The song was not a successful single; several radio stations refused to play the song, and the video stiffed on MTV. This is considered to be one of the causes for the initial commercial failure of the album.
It was, however, extremely popular in Australia, and made it to #9 on the Triple J's Hottest 100 chart, the national poll for the most popular alternative songs. It was later released on the 1996 Hottest 100 compilation.
El Scorcho
Weezer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ay carumba!
Goddamn you half-Japanese girls
Do it to me every time
Oh, the redhead said you shred the cello
And I'm jello, baby
But you won't talk, won't look, won't think of me
Why you wanna go and do me like that?
Come down on the street and dance with me
I'm a lot like you, so please
Hello, I'm here, I'm waiting
I think I'd be good for you
And you'd be good for me
I asked you to go to the Green Day concert
You said you never heard of them (how cool is that)
How cool is that?
So I went to your room and read your diary:
"Watching Grunge leg drop New Jack through a press table"
And then my heart stopped:
"Listening to Cio-Cio San, fall in love all over again."
I'm a lot like you, so please
Hello, I'm here, I'm waiting
I think I'd be good for you
And you'd be good for me
How stupid is it? I can't talk about it
I gotta sing about it and make a record of my heart
How stupid is it? Won't you gimme a minute
Just come up to me
And say hello to my heart
How stupid is it? For all I know you want me too
And maybe you just don't know what to do
And maybe you're scared to say: 'I'm falling for you'
I wish I could get my head out of the sand
'Cause I think we'd make a good team
And you would keep my fingernails clean
But that's just a stupid dream that I won't realize
'Cause I can't even look in your eyes without shaking, and I ain't faking
I'll bring home the turkey if you bring home the bacon
I'm a lot like you, so please
Hello, I'm here, I'm waiting
I think I'd be good for you
And you'd be good for me
I'm a lot like you
I'm a lot like you
I'm a lot like you
I'm waiting
I think I'd be good for you
And you'd be good for me
"El Scorcho" is a song by American rock band, Weezer. Released in 1996, it quickly became a fan favorite and is still one of their most well-known songs. The song is about a guy who is really into a girl who won't give him the time of day. He tries to get her attention and convince her that they should be together, but he can't seem to break through her indifference. He is frustrated and confused by her mixed signals, but still finds himself hopelessly attracted to her.
The first verse of the song is about how the guy (presumably Rivers Cuomo, Weezer's lead singer and songwriter) is attracted to "half-Japanese girls" and how they drive him crazy. He mentions a cello-playing redhead who he's heard about and is obsessed with, but she won't give him the time of day. He thinks of himself as a "public enemy" and can't understand why she won't talk, look, or think about him.
In the second verse, the guy tries to get the girl's attention by asking her to go to a Green Day concert with him. She has never heard of them, which he finds cool, and he goes to her room to read her diary. He finds out that she's into some pretty obscure and weird stuff, like watching wrestling and listening to opera, which makes him like her even more. He wishes he could just talk to her and tell her how he feels, but he's too afraid.
Overall, the song is about unrequited love and the frustration that comes with it. The guy is trying to make a connection with the girl he likes, but she won't give him the time of day. He's trying to figure out why and what he can do to change it, but he's not having much luck. In the end, he's just waiting and hoping that something will happen between them.
Line by Line Meaning
El Scorcho!
An exclamation of excitement or anticipation
Ay carumba!
Another exclamation of excitement or surprise
Goddamn you half-Japanese girls
Expressing the singer's attraction to half-Japanese girls
Do it to me every time
Their attractiveness has a consistent effect on the singer
Oh, the redhead said you shred the cello
Referring to a conversation with someone who told the singer about the person's musical talent
And I'm jello, baby
The singer is very envious and jealous of the person's talent
But you won't talk, won't look, won't think of me
Feeling ignored and unimportant to the person
I'm the epitome of public enemy
Feeling like the person is against the singer, despite not doing anything wrong
Why you wanna go and do me like that?
Asking why the person is treating the singer this way
Come down on the street and dance with me
Inviting the person to spend time with the singer and have fun
I'm a lot like you, so please
Expressing that the singer and person have things in common
Hello, I'm here, I'm waiting
Expressing the singer's interest in the person
I think I'd be good for you
Implies that the singer would be a good match for the person
And you'd be good for me
Implies that the person would be a good match for the singer
I asked you to go to the Green Day concert
Recalling an event where the singer invited the person to a concert
You said you never heard of them (how cool is that)
Surprised and impressed that the person had never heard of Green Day
So I went to your room and read your diary:
Revealing that the singer invaded the person's privacy and read their diary
"Watching Grunge leg drop New Jack through a press table"
A strange comment written in the person's diary that stands out to the singer
And then my heart stopped:
A moment of realization and shock for the singer
"Listening to Cio-Cio San, fall in love all over again."
Another insightful comment from the person's diary, making the singer realize how much they have in common
How stupid is it? I can't talk about it
Feeling foolish for not being able to express their feelings to the person
I gotta sing about it and make a record of my heart
Using music to express their feelings for the person
Won't you gimme a minute
Asking the person to take a moment to talk with the singer
Just come up to me
Asking the person to approach the singer
And say hello to my heart
Encouraging the person to open up and express their true feelings
For all I know you want me too
Hoping that the person also has feelings for the singer
And maybe you just don't know what to do
Suggesting that the person may be unsure of how to act on their feelings
And maybe you're scared to say: 'I'm falling for you'
Suggesting that the person may be afraid to express their true feelings to the singer
I wish I could get my head out of the sand
Trying to be more aware of their own feelings and the situation
'Cause I think we'd make a good team
Believing that the singer and person would work well together
And you would keep my fingernails clean
A silly and romantic gesture, suggesting that the person would take care of the singer
But that's just a stupid dream that I won't realize
Feeling like their desires are unrealistic and may not come true
'Cause I can't even look in your eyes without shaking, and I ain't faking
Suggesting that the singer is nervous around the person and genuinely has feelings for them
I'll bring home the turkey if you bring home the bacon
Another silly and romantic gesture, offering to take care of the person in a fun way
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RIVERS CUOMO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@kolbykauffman4180
Ever since middle school, I always fantasized about what it'd be like if they stayed on THIS trajectory of alternative. Like if people weren't so harsh on this album, and Rivers wasn't so cripplingly alienated.
Not a groundbreaking thought, I know. But if they were just allowed to be, no Raditude, no Beverly Hills, etc.
I'm pretty content with where they reside now; the band look like they're having a helluva lot of fun and people like what they've put out lately. And hell, Rivers wrote so many songs, he handed them out to everyone in the industry!
But just imagine if Pinkerton was lauded from the get-go. Imagine if they dropped Green two years later and how that'd sound. Or if Matt stuck around!
Just daydreaming before work.
@punk3375
This song physically hurts me. Could just be cause I just sat through all of el horso.
@user-gz7lm9js9f
El horso
@punk3375
el horso
@sillygoober333
el horso
@Wixhael
el horso
@TrazynTI
el horso
@hotrodkimball
This song really grows on you. The first time I heard it while listening to Pinkerton I was like "What the fuck? How does everyone like this song?" but now I really love it
@ThrneM8
same with me I didn't get it at first but after listening to it several times it's one of my favorite songs of theirs.
@vito9985
I agree, it really does grow on you
@pk-spaz8413
This song was amazing since the first listen, how dare you.