Jordan Raskopoulos, a comedian, Benny Davis, a classically trained musician and Lee Naimo came together to form the group in 2006. Since that time they’ve been wowing audiences across the world with with their mixture of quirky original songs, catchy pop-parodies and hilarious banter.
The video of their “4 Chords Song” has had over 28 million hits on YouTube, and is their most widely recognized song.
Skeleton Man
The Axis of Awesome Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A city you know, or could imagine
A city of buildings and streets
A city in pain
A city in need of a hero
That hero is Skeleton Man!
Skeleton Man, Skeleton Man, Skeleton Man!
Taking on crime
Saving the world
A day at a time
Under cover of night, cover of day
Skeleton Man, Skeleton Man, Skeleton Man!
During an accident as a child
This poor boy broke his arm and was then exposed to x-rays
These rays revealed that the boy was in fact, part-man, part-skeleton
What?
A skeleton man
Waitwaitwait, sorry, 'part-man part-skeleton'?
Yes, just as the centaur is part-man part-horse
So too is he, part-man part-skeleton
Right and which part is the skeleton part?
The skeleton... part.
What you mean like inside hi..
Skeleton Man, Skeleton Man, Skeleton Man!?
All made up of bone
Shaped like a man
Skeleton feet, and skeleton hands
He has calcium strength at his command
Skeleton Man, Skeleton Man, So he's just a regular man?
Many people think, he's just a regular man
Yes
But he's not just any man
I think he is!
He's Skeleton Man, He's Skeleton Man
Stop, stop! That's ridiculous!
Everyone has a skeleton, it doesn't make you a superhero
It's like saying 'OOHH! Skin Man'
OOOOHHH Skin Man
Villian in disguise
But Skeleton Man
Sees through his plan
With his Skeleton eyes
He's Skeleton Man
No sorry stop singing, this is stupid
Everyone is part man part skeleton
Anyone could...whoever is listening to this song could be Skeleton Man
Skeleton Man's listening to us
He bought our album
Or stole it off the internet
Skeleton Man, Skeleton Man, Skeleton Man
Skeleton Man, Skeleton Man, Skeleton Man
Skeleton Man, Skeleton Man, Skeleton Man
The Axis of Awesome's song "Skeleton Man" is a satirical tribute to the superhero genre of comic books, movies, and TV shows. The lyrics depict a city grappling with crime and violence, in desperate need of a savior. Enter Skeleton Man, a hero who saves the day by fighting crime and protecting the citizens. The song humorously describes how Skeleton Man has been transformed into his current form - part man, part skeleton - because of a childhood accident that exposed him to x-rays. The chorus of the song repeats the name "Skeleton Man" several times, emphasizing his heroic qualities and unique powers, which include amazing strength drawn from his calcium-based skeleton.
However, the song's narrative is peppered with a good dose of sarcasm and humor. The songwriters poke fun at the superhero genre, emphasizing how anyone could be Skeleton Man since everyone has a skeleton, making the notion of a "skeleton man" a bit absurd. The songwriters' message may be interpreted to suggest that anybody can become a hero, regardless of how frail or ordinary they may seem, or how basic their powers may be, as long as they have enough courage and dedication to protect others.
Overall, "Skeleton Man" is a clever and humorous take on superheros, a genre that is beloved worldwide. It highlights the power of imagination and how people can create their own heroes to thrive and rise above the darkness that plagues society.
Line by Line Meaning
In a city plagued by the crime
Describing a city with a high crime rate
A city you know, or could imagine
Acknowledging that listeners may know of, or be able to imagine, such a city
A city of buildings and streets
Describing a generic cityscape
A city in pain
Emphasizing the negative atmosphere of the city
A city in need of a hero
Suggesting that the city requires assistance
That hero is Skeleton Man!
Introducing Skeleton Man as the hero needed by the city
Skeleton Man, Skeleton Man, Skeleton Man!
Repeating the name of Skeleton Man for emphasis
Protecting the streets
Detailing the job of Skeleton Man
Taking on crime
Further describing the duties of Skeleton Man
Saving the world
Exaggerating the extent of Skeleton Man's duties
A day at a time
Conveying the idea of daily tasks for Skeleton Man
Under cover of night, cover of day
Describing Skeleton Man's availability regardless of time
During an accident as a child
Providing background information on Skeleton Man
This poor boy broke his arm and was then exposed to x-rays
Describing the circumstances that led to the discovery of Skeleton Man's skeleton makeup
These rays revealed that the boy was in fact, part-man, part-skeleton
Detailing the results of the x-rays
What?
The artist is surprised at the revelation
A skeleton man
Confirming the discovery of Skeleton Man
Waitwaitwait, sorry, 'part-man part-skeleton'?
The singer requires further clarification on the term
Yes, just as the centaur is part-man part-horse
Providing an analogy to explain Skeleton Man's makeup
So too is he, part-man part-skeleton
Further explaining Skeleton Man's makeup
Right and which part is the skeleton part?
The artist is being sarcastic, as it is obvious what the skeleton part is
The skeleton... part.
Confirming what the skeleton part is
What you mean like inside hi..
The singer is cut off before they can finish their thought
Skeleton Man, Skeleton Man, Skeleton Man!?
Reiterating the name of Skeleton Man as part of the conversation
All made up of bone
Describing what constitutes Skeleton Man's makeup
Shaped like a man
Clarifying that Skeleton Man has the general shape of a human
Skeleton feet, and skeleton hands
Detailing what else is made up of bone on Skeleton Man
He has calcium strength at his command
Expanding on the strength of Skeleton Man due to his makeup
Skeleton Man, Skeleton Man, So he's just a regular man?
Highlighting skepticism about Skeleton Man's status as a superhero
Many people think, he's just a regular man
Reinforcing the singer's doubt about Skeleton Man's superhero status
Yes
Agreeing with the doubters
But he's not just any man
Contradicting the previous line
I think he is!
The artist disagrees with the previous line
He's Skeleton Man, He's Skeleton Man
Repeating the name of Skeleton Man to enforce his superhero status
Stop, stop! That's ridiculous!
The singer is interrupting the song to express their disbelief
Everyone has a skeleton, it doesn't make you a superhero
The artist dismisses the idea that a skeleton creates a superhero
It's like saying 'OOHH! Skin Man'
The singer is using a hypothetical example to prove the point that a skeleton in itself doesn't make someone a superhero
OOOOHHH Skin Man
The singer is providing an absurd example to emphasize their point
Villian in disguise
Describing the hypothetical skin man as a villain
But Skeleton Man
Contrasting Skin Man with Skeleton Man
Sees through his plan
Implying that Skeleton Man has some sort of vision power to detect villains
With his Skeleton eyes
Further describing the supposed power of Skeleton Man
He's Skeleton Man
Reaffirming Skeleton Man's superhero status
No sorry stop singing, this is stupid
The artist is expressing frustration with the song itself
Everyone is part man part skeleton
The artist is arguing against the idea that Skeleton Man is unique due to his makeup
Anyone could...whoever is listening to this song could be Skeleton Man
The artist is mocking the idea that anyone could be Skeleton Man
Skeleton Man's listening to us
Suggesting that Skeleton Man is a real person listening to the song
He bought our album
Asserting that Skeleton Man is a fan of The Axis of Awesome
Or stole it off the internet
Offering an alternative explanation for how Skeleton Man could have obtained their album
Skeleton Man, Skeleton Man, Skeleton Man
Concluding the song with a final repetition of Skeleton Man's name
Contributed by Colin V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.