From a young age, Roaring Lion (de Leon’s adopted stage name) became known for his skill in creating calypsos (particularly in his ability to extemporize lyrics on any subject). Contrary to his humble origins, he cultivated a refined stage persona and always appeared sharply dressed. His career officially began in 1924. He recorded extensively between the 1930s and 1950s, and was one of the calypsonians who deserves the most credit for the increasing international popularity of the genre during this period. In March 1934 the Trinidadian phonograph merchant Eduardo Sa Gomes sent Roaring Lion and Attila The Hun to New York to record; they became the first calypsonians to record abroad.
Roaring Lion achieved fame for his linguistic prowess as much as for his catchy tunes. His lyrics, delivered in rapid-fire style, show an impeccable command of the English language (as well as Trinidadian slang), and are replete with witty turns of phrase, humorous metaphors, and clever alliterations and internal rhymes.
Tick Tick
The Lion Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's never been about how you think about how you think about how you think about how I think about myself
Then again I guess I do think about how you think about how you think about how I think about myself
Wondering why
The calendar flies
Off the wall
Into my mind
What's in time I'm so eager to find
What's in a day that a moment can't find with a driven mind
Tick tock
Tick tock
Tick tock
Tick tock
Tick tock
Tick tock
Tick tock
Tick tock
Tick tock
Tick tock
Tick tock
Tick tock
Tick tock
Tick tock
It's all I think about how you think about how I think about how you think about how I think about myself
It's always been about how you think about how you think about how you think about how I think about my
Wondering why
The calendar flies
Off the wall
Into my mind
What's in time I'm so eager to find
What's in a year that a day can't hide
What's in a day that a moment can't find with a driven mind
Tick tock
Tick tock
Tick tock
Tick tock
Tick tock
Tick tock
Tick tock
Tick tock
The Lion's song Tick Tick is a reflective and introspective piece about the endless cycle of thoughts that swirl in the mind. The opening lines, "It's how I think about how you think about how I think about how you think about how I think about myself" suggest a self-consciousness and an awareness of how one's thoughts may be perceived by others. The song delves into the idea of time and how it affects our perception of ourselves and the world. The lyrics emphasize the importance of time as it constantly moves forward and brings change, yet also reminds us that time can be fleeting, with a day feeling like a year and a moment feeling like an eternity.
The chorus repeats "Tick tock" multiple times which emphasizes the idea of time and its passing. It's almost as if the tick tock of a clock is a constant reminder of how time is moving forward and how one must move with it. The song also explores what makes time valuable and the eagerness to find what's in time. It suggests that time is important and valuable as it holds things that a moment or year can't hide. Alternatively, it may suggest the endless possibilities that time offers and that there is always something new to discover in it.
Line by Line Meaning
It's how I think about how you think about how I think about how you think about how I think about myself
I can't stop thinking about what you think about how I perceive myself and how you perceive me perceiving myself.
It's never been about how you think about how you think about how you think about how I think about myself
I've always thought that your perception of me should not be the focus of my self-perception.
Then again I guess I do think about how you think about how you think about how I think about myself
Despite my efforts, I still cannot help wondering what you think about me and my self-perception.
Wondering why
I keep questioning the reasoning behind my focus on your perception of me and how it affects how I perceive myself.
The calendar flies
Time is moving quickly and I can't seem to shake this focus on your perception of me.
Off the wall
My thoughts are becoming erratic and obsessive, almost like they are bouncing off the walls of my mind.
Into my mind
These thoughts about your perception of me are constantly invading my mind.
What's in time I'm so eager to find
I am desperate to understand why time is passing so quickly and why I keep having these thoughts about your perception of me.
What's in a year that a day can't hide
Time passes so quickly that even a whole year can't hide the thoughts I'm having about your perception of me.
What's in a day that a moment can't find with a driven mind
Even within a single day, I am unable to shake this focus on your perception of me despite my best efforts and determination.
Tick tock
The sound of the clock ticking represents the passing of time that I cannot seem to escape from.
Tick tock
The repetition of the clock's ticking emphasizes the constant reminder of time that is causing me distress.
Tick tock
Each tick and tock of the clock is a reminder that time is moving relentlessly forward and I can't seem to stop it.
Tick tock
The constant ticking of the clock is a symbol of my increasing anxiety and desperation to escape from my own thoughts.
Tick tock
The sound of the clock ticking is a reminder that I am unable to control the passage of time or the obsessive thoughts in my mind.
Tick tock
The ticking of the clock is a metaphor for the anxiety and pressure that comes with the passing of time and my own self-doubt and self-perception.
Tick tock
The clock's ticking represents the constant ticking away of my own precious time and the inability to escape from the thoughts that plague me.
Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: Travis Webster-Booth
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind