Completely out of tune, Eight men strong and broken down not far from your … Read Full Bio ↴Completely out of tune, Eight men strong and broken down not far from your hometown, they call themselves The Kings of Nuthin. In the summer of 1999 "The Boston Blackouts" officially adopted their new name "The Kings of Nuthin" and began playing outside of Massachusetts. Their history is as ludicrous as it gets, 8 punks trying to re-create an authentic rock and roll sound, failing to do so, and inventing a very unique new sound.

I Smell a Rat
The Kings of Nuthin' Lyrics

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"I Smell A Rat"

I smell a rat baby
I smell a rat baby
You′d better watch out
I smell a rat, babe
You won't tell me where you been
Whiskey running all down your chin

I smell a rat baby
I smell a rat baby
You′d better watch out
I smell a rat baby
You come stumbling down the hall
Bump your head up against the wall
Knock down drunk and that ain't all
I know you been having yourself a ball
I smell a rat baby
I smell a rat baby
You'd better watch out
I smell a rat baby
You come stumbling down the hall
Bump your head up against the wall
Knock down drunk and that ain′t all
I know you been having yourself a ball
I smell a rat baby
I smell a rat baby
You′d better watch out
I smell a rat baby
I smell a rat baby

I smell a rat baby
Yeah

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "I Smell a Rat" by The Kings of Nuthin' portray suspicion and distrust towards the person the singer is addressing. The repeated phrase "I smell a rat baby" emphasizes the strong intuition that something is not right. The singer notices the person's intoxicated state and the fact that they won't reveal where they've been. The line "Whiskey running all down your chin" suggests that the person is not just drinking casually, but perhaps trying to hide their actions. The line "You come stumbling down the hall / Bump your head up against the wall / Knock down drunk and that ain't all" reveals a sense of recklessness and irresponsibility.

Overall, the lyrics suggest that the person being addressed is untrustworthy and may be up to no good. The repetition of "I smell a rat baby" creates a sense of foreboding and suspicion throughout the song. The lyrics portray the singer as someone who is observing and analyzing the behaviors of the person they're addressing, trying to unravel their motives.

Line by Line Meaning

I smell a rat baby
I sense deceit or trickery, my dear

You won't tell me where you been
You refuse to disclose your whereabouts, my love

Whiskey running all down your chin
You've been repeatedly drinking excessive amounts of whiskey, my dear

You come stumbling down the hall
You enter our living space while struggling to maintain your balance, my love

Bump your head up against the wall
You collide your head with the wall, my dear

Knock down drunk and that ain't all
You're severely intoxicated and that's not the only problem, my love

I know you been having yourself a ball
I'm aware that you've been enjoying yourself, my dear

You'd better watch out
You should be careful, my love

Yeah
Just an exclamation of approval, my dear

Writer(s): Mike Stoller, Jerry Leiber

Contributed by Eva T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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