Song Lyrics – Settle Down by No Doubt

A few days ago I was watching Jimmy Fallon, the American talk show on CNBC, when No Doubt performed the first single from their new album: Settle Down. The album is called Push and Shove. What a great song! I thought it was a really awesome performance so I found it on Youtube and listened to it a few more times and now I’m hooked. It’s fun to sing, a great song with great lyrics.

No Doubt had a big hit song way back in the 90′s called Don’t Speak and it was also a great song. They didn’t have any big hits after that but the singer, Gwen Stephani, did some solo things and now the group is back with a new album.

It’s a great song, I love the lyrics and the sound and I love the dub section at the end. This song may be the first big hit that brings ‘dub’ into the mainstream.

Official Video on Youtube:

Performance on Jimmy Fallon:

Settle Down – Lyrics

Get get get in line, and settle down
Get in line, and settle down

What’s your twenty? (Do you copy?)
Where’s your brain? (Do you copy?)
Checking in to check you out
Concerned about your whereabouts
Copy that, you’re acting strange
So tell me what is going on
So heavy I bet

I’m fine (and nothing’s gonna knock this girl down)
I’m hella positive for real, I’m all good no
I’m fine (and nothing’s gonna knock this girl down)
It’s kind of complicated that’s for sure

But you can see it my eyes, you can read it on my lips
I’m trying to get a hold on this
And I really mean it this time
And you know it’s such a trip
Don’t get me started
I’m trying to get a hold on this

Get get get in line, and settle down
Get in line, and settle down

No big deal (I can handle it)
It’ll bounce off me (I can handle it)
Been around the block before, doesn’t matter anymore
Here we go again (Are you kidding me?)
Are you insane? (Are you kidding me?)
We’re underneath the avalanche so heavy again

I’m fine (and nothing’s gonna knock this girl down)
I’m hella positive for real, I’m all good no
I’m fine (and nothing’s gonna knock this girl down)
It’s kinda complicated that’s for sure

But you can see it my eyes, you can read on my lips
I’m trying to get a hold on this
And I really mean it this time
And you know it’s such a trip
Don’t get me started
I’m trying to get a hold on this

Get get get in line, and settle down
Get in line, and settle down

I’m a rough and tough, i’m a rough and tough
And nothing’s gonna knock this girl down
I’m a rough and tough, I’m a rough and tough
And nothing’s gonna knock this girl down
I’m a rough and tough, I’m a rough and tough
And nothing’s gonna knock this girl down
I’m a rough and tough, I’m a rough and tough

But you can see it my eyes, you can read on my lips
I’m trying to get a hold on this
And I really mean it this time
And you know it’s such a trip
Don’t get me started
I’m trying to get a hold on this

Gotta get a hold on this
Trying to get a hold on this
Don’t get me started
Gotta get a hold on this

Get get get in line, and settle down
Get in line, and settle down

Get get get in line, and settle down
Get in line, and settle down

Vocabulary

“What’s your 20?” = A “10-code” used by citizens band and emergency radio users, “20″ means “location”, so “what’s your 20″ means “what’s your location” or “where are you”.

“Do you copy?” = Another code word from communicating on radios, you might hear this in action movies when people are talking on radios. It means “Do you understand?”

“Copy that.” = “I understand.”

to check in = You probably know that you “check in” to a hotel when you arrive. This is another meaning, but similar. It means to tell somebody where you are or what you’re doing, so that they won’t worry about you.

to check something out = To look at something. So, “checking in to check you out” is a lyrical way to say “calling to see what you’re doing and to let you know that I’m okay”.

whereabouts = location

to be heavy = serious, important, meaningful

to be hella = slang, meaning “very” or “extremely”, comes from “hell of a…”

I’m all good = This makes me think of a couple of common phrases, though it isn’t exactly the same:

“I’m good” means “I don’t need anything”.

For example: “Do you want something to drink?” “No thanks, I’m good.”

And also “it’s all good” is a common phrase meaning there have been some problems but in general things are okay, or just that everything is okay.

“How has your business been doing lately?” “Well, you know; it’s all good.”

it’s complicated = This is not really an idiom or slang but this phrase has a modern meaning thanks to being in the Relationship Status list on Facebook: Single, Married, It’s Complicated. (I don’t know if it’s still used on Facebook, do you know?)

read it on my lips = This might be a reference to “read my lips” which is a phrase made famous by President George H. W. Bush in 1988.

get a hold on something = get in control of something

to be a trip = to be strange, unusual, unbelievable

“Don’t get me started.” = A common phrase meaning “I feel really strongly about this and if I start talking about it then I will probably talk for a long time about it and it might be boring for you to listen to all of that so… don’t get me started.”

to be a big deal = to be very important

it’ll bounce off me = it won’t affect me

to have been around the block before = to be experienced, not naive

Video with Lyrics: