Tropicalia
Beck
Become A Better Singer In Only 30 Days, With Easy Video Lessons!
Oh, when they beat upon a broken guitar And all the streets, they reek of tropical charms The embassies lie in hideous shards Where tourists snore and decay When they dance in a reptile blaze You wear a mask, an equatorial haze Into the past, a colonial maze Where there's no more confetti to throw You wouldn't know what to say to yourself Love is a poverty you couldn't sell Misery waits in vague hotels To be evicted You're out of luck, you're singing funeral songs To the studs, they're anabolic and bronze They seem to strut in their millennial fogs 'Til they fall down and deflate You wouldn't know what to say to yourself Love is a poverty you couldn't sell Misery waits in vague hotels To be evicted Oh, and now, you've had your fun Under an air-conditioned sun It's burned into your eyes Leaves you plain and left behind I'll see them rise and fall Into the jaws of a pestilent love You wouldn't know what to say to yourself Love is a poverty you couldn't sell Misery waits in vague hotels To be a victim
Become A Better Singer In Only 30 Days, With Easy Video Lessons!
Written by: Beck Hansen
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
10 facts about this song
Album background"Tropicalia" is a song from Beck's seventh studio album "Mutations" which was released in 1998. This album marked a departure from the anti-folk style of his previous albums.
|
Genre and InfluenceThe song is influenced by Tropicália, a Brazilian artistic movement that started in the late 1960s. Tropicália combined traditional Brazilian music with foreign influences such as rock and roll and jazz.
|
CollaborationThe album was produced by Nigel Godrich, who is well-known for his work with Radiohead. "Tropicalia" is one of the tracks where the influence of Godrich can be seen quite clearly.
|
Chart PerformanceDespite the experimental nature of "Mutations", the song "Tropicalia" did well on the charts. It hit number 21 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.
|
Song Composition"Tropicalia" features a variety of unusual instruments for a pop song, including bongos, a sitar, and a bossa nova beat. This helps give the song its unique, tropical feel.
|
Music VideoThe music video for "Tropicalia" was directed by Charles Burns and shows Beck being buried in the sand on a beach while various surreal things happen around him. The visual references to the beach and the sea further incorporate the tropical theme.
|
Live Performances"Tropicalia" has been a part of Beck's live repertoire for many years and is always performed with a full band that mirrors the richness of the recorded track.
|
ReceptionCritics often highlight "Tropicalia" as one of the standout tracks from "Mutations", praising its playful bossa nova beat and Beck's witty lyrics.
|
AwardsBeck's album "Mutations" including the song "Tropicalia" won a Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album in 1999.
|
Song meaningBeck has not directly explained the lyrics of "Tropicalia", but many speculate that it wrestles with themes of a fake utopia, perhaps a commentary on the American dream.
|
Citation
Use the citation below to add these lyrics to your bibliography:
Style:MLAChicagoAPA
"Tropicalia Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 11 May 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/27225649/Beck/Tropicalia>.
Discuss the Tropicalia Lyrics with the community:
Report Comment
We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.
If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly.
Attachment
You need to be logged in to favorite.
Log In