The Pits
Sammy Hagar Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Now, listen...
My paycheck after taxes barely pays the rent
I do the town on Friday, by Tuesday, it's all spent.
Two bucks an hour, this job ain't too hip.
My lovelife's turning sour working the night-shift.
It's the pits! It's a one way trip on a sinking ship
Ain't it the pits, but you just can't quit
When the scale won't tip or the key don't fit.
Two $6.50 tickets to hassle with the crowd
I got hit with a Frizbee, the band played too loud.
I got all their records, man, and loved all their hits,
But this is the worst! It's the pits!
Oh, you can't keep it lit then it sticks to your lip.
Oh, ain't it the pits when the record skips and the TV quits.
You're in deeper and deeper, you dig into the pit.
The climb is always steep - you can't get a lift.
Ain't it the pits!
It's the bottom of the list
It's all wing tips and double-knits.
It's the pits.
Slip out onto the freeway, down all the gears-
Things were just gettin' heavy when the red light appears.
He said, "Get outta the car, boy."
He put the 'cuffs on my wrist, read me my rights, oh things got intense.
I got 90 days in jail, no one would go my bail, so there I sit.
It's the pits!
When the waist-line slips, 39 inch hips and your pants don't fit.
You're in deeper, you dig into the pit.
The climb is always steeper, they won't let you quit.
Ain't it the pits?! P-I-T-S - it's the pits!




When the the faucet drips, it won't never quit
Oh, like a ten-cent tip.

Overall Meaning

The song "The Pits" by Sammy Hagar speaks about the struggles of everyday life and how mundane and difficult it all can be. The opening verse sets the tone, describing how his paycheck barely covers his rent, and by Tuesday, he has spent almost all of it. The second verse speaks to his dissatisfaction with his job, which pays only two dollars an hour and is starting to affect his love life. The chorus talks about how life can feel like a sinking ship that one is unable to escape, even when things seem at their worst.


The third verse takes a bit of a turn when he talks about going out to have some fun with friends, buying tickets to a show, only to realize that he has made a mistake when the band is too loud, and he keeps getting hit by a flying Frisbee. He goes on to say that he loves the band and has all their records, but this show was the "worst," and that it truly is the pits. The fourth verse continues in this vein, describing different frustrating aspects of modern life, such as a jammed record and a broken TV.


Throughout the song, Sammy Hagar describes how life can feel like a never-ending pit that one is continually falling into. No matter how hard one tries to climb, the pit is always deeper, and the climb is always steeper. The song is a reflection on how challenging it can be to live day to day, to pay the bills, and to maintain one's sanity through it all.


Line by Line Meaning

Now, listen...
Listen to what I have to say.


My paycheck after taxes barely pays the rent
After paying taxes, I barely have enough money to pay for rent.


I do the town on Friday, by Tuesday, it's all spent.
I go out and spend money on Friday night and by the following Tuesday, I have no money left.


Two bucks an hour, this job ain't too hip.
I only make two dollars an hour and it's not a cool job.


My lovelife's turning sour working the night-shift.
Working the night shift is ruining my love life.


It's the pits! It's a one way trip on a sinking ship
My life is terrible and there's no way to turn it around.


Ain't it the pits, but you just can't quit
Even though my life is miserable, I can't quit my job because I need the money.


When the scale won't tip or the key don't fit.
Life is tough when you can't lose weight or can't fit into your clothes.


Two $6.50 tickets to hassle with the crowd
I spend $13 to deal with a crowded concert.


I got hit with a Frizbee, the band played too loud.
I got hit with a frisbee and the band was too loud.


I got all their records, man, and loved all their hits,
I love the band and have purchased all of their albums.


But this is the worst! It's the pits!
This concert experience is the worst of all.


Oh, you can't keep it lit then it sticks to your lip.
Smoking is difficult and unpleasant when it doesn't stay lit and sticks to your lip.


Oh, ain't it the pits when the record skips and the TV quits.
It's frustrating when a record skips and the TV suddenly turns off.


You're in deeper and deeper, you dig into the pit.
Life keeps getting worse and you're stuck in a bad situation.


The climb is always steep - you can't get a lift.
It's hard to make progress and there's no help to get you there more easily.


Ain't it the pits!
Life is really tough.


It's the bottom of the list
This situation is the worst it could possibly be.


It's all wing tips and double-knits.
The fashion is outdated and uncool.


It's the pits.
Life is really tough.


Slip out onto the freeway, down all the gears-
I speed up on the freeway by shifting gears.


Things were just gettin' heavy when the red light appears.
Things were getting intense when a red light stopped me.


He said, "Get outta the car, boy."
The police officer told me to get out of the car.


He put the 'cuffs on my wrist, read me my rights, oh things got intense.
The police officer arrested me and things became more intense.


I got 90 days in jail, no one would go my bail, so there I sit.
I was sentenced to 90 days in jail and no one would pay bail, so I had to serve my sentence.


It's the pits!
This situation is terrible.


When the waist-line slips, 39 inch hips and your pants don't fit.
It's frustrating when you gain weight and can no longer fit into your pants.


You're in deeper, you dig into the pit.
Life keeps getting worse and it feels impossible to escape.


The climb is always steeper, they won't let you quit.
It's difficult to make progress and it's not easy to quit your struggles.


Ain't it the pits?! P-I-T-S - it's the pits!
Life is really tough and it's the worst.


When the the faucet drips, it won't never quit
Even something as small as a dripping faucet can be a frustrating annoyance.


Oh, like a ten-cent tip.
It's not worth much.




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHN S. CARTER, JOHN S. JR. CARTER, SAMMY HAGAR

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

S Perrot

One of my favorites. Played it one time. At least 13 shows seen. Always a good time. I wish he would dig deeper into the archives.

16babacool

The sound of my youths - thank you..!

Donald Ellis

Love his work for Capital.

deweez

I got hit with a Frisbee the band played too loud!

Gordon

The prequel to I Can't Drive 55!

Angela Guerry

It's the Pits

Real Nigga

I inhale

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