In addition, Cafiero has assembled a posse of colossal visual artists to complete an over-the-top, high-energy-bursting-with-color package, including original Topps bubble-gum card guru John Pound (Wacky Packs artist and creator of the Garbage Pail Kids); Space Monkeys designer and urban legend Dalek; Batman and Justice League wizard Butch Lukic; and Tragnark.
CAFIERO: “This is a combination of everything that has inspired me, of everything that I am. Japanese anime and toys, my love of punk rock and pop culture, and especially the defining 1970s bands of New York. More than anything, my heroes, The Ramones, taught me that punk rock is fun."
I Live Off You
Osaka Popstar & the American Legends of Punk Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the whole world lives off of everybody
See we gotta be exploited
See we gotta be exploited
Cat eats the rat, while the pimp beats the whore
And she just screams out for more
See we gotta be exploited
See we gotta be exploited
By somebody, by somebody, by somebody
I live off you and you live off me
And the whole world lives off of everybody
See we gotta be exploited
See we gotta be exploited
By somebody, by somebody, by somebody
The song "I Live Off You" by Osaka Popstar & the American Legends of Punk is a commentary on the societal structure and how it revolves around exploitation. The first two lines of the song, "I live off you and you live off me, and the whole world lives off of everybody" sets the tone for the song. It speaks to the fact that humans are interconnected and rely on each other for survival, but at the same time, this interdependence can lead to exploitation. The chorus repeats the lines "See we gotta be exploited, by somebody, by somebody, by somebody" emphasizing the inevitability of exploitation in society.
The second stanza continues the theme of exploitation through metaphorical language. The cat eating the rat and the pimp beating the whore represent the powerful individuals taking advantage of the vulnerable ones in society. The victim's screams for more might be seen as a metaphor for how the exploited come back to the exploiter since they don't have any other options. The rich get richer, and the poor get poorer. The chorus repeats the refrain that we must be exploited, but the byline "by somebody" emphasizes the fact that exploitation is not just an individual act, but also part of the collective societal structure.
The song's lyrics may seem bleak, but they provide a thought-provoking commentary on how we perceive different systems in our society. It forces listeners to examine their own roles in exploitation, and how they can work to create a better world where exploitation is not the norm.
Line by Line Meaning
I live off you and you live off me
We all depend on each other and benefit from each other's existence
And the whole world lives off of everybody
The interconnectedness of people and the economy ensures that everyone relies on everyone else to some extent
See we gotta be exploited
The reality is that we are all taken advantage of to some extent in order to survive in this world
See we gotta be exploited
The repetition emphasizes the point that being exploited is an unavoidable aspect of existence
By somebody, by somebody, by somebody
While the specific parties doing the exploiting may vary, the fact that exploitation happens remains the same
Cat eats the rat, while the pimp beats the whore
Some individuals prey upon or mistreat others for their own gain, which is a harsh reality of the world we live in
And she just screams out for more
Sometimes individuals may feel trapped in a cycle of exploitation and unable to break free, even if it harms them
Contributed by Eliana T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.