Stephen Lee Bruner, stage name Thundercat (b. October 19 1984, Los Angeles,… Read Full Bio ↴Stephen Lee Bruner, stage name Thundercat (b. October 19 1984, Los Angeles, CA, USA) is a virtuoso bassist, composer, producer and singer. Born into a family of musicians, he and his brother were part of legendary thrash punks Suicidal Tendencies (since 16 years of age) - Bruner has collaborated with many, including jams with Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, Mac Miller and Stanley Clarke.

“I do believe that hip-hop can be the new jazz, and I’m helping create that”, Bruner said in an interview to Bass Player, in 2008.

He is part of the new generation of jazz literate, hip-hop loving instrumentalists who can play beyond traditional limits - a mutant jazz cat - and that’s how 'Thundercat' (a monicker he chose), suits him well (even if it’s purely the result of an unhealthy cartoon addiction dating back to childhood).

DUI
Thundercat Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Sometimes your alive
Sometimes you are dead inside
With the time to read between the lines of life and death
Sometimes it's okay
Sometimes it's the worst thing ever
Hopefully you work it off and get a DUI

You will see that it's not so bad

There's always tomorrow

Bottom of the glass
At this point you've made an ass
And your friends will let you know tomorrow

I am so tired

One more glass to go
Where this ends we'll never know

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Thundercat's song "DUI" describe the emotional rollercoaster of being alive, sometimes feeling alive and sometimes feeling dead inside. The singer acknowledges the arbitrary nature of life and death and understands that sometimes everything can seem okay, while at other times it can be the worst thing ever. However, he hopes that people can work through their struggles and get a DUI (Driving Under Influence) which is an ironic reference to getting drunk, not actually getting arrested for drunk driving.

The lyrics then go on to suggest that it's not so bad, and that there is always tomorrow to look forward to. Thundercat sings about being at the bottom of the glass, having made a fool of himself, and his friends letting him know about it the next day. The singer then expresses his exhaustion but also seems to suggest that he has not given up hope, as he takes "one more glass to go", even though he is not sure where it will lead.

Line by Line Meaning

Sometimes your alive
There are days when you live to the fullest

Sometimes you are dead inside
There are days when you feel lifeless

With the time to read between the lines of life and death
If you examine life deeply, you will realize its true nature

Sometimes it's okay
Some days it's alright

Sometimes it's the worst thing ever
Some days can be very difficult

Hopefully you work it off and get a DUI
It's best to face your problems and move on

You will see that it's not so bad
Things will start to look up

There's always tomorrow
You always have a chance for a fresh start

Bottom of the glass
Drinking to the bottom of the glass

At this point you've made an ass
If you're drunk, you're not making good decisions

And your friends will let you know tomorrow
Your friends will remind you of your actions the next day