Each year, critics at the Chicago Tribune name a "Chicagoan of the Year." The 2008 winner for music was Local H.
Local H started as hard-rock duo formed by Scott Lucas (vocals/guitar/bass) and Joe Daniels (drums). The two began in 1987 at their mainline high school in Zion. After failed attempts at recruiting a bassist, Lucas added bass pickups to his electric guitar.
Local H's 1995 debut Ham Fisted was released to lukewarm reception, but their 1996 follow-up As Good as Dead was certified gold and contained the hits "Bound for the Floor" and "Eddie Vedder." It was better received by critics, as was 1998's Pack Up the Cats, which spawned the single "All the Kids Are Right." Unfortunately, their label Polygram merged with Universal, and the album was all but forgotten in transition.
Daniels left in 1999. Lucas recruited recent Triplefastaction drummer Brian St. Clair later that year. St. Clair was a drum tech for Bun E. Carlos of Cheap Trick. Lucas and St. Clair released their first album together, Here Comes the Zoo, in 2002 on Palm Pictures. The No Fun EP came next in 2003, and Whatever Happened to P.J. Soles? followed in 2004 to favorable reviews, with the track "Everyone Alive" being featured in the 2004 video game Burnout 3. The break-up concept album 12 Angry Months followed in 2008, and to coincide with the 2012 presidential election the group issued Hallelujah! I'm a Bum that year, both albums receiving critical praise.
Brian St. Clair would amicably leave the band, playing his last show in November 2013, before Ryan Harding joined to fill in his spot. In 2015, the duo would issue their ninth studio album Hey, Killer through G&P Records, an independent label they operate that has also been utilized for smaller releases for the band in the past. In 2020, the duo iussued Lifers through AntiFragile Music.
Local H garnered good publicity for a cover of the Britney Spears hit "Toxic". The cover was available on the band's web site and is the last track on the otherwise live album Alive '05, issued in 2005. "Toxic" has been performed at recent concerts.
Local H is known for creativity in concerts. In 2003, the band auctioned off a concert on eBay, and in 2004, performed at Fritz's Corner in Zion. In 2005, the duo performed a series of set-list request shows, where the audience got to vote on what they wanted the band to play. Gabe Rodriguez often accompanied the band on tour and provided back-up vocals or kazoo playing.
Every Halloween, Local H plays in Ardmore, masquerading as a certain group. They have performed as Nirvana, Tom Petty, Oasis, The Doors, Led Zeppelin, and Sex Pistols.
Here Comes Ol' Laptop
Local H Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're lucky
Oh, I'm lucky too
A quick study
I'll follow you
Here come ol' laptop (x2)
A turning table
A true believing fool
A ton of able
I'll take you back to school
Ho, it's always who you know
They get you in the show
You really wanna go
Past your sell by date, you're frozen
Here come ol' laptop (x2)
Hey witchy woman
I'll steal your curly shoes
Tornado coming
I'll fix your little dog too
You wanted in the show
You really wanna go
It's always who you know
Past your sell by date, you're frozen
Need to be the boss
Justifies the cost
Of each and every loss
Past your sell by date, you're frozen
Go, oh (x2)
Get it out of neutral
Make yourself youthful
Get it out of neutral
Make yourself youthful
Get it out of neutral
Make yourself youthful
Get it out of neutral
Make yourself youthful
Get it out of neutral
Make yourself youthful
Get it out of neutral
(x6)
Here come ol' laptop
You really wanna go (x1 | x1 | x1 | x1 | x1 | x4)
Go, here come ol' laptop
Here come ol' laptop
Go, here come ol' laptop
Here come ol' laptop
Yay, here come ol' laptop
Here come ol' laptop
The song "Here Comes Ol' Laptop" by Local H talks about the dependency of people on technology in today's world. The repetition of the phrase "Here comes Ol' Laptop" indicates that people are always carrying their laptops with them, and they have become an integral part of their lives. The first few lines of the song might suggest a person who is always ready to learn and adapt to new technology. The phrase "You're lucky, Oh, I'm lucky too" could refer to the fact that people are lucky to have easy access to technology.
The lyrics "A ton of able, I'll take you back to school" suggest that technology has made education more accessible to people. The next few lines criticize society's obsession with fame and the idea that it's more about who you know than what you know. The phrase "Ho, it's always who you know, they get you in the show" talks about how people try to make connections with powerful people to get ahead in life. The line "Past your sell-by date, you're frozen" might suggest the fast-paced nature of modern society and how people tend to overlook those who are not keeping up with the latest trends.
The song further references the Wizard of Oz when it talks about stealing the witch's curly shoes and fixing her little dog. This could indicate how technology has the power to change people's lives in magical ways - just like what happened in the movie. Finally, the song urges people to put themselves in "neutral" and make themselves "youthful" by breaking free from the dependency on technology and finding enjoyment in the present moment.
Line by Line Meaning
Here come ol' laptop
Repetition of the title phrase, with excitement and anticipation.
You're lucky
Acknowledgement of good fortune.
Oh, I'm lucky too
Shared appreciation of good fortune.
A quick study
Able to learn quickly.
I'll follow you
Willingness to follow someone or something.
A turning table
Something that changes rapidly or unexpectedly.
A true believing fool
Someone who is loyal and foolishly trusting.
A ton of able
A large amount of capable people or things.
I'll take you back to school
Willingness to teach or show someone something new.
Ho, it's always who you know
Recognition that success often depends on connections.
They get you in the show
Connections can help a person get ahead in their chosen field.
You really wanna go
Desire to be successful or famous.
Past your sell by date, you're frozen
Acknowledgement that if someone is past their prime, they may not be able to succeed any longer.
Hey witchy woman
Addressing a woman with supernatural or magical powers.
I'll steal your curly shoes
A promise to take something valuable from someone.
Tornado coming
An impending sense of chaos or danger.
I'll fix your little dog too
An implication that much harm will be done.
You wanted in the show
Desire to be successful or famous.
Need to be the boss
A desire for power and control.
Justifies the cost
Belief that the ends justify the means, even if it means compromising morals or values.
Of each and every loss
Acknowledgement that there will be sacrifices along the way.
Go
Encouragement to take action.
Get it out of neutral
A call to take control and start moving forward.
Make yourself youthful
An insistence on staying young at heart and maintaining a sense of innocence or wonder.
Yay, here come ol' laptop
Repetition of the title phrase, with added enthusiasm and excitement.
Contributed by Lincoln B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.