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Ani DiFranco — Fuel
Album: Little Plastic Castle
Avg rating:
4.3

Your rating:
Total ratings: 159









Released: 1998
Length: 3:51
Plays (last 30 days): 0
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They were digging a new foundation in Manhattan
And they discovered a slave cemetary there
May their souls rest easy
Now that lynching is frowned upon
And we've moved on to the electric chair

And I wonder who's gonna be president
Tweedle dumb or tweedle dumber?
And who's gonna have the big
Blockbuster box office this summer?
How about we put up a wall between houses and the highway?
And you can go your way, and i can go my way

Except all the radios agree with all the TVs
And the magazines agree with all the radios
And I keep hearing that same damn song everywhere I go
Maybe I should put a bucket over my head
And a marshmallow in each ear
And stumble around for another dumb-numb week
For another hum drum hit song to appear

People used to make records
As in a record of an event
The event of people playing music in a room
Now everything is cross-marketing
It's about sunglasses and shoes
Or guns and drugs
You choose

We got it rehashed
We got it half-assed
We're digging up all the graves
And we're spitting on the past
And you can choose between the colors
Ff the lipstick on the whores
Cause we know the difference between
The font of 20% more
And the font of teriyaki
You tell me
How does it make you feel?
You tell me what's real?
And they say that alcoholics are always alcoholics
Even when they're as dry as my lips for years
Even when they're stranded on a small desert island
With no place within 2,000 miles to buy beer
And I wonder
Is he different?
Is he different?
Has he changed? What's he about?...
Or is he just a liar with nothing to lie about?

Am I headed for the same brick wall
Is there anything I can do about anything at all?
Except go back to that corner in Manhattan
And dig deeper, dig deeper this time
Down beneath the impossible pain of our history
Beneath unknown bones
Beneath the bedrock of the mystery
Beneath the sewage systems and the path train
Beneath the cobblestones and the water mains
Beneath the traffic of friendships and street deals
Beneath the screeching of kamikaze cab wheels
Beneath everything I can think of to think about
Beneath it all, beneath all get out
Beneath the good and the kind and the stupid and the cruel
There's a fire just waiting for fuel

There's a fire just waiting for fuel
Comments (54)add comment
seriously...    really?

The only thing worse than this song is the stupid album cover.

Normally I don't etc etc

But this is just...

I can't let this war crime of a song just slide by
Posted 12 years ago by Deadwing    [ Reply ]
 Poacher wrote:
Yes! I'll give this a solid 9 to help keep it on the playlist. 

Go girl! 
 
Considering the cover, maybe the right expression would be "Go fish!" :)

This hurts my ears, and Ani diFranco gets on my tits because she's so personal and intense and self-absorbed. If I'd wanted to hear confessionals I'd have become a priest. Still, as folk have pointed out, she has her own label and does her own thing and doesn't give a monkey's what folk think of her, so kudos to her for that.


Posted 12 years ago by fredriley    [ Reply ]
 RideMaine wrote:
Lilith Fair rap?
 
LOL. That's priceless. I thought this was a 1 and then she ended with that gaspy breath thing. Way into negative territory.

Posted 12 years ago by FlatCat    [ Reply ]
She talks too fast for me to get what she's trying to say. Which, I guess, makes this song pretty obnoxious.  Off to check out the lyrics (if there are any), and maybe then, I'll understand her rant. For now, I think it sucks. No rating.
Posted 12 years ago by Cynaera    [ Reply ]
Perfect time for this song! Think people either get Ani or don't. I get her and like what she stands for. This might not be the greatest song but it was where she was at the time. She is fantastic in concert.
Posted 12 years ago by Shaker    [ Reply ]
Wow
before this song played it was rated by 105 people, with a rating of 4.5
After the song played it was rated by 135 people, with a rating of 4.2
harsh ! 

Posted 12 years ago by coding_to_music    [ Reply ]
I don't know, that one actually actually rang true for me. Her delivery was not exactly user friendly, but i thought the lyrics, while a bit distracted and messy, held a interesting and relevant message. but maybe thats just me and my twenty-something angst {#Wink}
Posted 12 years ago by TheFriendlyCat    [ Reply ]
Ms. DiFranco does not have to answer to anyone. Couldn't get signed? Started her own label. Whether you like her or not (I happen to like her), Ani doesn't care: she doesn't cater to anyone, she just does what she does and maybe some people dig it.

I dig it.
Posted 12 years ago by cc_rider    [ Reply ]
I've never really had an opinion on Ani. It's probably OK, but I actually couldn't listen to it after coming out of a nice Frisell composition and Little Feat's stunning Easy to Slip. RP is usually better with its segues.
Posted 12 years ago by mike_chouinard    [ Reply ]
 mandolin wrote:
...gnar - something about ani just makes me cringe...
 
Agreed. Cringe-inducing is to put it mildly.
Posted 12 years ago by On_The_Beach    [ Reply ]
 black321 wrote:
this sound is sooo 90s
 
50s beat poet wannabe maybe mixed with 80s New York folksinger revival.
 
5 
Posted 12 years ago by ScottFromWyoming    [ Reply ]
Yes! I'll give this a solid 9 to help keep it on the playlist. 

Go girl! 
Posted 12 years ago by SquiddlyDiddly    [ Reply ]
 k_trout wrote:

That's interesting....I am 60 and I look around and it pretty well describes the media culture we are swimming in
I didn't hear anything about farts or boners or boobs (now that's junior high)

 
I agree.  Not a big Ani fan but I like this. 

Posted 12 years ago by coyotexxx2    [ Reply ]
 k_trout wrote:

That's interesting....I am 60 and I look around and it pretty well describes the media culture we are swimming in
I didn't hear anything about farts or boners or boobs (now that's junior high)
 
It's not the content, but the delivery.
Posted 12 years ago by Jelani    [ Reply ]
She's grown on me.
Posted 12 years ago by lmic    [ Reply ]
...gnar - something about ani just makes me cringe...
Posted 12 years ago by mandolin    [ Reply ]
WTF?
That opening line flipped me out. I thought there was something wrong with the recording. And then it kept on going.
How did this get here? 
Posted 12 years ago by Jelani    [ Reply ]
 Ahnyer_Keester wrote:
Sounds very junior high school to me.
 
That's interesting....I am 60 and I look around and it pretty well describes the media culture we are swimming in
I didn't hear anything about farts or boners or boobs (now that's junior high)

Posted 13 years ago by k_trout    [ Reply ]
 jools wrote:

Things move on.......suggest you should too.
 
 
Whatever you say tool...oh, I mean jools. {#Rolleyes}
Posted 13 years ago by Beez    [ Reply ]
 dogugotw wrote:
The joy of RP is being exposed to all kinds of different music.  If I wanted mono-culture, I'd subscribe to XM or listen to over the air radio. As it happens, I have this album and find it a refreshing change every once in a while.
Like the king said to Daffy "Every day, the same thing - VARIETY...bring me something different"
Thank you RP for the different!
 
Well said !  I don't have the album.... but I TRULY appreciate the variety around here.

Thank you Bill & Rebecca !!! 

Posted 13 years ago by GawgaBoy    [ Reply ]
I think this line makes the song...
And I wonder who's gonna be president
Tweedle Dumb or Tweedle Dumber?

... absolutely timeless..  ie. the lesser of two idiots

Posted 13 years ago by TreborG2    [ Reply ]
The joy of RP is being exposed to all kinds of different music.  If I wanted mono-culture, I'd subscribe to XM or listen to over the air radio. As it happens, I have this album and find it a refreshing change every once in a while.
Like the king said to Daffy "Every day, the same thing - VARIETY...bring me something different"
Thank you RP for the different!
Posted 13 years ago by dogugotw    [ Reply ]
ok, if you like it that's your business.... but a 10!?!
Posted 13 years ago by Delawhere    [ Reply ]
this sound is sooo 90s
Posted 13 years ago by black321    [ Reply ]
OMG - Beez sells firearms - that sucks.
Posted 13 years ago by jools    [ Reply ]
self-indulgent
Posted 13 years ago by rdo    [ Reply ]
 Flying_Donut wrote:
you know, the lyrics just SUCK. But this has a pretty infectious backbeat. I'm thinking it would make a relatively cool background song at a bar or something.
:)
 
Yea, I knew there was something drawing me to the song, but couldn't tell what it was, wasn't really paying attention to the lyrics anyway...

Posted 13 years ago by sbegf    [ Reply ]
 Beez wrote:
People used to make records....where they sing.....

Bleh!
 
Things move on.......suggest you should too.
 
Posted 13 years ago by jools    [ Reply ]
Cool!
Posted 13 years ago by jools    [ Reply ]
no
Posted 13 years ago by rudytherabbit    [ Reply ]
People used to make records....where they sing.....

Bleh!
Posted 13 years ago by Beez    [ Reply ]
Sounds very junior high school to me.
Posted 13 years ago by Ahnyer_Keester    [ Reply ]
I would love for her to put a bucket over her head.
And stop "singing" 
Posted 13 years ago by dogpound    [ Reply ]
Lilith Fair rap?
Posted 13 years ago by RideMaine    [ Reply ]
fabulous, incredible song. Ani\'s one of the few that wakes me up from my day.
Posted 21 years ago by jefferydelmar    [ Reply ]
Wow, this sucks serious ass.
Posted 21 years ago by eric    [ Reply ]
Cool.
Posted 21 years ago by birdland    [ Reply ]
That is just awful!
Posted 21 years ago by appst89    [ Reply ]
THis is the first song i\'ve heard on RP that I cannot stand. WHat an annoying song.
Posted 21 years ago by Relayer    [ Reply ]
This is crap. Hard to believe that this is brought to us by the same person that sings \"As Is\".
Posted 21 years ago by KevinM    [ Reply ]
Enough adolescent angst already. Get a job, Ani.
Posted 21 years ago by Omega    [ Reply ]
you know, the lyrics just SUCK. But this has a pretty infectious backbeat. I\'m thinking it would make a relatively cool background song at a bar or something. :)
Posted 21 years ago by Flying_Donut    [ Reply ]
I am better than this in my washroom on my worst day.. Certianly wouldn\'t record it..... or would have at least destroyed it after listening to it..
Posted 21 years ago by Martino    [ Reply ]
Bleccchhh!!! This is absolute crap.
Posted 21 years ago by deepwoodskev    [ Reply ]
It may be a relief or therapeutic for her, but doesn\'t lead to a song that needs to be shared with anyone outside the rehersal room. There are examples of songs with a similar subject that worked out (real) fine, like John Hiatt\'s Slug Line. Of course it helps when you can appreciate the concerning artist in the first place.
Posted 21 years ago by Johray63    [ Reply ]
Originally Posted by Harvest: Really, really bad. I keep expecting the band to just throw down their instruments and walk out. How did they even keep a straight face?
No kidding. This really sucks!
Posted 21 years ago by Leslie    [ Reply ]
Really, really bad. I keep expecting the band to just throw down their instruments and walk out. How did they even keep a straight face?
Posted 21 years ago by Harvest    [ Reply ]
we need to hear this one more often. definitely one of her greatest tracks, along with Two Little Girls. such amazing lyrics! :D "maybe I should put a bucket over my head, and a marshmallow in each ear, and stumble around for another dumb numb week, waiting for another hum drum hit song to appear."
Posted 22 years ago by Platypus    [ Reply ]