Play Dumb
The Crookes Lyrics


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I, I've had my mid-life,
Crisis by the age of twenty-five.
You, You say my head ain't right,
I'm tired of myself but don't know why.
I'm dirt under your thumb,
Not pretty enough to play dumb.

I don't need you no more,
Wake up Love you got me so bored.
Please understand I'm not giving up,
But I won't change to get you off.

Don't you dare compare me to,
Poster-boys too thick to see the truth.
Hard luck, it's not like I give a fuck,
I'd rather you despise my every move.
I'm dirt under your thumb,
Not pretty enough to play dumb.

I don't need you no more,
Wake up Love you got me so bored.
Please understand I'm not giving up,
But I won't change to get you off.

Maybe I've been your scum,
But I don't need you no more.
I'm waking up dumb, you got me so bored,
Please understand I'm not giving up
But I can't change to get you off.

I'm dirt under your thumb,
Oh I refuse to play dumb.




Please understand I'm not giving up,
But I won't change to get you off.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to The Crookes's song Play Dumb seem to express the desire to break free from societal and personal expectations. The song is about a person who feels like they have already gone through their mid-life crisis at the young age of twenty-five, and they are tired of feeling like they need to fit into a certain mold. The lyrics "I'm tired of myself but don't know why" seem to express a feeling of dissatisfaction without understanding the root cause.


The lines "I'm dirt under your thumb, not pretty enough to play dumb" may suggest that the person feels insignificant and overlooked, unable to conform to society's expectations of what is attractive or desirable. However, the repeated line "I don't need you no more, wake up Love you got me so bored" conveys a sense of defiance and independence, refusing to be held down by anyone else's expectations and desires.


The chorus seems to emphasize this point, with the lines "Please understand I'm not giving up, but I won't change to get you off." The person is willing to fight for their own independence and sense of self, but they won't compromise who they are to please anyone else. The final line of the song, "Oh I refuse to play dumb," further reinforces this idea of rejecting societal expectations and stereotypes.


Line by Line Meaning

I, I've had my mid-life,
I feel like I've hit a crisis point in my life, even though I'm only 25 years old.


Crisis by the age of twenty-five.
I feel like I'm going through a mid-life crisis at an unusually young age.


You, You say my head ain't right,
You think there's something wrong with me mentally or emotionally.


I'm tired of myself but don't know why.
I'm bored or dissatisfied with myself, but I can't pinpoint the reasons why.


I'm dirt under your thumb,
I feel like you have power over me and I'm at your mercy.


Not pretty enough to play dumb.
I don't have the luxury of pretending ignorance or stupidity to get out of situations.


I don't need you no more,
I don't depend on you anymore.


Wake up Love you got me so bored.
You're not exciting me or stimulating me anymore.


Please understand I'm not giving up,
I'm not quitting or abandoning anything.


But I won't change to get you off.
But I won't alter my behavior or personality to please you or make you happy.


Don't you dare compare me to,
Don't even try to compare me to...


Poster-boys too thick to see the truth.
People who are so clueless or ignorant that they're like models on posters, with no depth or intelligence.


Hard luck, it's not like I give a fuck,
It's tough luck for you, but I don't really care.


I'd rather you despise my every move.
I'd rather you hate and criticize everything I do than be indifferent or apathetic towards me.


Maybe I've been your scum,
Maybe you've treated me like dirt or trash.


But I don't need you no more.
But now I'm independent and can stand on my own.


I'm waking up dumb, you got me so bored,
I feel like I'm dull or uninteresting because of you, and I'm just starting to realize it.


Oh I refuse to play dumb.
I won't act like I don't know or understand things just to make you feel smarter or superior.


Please understand I'm not giving up,
Again, I'm not giving up or giving in.


But I won't change to get you off.
I won't compromise or alter myself to suit your needs or desires.




Contributed by Noah E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Luca Kaleb

I've had my mid-life crisis by the age of twenty five
You say my head ain't right. I'm tired of myself but don't know why
I'm dirt under your thumb, not pretty enough to play dumb

I don't need you no more
Wake up love you got me so bored
Please understand I'm not giving up but I won't change to get you off.

Don't you dare compare me to poster-boys too thick to see the truth
Hard luck, it's not like I give a fuck, I'd rather you despise my every move
I'm dirt under your thumb, not pretty enough to play dumb

I don't need you no more
Wake up love you got me so bored
Please understand I'm not giving up but I won't change to get you off

Maybe I've been your scum but I don't need you no more
I'm waking up dumb, you got me so bored
Please understand I'm not giving up but I can't change to get you off
I'm dirt under your thumb. I refuse to play dumb
Please understand I'm not giving up but I won't change to get you off



All comments from YouTube:

johanna

This makes me all happy, can't wait for the new album! 

TheAnkPanda

LOVE IT! ♥

Agustina Mercado

Qué buena canción! <3

Rewind Fast Forward

i can reveal that Soapbox is their best work yet, absolutely brilliant! you're all in for a treat!

batmanflashsuperman

I NEED THE FULL ALBUM NOW' I'll PAY DOUBLE!

BleedingHeartAndArtist

Might be my fave Crookes song. Ugh I love you guys

Luca Kaleb

I've had my mid-life crisis by the age of twenty five
You say my head ain't right. I'm tired of myself but don't know why
I'm dirt under your thumb, not pretty enough to play dumb

I don't need you no more
Wake up love you got me so bored
Please understand I'm not giving up but I won't change to get you off.

Don't you dare compare me to poster-boys too thick to see the truth
Hard luck, it's not like I give a fuck, I'd rather you despise my every move
I'm dirt under your thumb, not pretty enough to play dumb

I don't need you no more
Wake up love you got me so bored
Please understand I'm not giving up but I won't change to get you off

Maybe I've been your scum but I don't need you no more
I'm waking up dumb, you got me so bored
Please understand I'm not giving up but I can't change to get you off
I'm dirt under your thumb. I refuse to play dumb
Please understand I'm not giving up but I won't change to get you off

Ooh La La Records

absolutely brilliant song and video! thx to LongfellowTV gents for turning me on to it!

sbduman

I find myself here time to time for years and this time I am also 25. Great song.

Jesse Santiago

I was 25 when this came out :/

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