All StarSmash Mouth
LYRICS-INTERPRETATION-FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE
1) Somebody once told me the world is gonna
roll me (personification)
I ain't the sharpest tool in the shed (idiom: he is
not the smartest person)
She was looking kind of dumb with her finger
and her thumb In the shape of an "L" on her
forehead (imagery: sight)
1) INTERPRETATION: Ignorance is bliss...ok so
look at the lyrics, he's saying she was looking
kind of dumb because he didn't know what the
sign language was for loser, also he thinks life is
great because he's dumb...
2) Well, the years start coming and they don't
stop coming (personification)
Fed to the rules and I hit the ground running
(idiom-to seize an opportunity)
Didn't make sense not to live for fun
Your brain gets smart but your head gets dumb
(personification-irony if your brain gets smart,
your head too)
2) INTERPRETATION: Live life like you want to
and have fun...Look at the lyrics he even says
live for fun and break the rules
3) So much to do, so much to see
So what's wrong with taking the back streets?
You'll never know if you don't go (proverb)
You'll never shine if you don't glow
(counterintuitive statement)
3) INTERPRETATION: Dnnt rush, life has many
rewards.... Try new things and work your way to
the top...
CHORUS: Hey, now, you're an all-star,
(metaphor) get your game on (idiom), go play
Hey, now, you're a rock star, (metaphor) get the
show on (idiom), get paid
And all that glitters is gold (irony-metaphor-
proverb “all that glitters is not gold” means not to
trust everything you see)
Only shooting stars break the mold (hyperbole:
shooting stars are rare and a lot of things can
break mold: to do something in a completely new
way))
4) It's a cool place and they say it gets colder
You're bundled up now wait 'til you get older
But the media men beg to differ
Judging by the hole in the satellite picture
4) INTERPRETATION: Life only gets harder as
you get older so live in the moment, but some
people don't think so...
5) The ice we skate is getting pretty thin (idiom)
The water's getting warm so you might as well
swim (imagery + alliteration 2 ”w”)
My world's on fire. How about yours? (hyperbole:
his world is awesome)
That's the way I like it and I'll never get bored
(hyperbole)
5) INTERPRETATION: Go with the flow...when
life gives you lemons make lemonade...enjoy
living...
Hey, now, you're an all-star, get your game on,
(metaphor-idiom) go play. Hey, now, you're a
rock star, get the show on, (metaphor-idiom) get
paid And all that glitters is gold (irony-metaphor-
proverb “all that glitters is not gold” means not to
trust everything you see) Only shooting stars break
the mold (hyperbole: shooting stars are rare and
a lot of things can break mold: to do something in
a completely new way)
Go for the moon X4 (idiom-to set one´s goals or
ambitions very high)
Hey, now, you're an all-star, get your game on
(metaphor-idiom), go play
Hey, now, you're a rock star, get the show on,
(metaphor-idiom), get paid And all that glitters is
gold (irony-metaphor-proverb “all that glitters is
not gold” means not to trust everything you see)
Only shooting stars
Somebody once asked could I spare some
change for gas
I (anaphora) need to get myself away from this
place
I said yep, what a concept
I could use a little fuel myself (idiom)
And we could all use a little change
Well, the years start coming and they don't stop
coming (personification)
Fed to the rules and I hit the ground running
(idiom-to seize an opportunity)
Didn't make sense not to live for fun
Your brain gets smart but your head gets dumb
(personification-irony if your brain gets smart,
your head too)
(negative connotation)
You'll never know if you don't go
You'll never shine if you don't glow
Hey, now, you're an all star, get your game on,
go play
Hey, now, you're a rock star, get the show on,
get paid
And all that glitters is gold
Only shooting stars break the mold

So much to do, so much to see And all that glitters is gold

So what's wrong with taking the back streets? Only shooting stars break the mold

Exhaustive explanation of lyrics:

This song is about bullying, you still are an all star. You are a lot better than what other people
say of you. You will always be worth something. It isn´t worth to be sad when being made fun of.
(When he says that world is going to “roll” him, he means that the world is going to run him
over, like a steamroller. (personification + simile). The phrase, “not the sharpest tool in the
shed,” like “not the ripest banana in the bunch,” implies that the singer is no genius (idiom). And
it is his lack of mental prowess that makes him fear the world will chew him up and spit him
out. (personification + idiom) The same person who says the world will roll him also makes a
gesture to him indicating that he is a loser. Those of us who grew up in the 90’s remember people
doing this all the time (Hyperbole).
He’s advocating a hedonistic way of life when he says it “didn’t make sense not to live for fun.”
People who work hard in school may become smarter, but they may not get street smart, which
seems to be what he means when he says, “your head gets dumb.” In life, there are many things
to do and see. Here “taking the back streets” strikes me as a metaphor for having a different
perspective on life than the common man. But one will never get a fresh perspective, if one does
not get out, travel, and have significant experiences.
An All Star in sports is an outstanding athlete. The singer here is trying to boost the self-esteem
of his audience by telling everyone that they can all excel in their own way. He’s telling them to
find something they’re good at it and give it their all. By calling people “Rock Stars,” he is saying
that everyone can be creative or artistic. When he says, “all that glitters is gold,” he’s intentionally
misquoting Shakespeare who said in The Merchant of Venice, “all that glitters is not gold.”
Shakespeare was trying to say that appearances can be deceiving. But Smash Mouth is claiming
that now, image is everything. He’s saying if something looks valuable, it is valuable. So, if one
puts on a confident face, one will eventually acquire self-confidence. Shooting star is the common
name for what scientists call a meteor, a descending piece of space dust. Shooting stars all
eventually fall to Earth. He’s saying that to be an individual, to “break the mold,” one must risk
failure. People who don’t risk failure lead boring, unproductive lives.

He seems to be talking about climate change, but instead of global warming, he’s suggesting a
coming Ice Age. “Meteor men” are probably meteorologists, or weathermen. The hole in the
satellite picture might be the hole in the ozone layer. Now the singer does a 180 and instead of
cooling temperatures, things are getting warmer. When he says, “the waters getting warm,” he
may be talking about El Nino, the global weather phenomenon that starts as a warming of the
South Pacific.
He says “we could all use a little change.” There’s an obvious double meaning here as “change”
in English can refer both to loose coins and reform. Yes, we could all use a little more money, but
what’s more we could all benefit from a better world. This is essentially the end of the song as the
rest is just a refrain.

Theme of the song: not to be afraid of being who you are, even if that means being
different.