The quintessential Surf/Skate Humorcore band representing Southern Californ… Read Full Bio ↴The quintessential Surf/Skate Humorcore band representing Southern California - A true punk rock show.

Since 1983, the band has been headlining 500+ crowd shows all over the world. They have played with bands such as OFFSPRING, PENNYWISE, SUBLIME, GREEN DAY, NO DOUBT, THE VANDALS, JFA, FEAR, DICKIES, DI, VOODOO GLOW SKULLS, AQUABATS, and GUTTERMOUTH - just to name a few.

With their patented Surf/Skate Humorcore, the Whitekaps have released three full-length CDs and several singles, they're featured on over a hundred compilations, they've completed three North American tours, and they continue to kick out punk rock hits.

Vocals-Kc Maddox
Guitar-Rich Paul
Bass-Glen Mckenzie
Drum-Dean Briggs

Wanna Be
White Kaps Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'm a politician, with ethics

But i'm too stupid
I'm a wannabee

I'm a preacher, and i'm perfect
But i'm too stupid
I'm a wannabee

Couldn't i see
Couldn't i see
Couldn't i see
Couldn't i fucking see

I'm a cowboy
In the city
But i'm too stupid
I'm a wannabee

I'm a surfer
In the desert
But i'm too stupid
I'm a wannabee

[chorus]

I'm pregnant
On crack
But i'm too stupid
I'm a wannabee

I'm a duck
In the land of kings
But i'm too stupid
I'm a wannabee

[chorus]

Overall Meaning

The song "Wanna Be" by White Kaps portrays a character who is struggling with their identity, trying to be someone they are not. The lyrics suggest that this person is pretending to be a politician, a preacher, a cowboy, a surfer, and even a pregnant woman on crack. The use of irony in the lyrics is a deliberate attempt to poke fun at individuals who attempt to fit in by mimicking people they admire or aspire to be like.

The first verse opens with the line "I'm a politician with ethics, but I'm too stupid; I'm a wannabee." It demonstrates how this person is trying to project an image of integrity, but they lack the intelligence to back it up. The next verse talks about being a perfect preacher, but too stupid to understand what they preach. The following verses show the same pattern of irony. They try to be a cowboy in the city, a surfer in the desert, and even a duck in the land of kings, but they are always too stupid to pull it off.

The chorus emphasizes their repeated failure to understand who they are and who they are pretending to be. It repeats the line: "Couldn't I see? Couldn't I fucking see?" emphasizing their struggle to see themselves in a truthful light. The final verse, about being a pregnant woman on crack, is the ultimate expression of their desire to be someone else.

Overall, the song speaks to the universal human struggle to fit in and be accepted. It highlights the dangers of trying to be someone you're not and warns against the cost of losing oneself in the process.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm a politician, with ethics
Although I present myself as a politician with moral principles, I lack intelligence.

But I'm too stupid
Despite identifying as a politician with ethics, my lack of intelligence makes it difficult for me to follow through with my image.