What does 19-2000 mean?

Gorillaz: 19-2000 Meaning

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Album cover for 19-2000 album cover

Song Released: 2001


19-2000 Lyrics

The world is spinning too fast
I'm buying lead Nike shoes
To keep myself tethered
To the days I try to lose

My mama said to slow down
You should make your shoes
Stop dancing to the music
Of Gorillaz in a happy mood

Keep a mild groove...

  1. 1TOP RATED

    #1 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
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    Apr 7th 2008 !⃝

    I think the "Get the cool shoe shine" part means there are ways your life (shoes) can be special. "Get the cool" possibly meaning finding your special talents. "Shoe shine" possibly meaning showing your special talents through your life (shoes).

  2. 2TOP RATED

    #2 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    May 24th 2011 !⃝

    "The world is spinning too fast
    I'm buying lead Nike shoes
    To keep myself tethered
    To the days I try to lose"
    - i agree with most people that this has to do with going along with what everyone else is doing and that
    "My mama said to slow down
    You should make your shoes
    Stop dancing to the music
    Of Gorillaz in a happy mood"- has to do with choosing your own style and to not dance to this song in a happy mood because although the song is fun, the lyrics aren't.

    "There's a monkey in the jungle
    Watching a vapour trail
    Caught up in the conflict
    Between his brain and his tail"
    - i believe this has to do with how nature is affected by these common styles. The "vapour trail" is pollutants from factories that make the styles (lead shoes)and that the "conflict between his brain and his tail" symbolizes either people that know that the factories that make their stuff are polluting and if they should listen to their instincts(brain)or their friends and modern world(tail).

    "And if time's elimination
    Then we got nothing to lose
    Please repeat the message
    It's the music that we choose"
    - this shows that if the factories are polluting, there is no time to lose; which is where music symbolizes style and goods, which we must choose between the good less attractive stuff or the bad beautiful and modern stuff.

  3. 3TOP RATED

    #3 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Feb 17th 2008 !⃝

    I agree with most others that Gorillaz sing a lot of nonsense and hey! that's why we love them!

    But a few parts kinda do make sense to me, when 2d says that "My mama said to slow down
    You should make your shoes
    Stop dancing to the music
    Of Gorillaz in a happy mood "

    Because in his mamas opinion he shouldn't be wasting his life away; believing that the fame and money that being a member of the gorillaz has given him (Stop dancing to the music Of Gorillaz in a happy mood) is going to last forever.. perhaps that's why the use of "Slow down" because of the sudden hype and fame that he got..

    But 2d refuses to listen to his mother and continues whiling away his time and the rest of the song revolves around talking about mundane silly things that don't make sense..

    Wow! an intelligent interpretation to a senseless song!!
    I don't know how correct I am though.

  4. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jul 4th 2019 !⃝

    I think there are multiple meanings to this song. Depending on how you look at it, the title, "19-2000" is (i think) mocking how it was difficult for people to say "2001, 2002, etc" instead of "1998, 1999, etc." So we already know the song is somewhat about an odd change for people in time. The shoes can either represent your life or your music taste. Going by the first idea, you can see the song as telling you to be yourself in life, ignoring mainstream behaviour and being you. That you dont need to forget who you are to be happy, because times running out. With the theory of the song being about music taste, you can also see it as ignoring the "popular" opinions. To polish your taste and ignore the rest, listening to what you want (ex: Gorillaz in a happy mood") and using what you like to forget pasts you regret. Same as the other theory, its because since times running out, you have nothing to lose.

  5. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jul 18th 2018 !⃝

    I think this song is about finding yourself and being who you are. Instead of wanting to be like a mass of people you should follow your likes and dislikes. So basically, don't become a blurry face 'cause you're scared of being yourself. Yes, there will be people who'll hate you but there'll also be the people who connect with your weirdness.

  6. anonymous
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    Jan 8th 2018 !⃝

    I think this talks about 2-D and his relationship with the Gorillaz
    See, I think he is actually saying "I find that I can choose, to keep myself tethered to the days I tried to lose."
    He is talking about his previous experience with music (possibly struggling) and now his sudden rushing experience (as evidenced by the car they all drive) with the rest of the crew makes him question his taste for music.
    That, or the whole song is just for nonsense

  7. DarxylCyrok
    click a star to vote
    Jul 1st 2014 !⃝

    The song is talking about being on really hard drugs like LSD and listening trip-hop so you can feel happy while on a major F****ing drug trip this is after a few years of look at what the hell the lyrics are even saying,It is about drugs and life lessons they have learned that are flooding back while they make themselves artificially happy by doing lots of drugs and listening to trippy music

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  8. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jun 17th 2014 !⃝

    never to forget to polish ur shoes."My mama said to slow down you must make your own shoes"MAKE YOUR SHOES!

  9. 3bchs
    click a star to vote
    Oct 29th 2008 !⃝

    I think the song is like a metaphor or something because I don't think it has anything to do with shoes(even though the Gorillaz might have written meaningless songs before). Thogh the song might have to do with 2D slowing down enjoy the fame, or maybe be yourself and don't follow others. That is what I can interpret, though I could be wrong of course.

  10. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jun 16th 2006 !⃝

    I reckon it's about things that appeal to you "it's the music that you choose" not what any other person likes,because too many people buy things to fit in with a group"im buying lead nike shoes" and "get the cool" but I reckon the meanings in reverse to the song bcuz the song encorouges to be a groupie but the real meanings not to.

  11. Frodobulletshell
    click a star to vote
    Nov 25th 2005 !⃝

    With the lyrics in the song, I can only interpret this. He speaks of buying Nike shoes to keep himself tethered to the days he tries to lose. He's trying to keep up with everyone in the present when really he should make his own shoes. The music that we choose means the music that appeals to you, not the music that someone else likes so you go out and buy that album and t-shirt to be popular, I loathe those people.

    Keep in mind that Gorillaz are Trip-Hop. Som of their stuff is a little hard to understand or some of it is good old nonsense.


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