(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.
Going Home
The Hippos Lyrics
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The mess that I've cleaned
The people so green
Things that were said
Went straight to your head
Evil will show
You know how it's grown
We will not do the math
We don't care
Oh
So it is told that the air will be cold over there
Please take good care
We're going home
We're going home
We're going home
Finally rest these old bones
His majesty sleeps high in the trees
Sends his palms spinning
From west to the east
Begging him please
To see how it feels
This wasn't agreed on
When they sign the deal
With blood on her path
We will not do the math
We don't care
Oh
So it is told that the air will be cold over there
Please take good care
We're going home
We're going home
We're going home
Finally rest these old bones
We're going home
We're going home
Finally rest these old bones
No man should see what these eyes have seen
The mess that I've cleaned
The people so green
Things that were said
Went straight to your head
Evil will show
With blood on her path
We will not do the math
We don't care
Oh
So it is told that the air will be cold over there
Please take good care
We're going home
We're going home
We're going home
Finally rest these old bones
Home
We're going home
We're going home
We're going home
The Hippos' song Going Home is a reflection on the atrocities of war and the toll it takes on those who have been a part of it. The opening lines, "No man should see what these eyes have seen, the mess that I've cleaned" set a tone of both sorrow and solemnity. The singer, who has seen and experienced firsthand the horror of war, is haunted by the memories of what he has witnessed. He speaks of the "people so green," perhaps alluding to how naive and unprepared the civilians of the war-torn area were for the horrors that befell them.
The second stanza offers a message of warning and caution. The singer speaks of "evil" that will show its face, and emphasizes that "we will not do the math, we don't care." This could be interpreted as a commentary on the apathy and indifference that can sometimes exist in the face of war, or at the very least, the resignation that comes with acknowledging the futility of trying to make sense of the senseless.
Throughout the song, the singer emphasizes that he and his comrades are "going home," perhaps suggesting that the only solace they can find is in returning to their loved ones and finding some semblance of normalcy. The final line of the song, "finally rest these old bones," is a poignant reminder of the physical and emotional toll war takes on those who have endured it.
Overall, The Hippos' Going Home is a thought-provoking and moving reflection on the toll of war, the resilience of the human spirit, and the need for compassion and understanding in a world that is all too often marked by violence and conflict.
Line by Line Meaning
No man should see what these eyes have seen
The things that I've witnessed are too horrific for anyone else to endure
The mess that I've cleaned
I've been through a great ordeal and it's been very messy
The people so green
The people that I have encountered were naive and inexperienced
Things that were said
Things that people have said to me were hurtful and impactful
Went straight to your head
The words affected me greatly and immediately
Evil will show
The evil in the world will eventually become apparent
You know how it's grown
You're aware of how the evil has gained power
With blood on the path
There have been casualties and struggles on this journey
We will not do the math
We won't count up the losses or the consequences
We don't care
We're too tired and too spent to care anymore
Oh
An expression of fatigue or acceptance
So it is told that the air will be cold over there
We've heard that where we're headed is desolate and barren
Please take good care
Please look after yourself
We're going home
We're finally heading back to where we belong
Finally rest these old bones
We can finally find some peace and relaxation
His majesty sleeps high in the trees
The natural world is beautiful and majestic, but also indifferent to human conflict
Sends his palms spinning
The wind is moving the leaves and branches of the trees
From west to the east
The wind is blowing from one direction to another
Begging him please
We're asking nature to take pity on us or show us mercy
To see how it feels
To understand what it's like to be in our position
This wasn't agreed on
We didn't expect things to turn out this way
When they sign the deal
When we made our agreement or arrangement
With blood on her path
There have been casualties and struggles on our journey
Home
A longing for a place of safety and familiarity
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Ariel Rechtshaid, James Bairian, Louis Castle
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jenny Lucero
Love this song!!!
Jenny Lucero
I love the Hippos! I will always love Louis!