Parasites are an American pop-punk band originally formed in 1985 by guitar… Read Full Bio ↴Parasites are an American pop-punk band originally formed in 1985 by guitarist and singer Dave Parasite (a.k.a. Nikki Parasite) and bassist Ron Nole, formerly of the locally-known band, The Accelerators, in New Jersey. Dave later relocated to Berkeley, California, forming a new band with local players. The Parasites have had many personnel changes, with the most notable members being drummer Dan Cofer and his brother Scott Cofer, both formerly of the thrash-metal band Pillage Sunday. The band has been releasing records since 1987. After breaking up in 1998 and again 2003, the band released a Best Of compilation in 2006, entitled Retro-Pop Remasters (Best Of) on Go Kart Records.

Hang Up
Parasites Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I really didn't want to go to another show, but I got in for nothing
I saw you from across the room and I knew why I was there
After the second crappy band you grabbed my left hand and wrote your number on it
and ever since you walked away, I need psychiatric care

I've got a hang up, I can't hang up when I talk to you, woah!
I've got a hang up, I can't hang up when I talk to you, woah!

I've called you up at thousand times, spent a thousand dimes,
but you don't have an answer
I wish that you'd try to decide, is it him or is it me
You're always putting me on hold, and that's kind of cold, but I can wait forever
And if it takes a million dimes, I'll get you eventually

I've been in love before, a couple other times, but you're the one that I need
And though I sometimes say things you don't want to hear,
I'll whisper in your ear until you see,
'cause

I've got a hang up, I can't hang up when I talk to you, woah!
I've got a hang up, I can't hang up when I talk to you, woah!

I really didn't want to go to another show, but I had to do something
I quickly did a double take when I saw both of you there
After the second crappy band you grabbed his left hand and walked right by me, smiling
and ever since you walked away, you need psychiatric care

and though I know right now that you can't be with me,
I hope someday you see you're wrong
And though I sometimes say things you don't want to hear,
I want to make it clear, my love goes on,
'cause

I've got a hang up, I can't hang up when I talk to you, woah!

I've got a hang up, I can't hang up when I talk to you, woah!
I've got a hang up, I can't hang up when I talk to you, woah!

Overall Meaning

The song "Hang Up" by Parasites is a catchy tune about the struggles of unrequited love. The lyrics tell the story of a person who meets someone at a show and is immediately smitten, but struggles to connect with them beyond a fleeting interaction. They try to call the person repeatedly, but get no answer, leading to feelings of anxiety and desperation. Despite this, they can't let go of their feelings and continue to hold out hope that the person will come around.

The chorus of the song, "I've got a hang up, I can't hang up when I talk to you," perfectly encapsulates the central conflict of the song. The singer is unable to let go of their feelings for this person and can't bring themselves to move on, even though it seems unlikely that their love will be reciprocated.

One interesting aspect of the song is how it plays with genre conventions. On the surface, it's a simple pop-punk love song, but the lyrics are tinged with a sense of desperation and obsession that adds depth to the otherwise upbeat melody. This combination of catchy hooks and darker themes is a hallmark of the Parasites' style.

Overall, "Hang Up" is a relatable song for anyone who has ever been in love with someone who doesn't feel the same way. It captures the mix of hope and despair that comes with unrequited love and does so with a memorable melody and clever lyrics.

Line by Line Meaning

I really didn't want to go to another show, but I got in for nothing
I had no intention of attending a concert again, but I ended up going to one for free

I saw you from across the room and I knew why I was there
I immediately recognized that my purpose for being at the concert was to see you

After the second crappy band you grabbed my left hand and wrote your number on it
When the second band finished playing, you took my hand and gave me your phone number

and ever since you walked away, I need psychiatric care
After you left, I have been experiencing mental distress

I've got a hang up, I can't hang up when I talk to you, woah!
Talking to you is so important to me that I cannot bring myself to end the call, hence my "hang up"

I've called you up at thousand times, spent a thousand dimes, but you don't have an answer
I have made several attempts to contact you, but you have not responded to my calls despite my expenditure of time and money

I wish that you'd try to decide, is it him or is it me
I want you to determine if you prefer to be with me or someone else

You're always putting me on hold, and that's kind of cold, but I can wait forever
When we talk, you often place me on hold, which I find unpleasant, but I am willing to wait indefinitely for you

And if it takes a million dimes, I'll get you eventually
I am willing to go to any lengths necessary to win your love

I've been in love before, a couple other times, but you're the one that I need
I have experienced romantic love in the past, but it is with you that I feel complete

I'll whisper in your ear until you see
I will continue expressing my love to you until you reciprocate my feelings

I really didn't want to go to another show, but I had to do something
I did not want to attend the concert, but I felt a strong urge to do so

I quickly did a double take when I saw both of you there
When I saw you with someone else at the concert, I was taken aback

After the second crappy band you grabbed his left hand and walked right by me, smiling
After the second band finished playing, you held someone else's hand and passed by me with a smile

and ever since you walked away, you need psychiatric care
Since you left me for someone else, you appear to need mental assistance

and though I know right now that you can't be with me, I hope someday you see you're wrong
Although I understand that you are currently unavailable to be with me, I hope you realize your error eventually

I want to make it clear, my love goes on
I want to express that my love for you persists despite any setbacks

Contributed by Mackenzie C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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