Viva La White Girl

"Viva La White Girl"

Fame, fortune, platinum records.
It's every boys dream.

True story.
Somebody asked me one time.
Travie, you high.
You look high.
****, yeah I'm high.

Let's go.

The world is yours, so play the role.
Blow the dust off this record and put the needle down slow.
Our veins are cold, but we'll never grow old.
Let's have a toast, and raise our drinks.
No hearts on our sleeves, just eagles on our cuff links.
It's such a rush to know you love me so much.

We'll do whatever you want to.
Girl I'll make a movie star of you.
You know that I could,
If you let me be your Hollywood.

We'll get high, and hide.
We all lust to the glamorous,
white girl so fine.
Going up on the downtown line.
We'll get high, and hide.
We all lust to the glamorous,
white girl so fine.
Going up on the downtown line.

Take your razor, break down my line.
Put your nose to the speaker.
Now breathe in, breathe in.

Clean up your nose, and face the crowd.
Then kiss your mirror cause we're all stars now.
Isn't it fun how music makes your lips numb?

We'll do whatever you want to.
Girl I'll make a movie star of you.
You know that I could,
If you let me be your Hollywood.

We'll get high, and hide.
We all lust to the glamorous,
white girl so fine.
Going up on the downtown line.
We'll get high, and hide.
We all lust to the glamorous,
white girl so fine.
Going up on the downtown line.

Take your razor, break down my line.
Put your nose to the speaker.
Now breathe in, breathe in.

We'll get high, and hide.
We all lust to the glamorous,
white girl so fine.
Going up on the downtown line.
We'll get high, and hide.
We all lust to the glamorous,
white girl so fine.
Going up on the downtown line.

Breathe in.
Breathe in.
Breathe in.
Breathe in

Gym Class Heroes is an American band from Geneva, New York that blends modern rock with hip hop. You may know them for their hit song "Cupid's Chokehold" which reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Gym Class Heroes is not known for having deep metaphors in their songs, for example, the song "Cupid's Chokehold" has a very simplistic meaning and has no other deeper message.  However, the song I’m going to be discussing, “Viva La White Girl,” is a song that actually makes great use of metaphors, even though they aren’t that hard to decipher. This song actually stirred up some controversy when it was released because of people who were unable to see the metaphors in the lyrics. On the surface level, the words are about fame, fortune and the drugs that always seem to follow. Many people were put off at such lines such as “Clean up your nose, and face the crowd. Then kiss the mirror cause were all-stars now.” At first glance it appears that the band is endorsing the usage of cocaine as a part of being music stars. However, the lead singer Travis McCoy cleverly uses cocaine as a metaphor for the music he feels flowing through his veins. The metaphor is very simple, but is used to make a meaningful, clever and catchy song. Surfing around the web, it is actually surprising how many people overlook the whole meaning of the song. There are hints everywhere such as: “Take your razor, break down my line. Put your nose to the speaker. Now breathe in, breathe in.”  By saying “Put your nose to the speaker,” the metaphor for music becomes quite obvious. Additionally, in the chorus McCoy repeatedly references a “white girl so fine.” White is a common term that refers to cocaine, but in this song cocaine is a metaphor, so the glamorous white girl we are lost to is music. The chorus ends up meaning that sometimes music makes you successful and you get “high”, other times you fail and you “hide” from the public eye, but we still keep on making music regardless. Music is a mistress who you can’t turn your back on. There are many songs out there that make better, deeper usage of metaphors; however “Viva La White Girl” will always stand out to me because I find music very important to life. It has its ups and downs, but no matter what you can never truly lose hold of it. My favorite line from the song is, “Blow the dust off this record and put the needle down slow. Our veins our cold, but we’ll never grow old,” which means: even if music ceases to be a part of your life, you can always find a way to rediscover it.