anonymous December 5th, 2006 11:26PM  
I think this song is about how people give up their life and lose who they really are to be famous and rich. In other words, a "rockstar". "I'll trade this life for fortune and fame,I'll even cut my hair and change my name"

anonymous February 3rd, 2007 03:25PM  
It's simply what Chad want and he got it. He changed his last name from Turton to Kroeger. He did cut his hair. So it's not that hard if you just read the lyrics really good and Chad's bio than you will get it in a heartbeat.

SongBird_Singer April 21st, 2007 10:53PM  
Yes, I think it's about Chad's life and all, but it's also a sort of way of saying "hey, in the end, being a Rockstar is a drag." I can't help but hearing a slight dissapointment in the lyrics, how everyone is out to get you and your money, and no one really cares WHO you are, but what you are. I think Nickelback is trying to say live a life of a real human, because being a rock god is as surreal as it gets.
(I'm sure poppin' pills doesn't really help to create a good reality, eithier.)

anonymous June 18th, 2008 12:50PM  
"Rockstar" may have a few meanings on different levels (i.e. The parody of celebrity lifestyle or as a biography of Nickelback's success etc.).
But what I like to add is that Chad and Billy must be pissing themselves laughing because generally, few people have 1realised the more subtle allusion the song's lyrics refers to.
Ingeniously, this allusion a is both veiled and yet also
blatantly obvious at the same time.
Picture a young man who is discontent at the "cards that life has dealt" him. Lady Luck and Fate have not been kind towards him. Frustrated, he discovers a way to change his fate. The young man discovers that the ANSWER to every material wish he has, is actually quite SIMPLE - make a deal...
He makes the "deal...". The "deal" that many other rock stars have made, thereafter going on to realise huge world wide fame and success.
ENTER LUCIFER played by "Billy Gibbons". Interestingly, the
volume of Bill's voice is noticeably lower than the rest of the song, giving his voice a more subversive, sinister tone.
Tell me what do you want... So what do you need?... So how're you going to do it...?
"I'm gonna (TRADE THIS LIFE / I'M GONNA SELL MY SOUL) for FORTUNE AND FAME (no explanation required here), I'd even cut my hair and change my name" I'll do WHATEVER the "deal"
requires.

anonymous October 4th, 2008 07:15PM  
I think the song is about the dream of becoming a "rockstar" and the band have thought of all the crazy things that people associate "Rockstars" with. They basically describe all the fantasies of many young people and poke fun at themselves and other rockstars when describing the lifestyle. When the song refers to cutting hair and changing your name- it is poking fun at Chad as he has done this.

2fast4u2c April 6th, 2010 10:24PM  
I personally love this song and grew up listening to Nickelback and I think they were trying to state that we all want to be famous, but can't. I think he wrote a song on what he thought before he was famous and that way people can relate to this song easily.