There is more than one band with this name.

(1) The Hippos were a th… Read Full Bio ↴There is more than one band with this name.

(1) The Hippos were a third wave ska-punk band from Southern California. Unlike other typical bands of the genre, The Hippos employed heavy use of a Moog synthesizer.
The Hippos’s first full album release was Forget the World, released in 1996. Interestingly, many of the songs on Forget The World were written when Ariel Rechstaid, the band’s primary songwriter, was only 15 years old. This album employed traditional ska-punk songwriting, including upbeat tempos and heavy brass instrumentation. Additionally, various percussion instruments were used, such as bongos and wood blocks. The next album was Heads Are Gonna Roll, released in 1999. A transitional album, a balance of horns and synthesizers is found on this album. Commercially, this album was the band’s most successful; it is the only album to be fully produced by a large record label and thus is assumedly the most circulated and heard of the three albums.
The Hippos, a self titled final release, was released in 2003 after the band’s break-up. This album completed the gradual transition from traditional ska-punk to the unique, orginal synthpop sound exhibited here. Ties to the ska-punk scene from which they began had been all but completely severed. In fact, only one track from this album uses horns at all, an essential element of ska. Much of the Hippos’s fanbase was initially reluctant at such a different sound, but for the most part, this reluctance gave way to admiration. To many fans, the Hippos’s final album was their best written and most enjoyable, despite its limited commercial success.

(2) The Hippos are a blues band from Sydney, Australia. They enjoyed modest chart success with Dark Age in 1988, from the album Hippocracy.

Far Behind
The Hippos Lyrics

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All I need is a walking cane
To guide me on my way
A hat to push away the rain
That would be okay
Starting over to begin
I'm standing here too strong
I never thought I'd ever see at all

I stand too tall,
But I shrink away.
I never thought I could feel as good as the way I feel today
So I run away
Cause things aren't quite going my way

Run away from yesterday
Tomorrow will be free
I slipped today, but that's okay
I need a new routine
Those who live and those who die
Shining like the sun
All trying to peak over the wall

I stand too tall,
But I shrink away.
I never thought I could feel as good as the way I feel today
So I run away
Cause things aren't quite going my way

And when I turned on MTV
I saw just what I wanted to be

But that was yesterday
And things aren't quite going my way

Overall Meaning

The Hippos's song "Far Behind" is about the struggle of starting over and feeling lost, but ultimately finding hope and strength through perseverance. The singer acknowledges that they need help in the form of a walking cane and a hat to push away the rain, but they are determined to begin again and to be strong. Despite feeling too tall and sometimes shrinking away, the singer recognizes that they have the power to feel good and make positive changes.

The chorus emphasizes the singer's need to run away from their past mistakes and failures to find freedom in the future. They acknowledge that slipping up is okay as long as they establish a new routine and keep moving forward. The song encourages listeners to strive for their aspirations and not give up, even when circumstances are challenging.

Line by Line Meaning

All I need is a walking cane
I just need a small support to guide me through life

To guide me on my way
To show me the right path to follow

A hat to push away the rain
Small things that can help me get through difficult times

That would be okay
I just need something that would make things a little better

Starting over to begin
Getting a fresh start to begin again

I'm standing here too strong
I may seem strong on the outside, but I'm struggling on the inside

I never thought I'd ever see at all
I never thought I could overcome my struggles and be where I am now

I stand too tall,
I seem confident and strong on the outside

But I shrink away.
But I'm really struggling on the inside

I never thought I could feel as good as the way I feel today
I never thought I could overcome my struggles and feel this good

So I run away
But sometimes I just run away from my problems

Cause things aren't quite going my way
Because things aren't working out as planned

Run away from yesterday
Leave the past behind and start fresh today

Tomorrow will be free
Tomorrow is a chance to do things differently and be free from struggles

I slipped today, but that's okay
I may have made a mistake today, but it's fine because I can learn and move on

I need a new routine
I need to change things up and try something new to improve my life

Those who live and those who die
Life can be unpredictable, and some people may not make it

Shining like the sun
But those who are still here are shining bright

All trying to peak over the wall
We're all trying to overcome our struggles and reach new heights

And when I turned on MTV
And when I looked at what others were doing

I saw just what I wanted to be
I saw something that I wanted to become

But that was yesterday
But that was in the past

And things aren't quite going my way
And things may not be working out as planned

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Ariel Rechtshaid, James Bairian, Louis Castle, Richard Zahniser

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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