referring to a previous bet or prediction about an event that may or may not have taken place.
But I'm an easy rider like I'm henry fonda
I am relaxed and carefree, like Henry Fonda's character in the film 'Easy Rider.'
The kingpin bizkit
Referring to himself as the leader of Limp Bizkit.
That flows beyond ya
Limp Bizkit's music is more complex and unique than other music in the genre.
Mental highways, my path ya can't stop
My creative process is unlike others, and my ideas and thoughts cannot be controlled.
The unexpected, so check ya roadblock
My creative process is always unpredictable, and so, don't try to block my flow.
Go black water, keep on rollin
Keep moving forward, and let your creative process move like black water moves – in waves,
Cause this mic is mine and I'm a keep on shinin on you.
I'm not stopping my creativity, and I'm going to keep creating and performing because it's my passion.
Cambodia
This term is used to express excitement and fun created by the band during their performances.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOHN EVERETT OTTO, SAMUEL ROBERT RIVERS, WESLEY LOUDEN BORLAND, WILLIAM FREDERICK DURST
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
The Psychedelic Diesel Wagon
This was the best version of this song
Star Bmak
deadass
thefrankiepalmeri
Hands down.
Filipe Dias
No doubt
mthw 704
Show Me What You Got is pitiful compared to this
N.E.T Official
@mthw 704 Trust? still goes hard af tho
Tony C
Man I had the CD and VHS when it came out! So damn good and one of Limp Bizkits best performances. All the interludes are dope as well and the VHS has songs the CD doesn’t and vice versa.
Nino Falletta
Love this song. My favorite from this CD and show. This and Incubus New Skin.
Lisa B
Me too!!! EXACT!!!!
Warren Dc
That guitar intro <3