This song was written in response to the 2009 suicide of a close friend that Billie Joe grew up with in Rodeo, CA. However, the song is as much about the entire “Generation X” (those born from roughly 1960-1980) as it is about this one specific tragedy. Billie Joe has repeatedly identified himself as an “Ex-Kid” in recent interviews. The narrator is able to relate to his late friend, in that they were both “Ex/X-kids.” But, he was able to push through the struggles that came with growing older, while his friend was not. His friend, unfortunately, found an escape in suicide, thus the line “Here goes nothing, the shouting’s over.” The narrator sees facets of himself in his late friend. He feels as if, sadly, there wasn’t much that could have been done to help his friend, though he wishes someone could have found a way to help him before it was too late.
Hey, little kid
did you wake up late one day?
You’re not so young, but you’re still dumb
and you’re numb to your old glory,
but now it’s gone.
I fell in love,
but it didn’t catch your fall.
Then I crashed to a wall
and I fell to pieces on the floor.
Now you’re sick to death.
Bombs away!
Here goes nothing, the shouting’s over.
Hey X-Kid, bombs away!
Here goes nothing, the shouting’s over and out,
over and out again.
Stucky says:
Admin
Well done. Enjoyed the song …. especially more so because of your explanation.
Full lyrics below.
============
Hey, little kid
did you wake up late one day?
You’re not so young, but you’re still dumb
and you’re numb to your old glory,
but now it’s gone.
I fell in love,
but it didn’t catch your fall.
Then I crashed to a wall
and I fell to pieces on the floor.
Now you’re sick to death.
Bombs away!
Here goes nothing, the shining’s over.
Hey X-Kid, bombs away!
Here goes nothing, the shining’s over and out,
over and out again.
I once was old enough
to know better than I was.
Too young to care, but who cares?
Probably would but Hollywood is dead and gone
You fell in love,
but then you just fell apart.
Like a kick in the head,
you’re an X-Kid and you
never even got started again.
Bombs away!
Here goes nothing, the shining’s over.
Hey X-Kid, bombs away!
Here goes nothing, the shining’s over and out,
over and out…
And you were searching your soul
and you got lost and out of control.
You went over the edge of joking,
died of a broken heart!
Hey, little kid
did you wake up late one day?
You’re not so young, but you’re still dumb.
You’re an X-kid and you never even got started again.
Bombs away!
Here goes nothing, the shining’s over.
Hey X-Kid, bombs away!
Here goes nothing, the shining’s over.
Hey X-Kid, bombs away!
Here goes nothing, the shining’s over.
Hey X-Kid, bombs away!
Here goes nothing, the shining’s over and out,
over and out,
over and over and out!
Like or Dislike:
3 
0
16th February 2013 at 12:44 pm
Kevin Degidon says:
I have found myself cursing out Boomers since as long as I had even the most rudimentary understanding of politics and the world. But I have to humbly say of my own peers, where were we (Gen Xers) in the run-up to this mess? Did we challange W to lead the nation responsibly after 9/11? Did we insist upon launching in new civic age, despite W’s “just go shopping” madness? And what about Obama (half-Gen X), has he not dropped the ball as well? We as Gen Xers can’t just blame the Boomers, tempting and fun as it might seen. We too must blame ourselves, as we hope and pray that one of our members will be strong enough to take the reins of leadership, and hope enough Millenial footsoldiers will pick up the pieces.
Like or Dislike:
1 
0
16th February 2013 at 2:29 pm