The song was covered in 1997 by The Presidents of the United States of Amer… Read Full Bio ↴The song was covered in 1997 by The Presidents of the United States of America as the opening theme of the television program The Drew Carey Show, a situation comedy set in Cleveland. It accompanied a lavish opening sequence in which the cast lip-synced the song while performing elaborate choreography. The band covered the entire song, but only part of it was used for the Drew Carey theme. At the beginning of the recording, Drew Carey (a native of Cleveland) can be heard saying "Hey!" and then laughing, and at the end shouting "Ohio!" to an echoing effect. The song is a track on the album Cleveland Rocks! Music from The Drew Carey Show as well as on the band's compilation Pure Frosting.

Cleveland Rocks
The Presidents of the United States of America Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Three, Four!
Three, Four!
Three, Four!
All this energy callin' me
Back where it comes from.
It's such a crude attitude,
Its back where it belongs.
All the little kids growin' up on the skids are goin':

Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks.
Jumpin' James Jean, is moonin' James Dean while goin':
Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks,
Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks.
Mama knows but she don't care;
She's got her worries too.
Seven kids and a phony affair,
And the rent is due.
All the little chicks with the crimson lips go:
Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks.
Livin' in sin with a safety pin goin':
Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks,
Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks.
I got some records from World War Two,
I Play 'em just like me grand dad do.
He was a rocker and I am too.
Now Cleveland Rocks, yeah, Cleveland Rocks.
Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks,
Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks,
Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks,
Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks,

Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks, CLEVELAND ROCKS!
Ohio.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "Cleveland Rocks" by The Presidents of the United States of America speak of the energy and attitude of Cleveland, Ohio. The song celebrates the city's unique character and its rock culture. The first verse speaks of the energy of Cleveland and how it calls the writer back to where it comes from. The second verse talks about the struggles of the people of Cleveland, especially the kids growing up on the skids, but how they still love their city. The chorus, "Cleveland Rocks," reinforces the idea that Cleveland is a rocking city and the place to be.

The third verse speaks to the love of rock music that is abundant in Cleveland. The writer talks about playing records from World War II, just like their granddad did, who was also a rocker. The final chorus repeats the phrase "Cleveland rocks" multiple times, showing the pride and love for the city. Overall, the song is a tribute to Cleveland as a city that embodies a unique energy, attitude, and love for rock music.

Line by Line Meaning

Three, Four!
The song is starting, let's get ready!

All this energy callin' me Back where it comes from. It's such a crude attitude, Its back where it belongs.
The energy of Cleveland is calling me back, with its unrefined attitude that feels like home.

All the little kids growin' up on the skids are goin': Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks.
Even the kids who grew up poor in Cleveland still love their city and think it rocks.

Jumpin' James Jean, is moonin' James Dean while goin': Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks.
Even people like Jumpin' James Jean are proud to show their butts to James Dean while rocking out to Cleveland's music scene.

Mama knows but she don't care; She's got her worries too. Seven kids and a phony affair, And the rent is due.
Even though Mama has a lot on her plate, she still knows that Cleveland rocks, but has other priorities as well.

All the little chicks with the crimson lips go: Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks. Livin' in sin with a safety pin goin': Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks.
Even the punk chicks with their alternative lifestyle love their hometown and think it rocks.

I got some records from World War Two, I Play 'em just like me grand dad do. He was a rocker and I am too. Now Cleveland Rocks, yeah, Cleveland Rocks.
I may have inherited my granddad's old records, but I still think Cleveland's music scene rocks today.

Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks, CLEVELAND ROCKS!
We can't say it enough - Cleveland Rocks!

Ohio.
Cleveland is the pride of Ohio and we want everyone to know it.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: IAN HUNTER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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