Kyle and Dan met, played music, wrote music, recorded mus… Read Full Bio ↴Short Version:
Kyle and Dan met, played music, wrote music, recorded music and now are full-time musicians. They travel the country sharing their unique blend of comedic-acoustic-fun-loving music and their passion for their faith.
Long Version:
Kyle graduated from Purdue University and began working as a full-time youth minister. Dan came in as a student and started volunteering with the youth program. The two of them started playing music at youth functions and eventually branched out to coffee shops. They also said no to drugs; a tip they got from their DARE officers.
Just when things started getting good, Kyle left for a year to do mission work in Honduras, play with donkeys, and discern his vocation. Meanwhile, Dan was working on his degree and rowing boats. OK, so it really wasn't that much longer.
Now:
Now Popple travels around the country playing for youth groups, camps, retreats, rallies, adoration events, backyard parties and anywhere else that their ministry is needed. At times it is a ministry of joy, at other times a ministry of prayer and yet others a ministry of faith sharing. Either way, it is always fun.
Contra
Popple Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Cousin Mike Cousin Mike had Nintendo)
I liked the games, it didn't matter because my reaction time was so slow
(Kyle had poor motor skills when he was nine)
We knew a code to get unlimited lives, I thought if this were real it sure would be nice.
I'd be a super hero because of this code I know.
It went: up up down up down left right left right a b a b select start.
If I could live forever I'd have so much time to spare
(you'd have time you'd have time, you already have a lot of free time)
I like to travel and I'd have time to go most anywhere
(like Burma and Bali and Kenosha, Wisconsin)
It would be just like Ground Hog Day
(With Bill Murray)
I could just imagine all the instruments I could play
(the calliope)
I'd take big risks, do anything on a dare
(I dare you to eat that hairball off the floor)
and just push: up up down up down left right left right a b a b select start.
But really though I can't live forever, and I think that's best
'Cause this world is not my Heaven, just a temporary nest,
and I know this might not make sense to some of you listening now, but our departure from this world can be a blessing if you just see how... we don't need: up up down up down left right left right a b a b select start.
The song "Contra" by Popple is a nostalgic trip down memory lane, as the lyrics reflect on the childhood memories of playing the classic video game Contra on a Nintendo console with a cheat code, which gave infinite lives. The opening line "I Used to play Contra, on my cousin Mike's Nintendo" sets the tone for the song, where the artist reflects on his love for the game, even though he did not have great motor skills as a child. He goes on to mention how the cheat code made him feel like a superhero, and how he wished he could live forever, exploring the world and playing various instruments.
However, as the song progresses, Popple acknowledges the impermanence of life on earth, noting that it is just a temporary place and that death can be a blessing in disguise. He implies that the constant pressure to succeed and live forever can be exhausting and that the final departure from this world is not something to be feared or mourned but rather celebrated. The song concludes with the realization that one does not need cheat codes or infinite lives to enjoy life to its fullest.
Overall, "Contra" is a poignant song that blends nostalgia, longing, and acceptance, as the artist grapples with the reality of life's transience while celebrating the joys of his childhood memories.
Line by Line Meaning
I used to play Contra, on my cousin Mike's Nintendo
Kyle used to play a video game called Contra on his cousin Mike’s gaming console called Nintendo
I liked the games, it didn't matter because my reaction time was so slow
Despite enjoying the game, Kyle was not good at it due to his slow reaction time
We knew a code to get unlimited lives, I thought if this were real it sure would be nice.
Kyle and his cousin knew a cheat code to get unlimited lives in the game, and Kyle wished it was possible in real life too
I'd be a super hero because of this code I know.
Kyle felt like a superhero in the game because of the cheat code he knew
It went: up up down up down left right left right a b a b select start.
The cheat code they used was: up up, down down, left right, left right, B, A, B, A, Select, Start
If I could live forever I'd have so much time to spare
If Kyle could live forever, he would have plenty of time to do anything and everything
I like to travel and I'd have time to go most anywhere
Kyle would enjoy traveling to different places if he had all the time in the world
It would be just like Ground Hog Day
Kyle imagined living forever would be like the movie Groundhog Day, where the same day repeats over and over
I could just imagine all the instruments I could play
Kyle would have time to learn and play many musical instruments
I'd take big risks, do anything on a dare
Without the fear of death, Kyle would take more risks and do anything dared to him
and just push: up up down up down left right left right a b a b select start.
Kyle jokingly suggests that he could cheat his way through life by repeating the same cheat code
But really though I can't live forever, and I think that's best
Kyle acknowledges that living forever is not possible, and it's probably better that way
'Cause this world is not my Heaven, just a temporary nest,
Kyle believes that this world is not his permanent home, but only a temporary dwelling place
and I know this might not make sense to some of you listening now, but our departure from this world can be a blessing if you just see how...
Kyle admits that his opinion may seem strange to some, but leaving this world can be a good thing if one views it from a certain perspective
we don't need: up up down up down left right left right a b a b select start.
Kyle clarifies that cheating in real life is not necessary, and the cheat code is not needed in the real world
Contributed by Aria T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.