Vai has been described as a "highly individualistic player" and part of a generation of "heavy rock and metal virtuosi who came to the fore in the 1980s". He released his first solo album Flex-Able in 1984, while his most successful release, Passion and Warfare (1990), was described as "the richest and best hard rock guitar-virtuoso album of the '80s". He was voted the "10th Greatest Guitarist" by Guitar World magazine, and has sold over 15 million records.
Discography
Flex-Able (1984)
Passion and Warfare (1990)
Sex & Religion (1993)
Fire Garden (1996)
Flex-Able Leftovers (1998)
The Ultra Zone (1999)
Real Illusions: Reflections (2005)
The Story of Light (2012)
Modern Primitive (2016)
Inviolate (2022)
The Audience Is Listening
Steve Vai Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Chris - Drums
Nancy Fagan - Vocals & Hysteria
Jamie Firlotte - Boy Vocals [The suff in the { }, except the
"Thank you's" at the end - Ace]
"Now Stevie, now don't be nervous, honey, O.K.? I'm gonna go in & I'm
gonna introduce you & then you're gonna come in with your guitar & you're
doing that, I'll be sitting in the back of the. We'll have such a good time,
so don't you be nervous, honey. It will relaw everybody, & we'll be so happy.
I'm gonna go n now. I'll introduce you, O.K.? HEADS UP! Now you kids you,
all of you, calm down. That's good, O.K. everyone in your own seat, that's
good. O.K., now, little Stevie Vai is going to play a composition on the
guitar. He wrote it all by himself. O.K., Stevie, bring your three friends
up, they can play with you. That Seve Vai, what a nice little boy. {I wrote
this song for all my friends. When I grow up, I'm gonna be a famous Rock
'n Roll guitar player.} Love it. EH, HE, HE, go ahead. {And this is my
whammy bar. And it's gonna be loud.} Don't you think that's a bit loud?
Boys!!! It's getting too loud! You're getting out of control, boys. Stevie,
now calm down class, calm down. Mr. Vai, you've got to turn it down...
{What did you say, you want me to turn it down? You mean down like this...}
(Boys, What happened to that nice music?) That sounds like noise Mr. Vai.
And I want it stopped! You've all got detention. {Uh, oh, here comes
trouble.} Ayy. Vai, are you outta your mind? You, guys, ya don't back off.
Ya must be crazy! I'm gonna flip-out. I'm tellin' you. If this is my
final flip-out, you guys are gonna go with me. {Ah, shut up.} Will you
two stop dancing like that. Frankie, leave that girl alone! We're not
gonna have another incident like Mildred. Come here to me me, Vai, don't
you hear me? Come here you little snit. Wait 'till I get my hands...
don't you run away. Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay Vai. Knock it off! Get
off my desk! {Hey Andrea, check this out.} Oh, Stevie, you promised me
you;d play nice music; People out of control, dancin' on the desks. Playin'
with the girls. That awful noise just make people go wild. You gotta turn
that music down, Stevie, please. {I'm fearless in my heart. They will
always see that in my eyes. I am the Passion; I am the Warfare. I will never
stop...Always constant, accurate, and intense.} Mark my words, you'll never
amount to anything, Steve Vai. You'll see, you'll be a bum, in the streets.
A bum, that's it, a bum. I thought you were such a nice little boy. Ya
know what? Ya mean, ya got a mean, nasty, vicious streak. Why don't you
just quit school? Move to California with all those other bums. Go, that's
where you belong, with all those crazies out in California. Maybe you'll be
famous; {Thank you very much.} Ha! That's the funniest thing I've ever
heard. {Thank you very much.} You-famous? With that noise? Ha! I'll
see ya in jail; {Thank you very much.} Give me a break Stevie, stop it.
You'll see, mark my words.
The lyrics to Steve Vai's song The Audience Is Listening depict a scenario in which a young Steve Vai is playing his guitar in front of a class, with the encouragement of his teacher. However, his playing becomes loud and chaotic, causing the teacher to reprimand him and the class, ultimately resulting in detention for everyone involved. The lyrics include various snippets of dialogue between the teacher, the students, and Steve himself, as well as some inner thoughts from Steve regarding his passion for music and his determination to never give up.
One interpretation of the lyrics could be that they are a commentary on the societal pressures to conform and fit into a certain mold, which can stifle creativity and personal expression. Steve's guitar playing represents a form of rebellion against these constraints, but it ultimately leads to punishment and criticism from those in power, causing him to doubt his own potential for success. However, despite the discouragement from his teacher and classmates, Steve's inner monologue shows that he will continue to pursue his passion for music and never give up on his dream.
Overall, The Audience Is Listening is a complex and multi-layered song that touches on themes of conformity, rebellion, self-doubt, and perseverance. Through the use of dialogue and introspection, Steve Vai creates a vivid and compelling story that speaks to the struggles of many aspiring artists and creatives.
Line by Line Meaning
Now Stevie, now don't be nervous, honey, O.K.?
Stevie, don't be nervous, I will introduce you and you can perform. Relax, we will have fun.
I'm gonna go in & I'm gonna introduce you
I will go in and introduce you.
we'll be so happy.
We will have joy and happiness together.
little Stevie Vai is going to play a composition on the guitar.
Stevie will play a guitar composition.
That Seve Vai, what a nice little boy.
Stevie is a wonderful boy.
Boys!!! It's getting too loud!
The music is too loud, boys!
Stevie, now calm down class, calm down.
Stevie, calm your classmates down.
You've got to turn it down...
Please turn the volume down.
That sounds like noise Mr. Vai.
The music sounds like noise.
Uh, oh, here comes trouble.
Trouble is coming now.
Vai, are you outta your mind?
Vai, are you crazy?
Knock it off! Get off my desk!
Stop it! Get off of my desk!
You gotta turn that music down, Stevie, please.
Please turn down the music, Stevie.
Mark my words, you'll never amount to anything, Steve Vai.
You won't achieve success, Steve Vai.
Maybe you'll be famous;
Perhaps you will become famous.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: STEVE VAI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@gokhanersan8561
I can’t believe they made a video for a crazy instrumental like this, and an album full of rock instrumentals went platinum. Music was king.
@staringcontest9733
Also, back in the day, the video was on mtv all the time. 🤘
@lacompaniaproduccion
This child is a guitar prodigy. Two years later, at the age of 13, he was in the band Bad4Good, a band formed by Steve Vai, an excellent band that could not see the light of day due to the birth of grunge.
@tr4nsg0th1ca
"I am the Passion.
I am the Warfare."
I always get chills at that part.
@stephenkorosi9561
My favorite thing about Texas. My sweet. Yolanda.
@Spoohkybooh666
🎉woohoo
@SuperGaleford
You must get chills when you read the title on the CD
@MrDishdonkey
When you've listened to passion and warfare since its release and never knew there was a video and you have an image of how everyone looked according to the voices. This is nothing like it.
@christophermarchand320
That's the beauty of, the image in your mind was yourself with your wild friends being as epic as one could imagine to be. It wrote a story that all could share but exist inside of different novels of one's life and yet exist in the same space without fucking the time space continuum. Wild Stallions!!!
@ighfee
Oh I don't know, this is pretty close to what I imagined it to be. An awesome young guitar player tearing up the school. Teachers hate him, the kids love him.
This video is what we all dreamt of being in the 80s 🤘