"Selling out" is the compromising of integrity, morality, or principles in exchange for money or "success" (however defined). It is commonly associated with attempts to tailor material to a mainstream audience. Any artist who expands their creative path to encompass a wider audience, as opposed to continuing in the genre and venues of their initial success, may be disdainfully labeled by disapproving fans as a sellout. Sometimes a sellout is seen as a person that is disloyal to a group to which he or she belongs (usually ethnic group) in order to gain money or become "successful". Selling out is often seen as gaining success at the cost of credibility.
In various political movements (usually communists and anarchists), a "sellout" is a person or group pretending to adhere to a genuinely pro-working class ideology, only to follow these claims up with actions directly contradicting them, often (whether actually or implicitly) supporting capitalism. Equally it could be utilised by supporters of parties for persons that subsequently formed coalitions with those they seemed to oppose, such as the Liberal Democrats' leader Nick Clegg's coalition with the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom. This was also true of the Labour Party in the years succeeding the death of John Smith when Tony Blair started to embrace the free-market and dropped various democratic-socialist ideals to gain more public support. It could also apply to any revolutionary group originally claiming to fight for the people of a country, but acting rather differently upon coming to power, mostly because the covert goal of the revolution was not to benefit the people of the nation, but for the national government to be overthrown so that the revolutionary leaders could themselves have the perks and prestige of being in power.
Anthony Frank "Tony" Hawk (born May 12, 1968), nicknamed "The Birdman" is an American professional skateboarder and actor. Hawk gained significant fame for completing the first 900 as well as his licensed video game titles distributed by Activision. He is widely considered one of the most successful and influential pioneers of modern vertical skateboarding.
Raised in San Diego, California, Hawk was described as being "hyperactive" as a child. His parents supported his skateboarding because it served as an outlet for his excessive energy, and as Hawk's skills developed, he became a professional skateboarder at age fourteen. In 1999, he became the first skater to land a 900. In 2002, he created the Boom Boom HuckJam, an extreme sports exhibition and tour which launched in Las Vegas.
Throughout his career, Hawk has made numerous appearances in films and other media, as well as his own series of video games. He has also been involved in various philanthropic activities including his own Tony Hawk Foundation which helps build skateparks in underprivileged areas, and also including collaborations with other athletes in the charity Athletes for Hope.
I've been accused
Of being used
It come of that cuz
All the people I knew
Ive been around for so many years
I couldn't give a fuck about those cheers
I'm doing this on my own watch
Just something all that can be thought
Looking back I would've done things the same
Looking back its just another day
I would've sold it
I could've sold it all
In the mean time
Keeping it to my self
Simply put I'm here to stay
I don't know how to live any other way
See it now and its not OK
The year was 1991, it seems that freedom is dead and gone
The power of the rich is held by few
Keep the young paralyzed, educated by your lies
Keep the old ones happy with the news
Tell the singer not to song his song
Tell the poet that she's wrong
And in the courts you'll win the case with lies
Cos you sold them down the river-o
Do I belong to some ancient race
I like to walk in ancient places
These are things that I can understand
I don't believe in your modern way
Don't care about the things you say
Your policies have failed the test of time
Cos you sold them down the river-o
Now in a land not far away, there's men in prison because they say
The colour of your skin is not a question
Did you rally to their side
No, you sat back and let them die
I don't know how you get to sleep at night
CHORUS
Your money market goes round and round
The pound goes up, the dollar goes down
You need the power for your new towns
Cos you get scared when the night comes down
Won't you tell me where it is that we are bound
CHORUS
they say please
give me something to hate
she says plaese
give me something to relate to
the queen is dead
no longer a head
no longer the one
to carry on
just another sell out they say
but do they know
just another victim she was
heard it on the radio
they say please
give me something to hate
she says plaese
give me something to relate to
the queen is dead
no longer a head
no longer the one
to carry on
just another sell out they say
but do they know
just another victim she was
heard it on the radio
and many, many times we survived
we are soulsurvivors
just another sell out they say
but do they know
just another victim she was
heard it on the radio
she went down by the water
to give us some room
all I need is a good five
minutes of your time
so we can sort things out
and you can appologise
for making me feel like
feel like a sell out
I don't feel like a sell out x2
Oh, I dont feel...
she went down by the water
to give us some room
all I need is a good five
minutes of your time
so we can sort things out
and you can appologise
for making me feel like
feel like a sell out
I dont feel like a sell out x2
Oh, I dont feel...
Oooohh
oooohh
oooohh
oooohh
sell out
I dont feel like a sell out
Fire chief, car thief, misled skinhead,
Tell me where it's at?
Is it cool to bring it up again?
Will I blow my act?
Misplaced tinselface, weekend pretend,
Am I on your track?
I would love to live close to you,
Could I bring my cat?
Cowgirl, sailor,
Do you know who you are?
Cowgirl, sailor,
Do you know who you are?
Do you know who you are?
Overfed premed, outfront gaspump,
Will I fix my car?
Pinch yourself when I smile at you,
Baby, I'm a star!
Turned on, tuned in, cop out, sell out,
Do you know who you are?
I took the time to try to fit you in,
Was I off too far?
Cowgirl, sailor,
Do you know who you are?
Cowgirl, sailor,
Do you know who you are?
Wouldn't it be cool
If it was our job to, write music for a living
You could come over every afternoon
We could record some songs
And have everyone sing along
Only stopping for dinner
Dinner with merry ends
But I never want to sell out, sell out to you
Sell out to you
No, I never wanna sell out, sell out to you
Sell out to you
We could invite our friends
Over for a jam, we could listen to Jimmy
Declare it for our lives
I probably would wait outside
Maybe you'll wait some night
We've got no place for tomorrow, except to do this all again
'Cause I never want to sell out, sell out to you
Sell out to you
No, I never wanna sell out, sell out to you
Sell out to you
And maybe then you'd see
Just what you mean to me
She takes a sip and paints her nails a faded blue
Adjusts her lash, just like her life, it's come unglued
An empty night, she stumbles out, the room is cold
She wonders if the whole world knows she's all alone
And the lights go dim
She latches onto him
And the music's loud
No one can hear her now
Stares at herself, she wets her hand, fixes her hair
She wonders if they laugh out loud when she's not there
But she won't back down
They'll try to sell her out
And she won't let go
She's gotta steal the show
And she won't give in
She'll never let them win
And she looks so proud
Do it!, just do it!
exploit yourself just sellout, cash cards, just sellout
Do it to yourself before its done to you
It's the euro, dollar, the yen or rubal
Sellout is the aim
On the billboard, in the adverts, this is the big game
Exploit, sellout, poser sellout,
Cos were up for sale
This is steep not cheap and get in now
Before it all goes stale
Take back your Cadillac
Your bike, cab, train or plain
Jet set in poverty
If I walk its just the same
Do it
Adbusters, slashers, snipers
Cultural jammers, hey'all
Paper tiger, this is your call
come with me lets burn down the mall
the world has gotten just so unbelievably commercial, right?
And people are starting to go a little bit crazy from it!
They've completely bought into it
And it's been a hell of a ride
But now they're reaching a saturation point
They think, maybe, they're getting to the end
of this business of glitz and hype and you gotta have it
so we say, in a fact, yeah, your instincts are right
for the first time in forever, marketing isn't cool
excess isn't cool!
we do a trend piece, not a think piece
but more of a package for four or five spreads
we built a package around these people
we turned them into stars
exploit yourself just sellout, cash and cards, just sellout
Do it to yourself before its done to you
I know that you're leading me on
Innocence has come in and gone
I found you out
Juvenilia getting you high
All the luck that money can buy
You knock me out
You Sellout
Always first to come
Looking out for number one
Heard you come a knocking before
Now you've got the key to the door
And there's no doubt
You sellout
Always first to come
Looking out for number one
You made it overnight
Well, the year it's 1991
It seems that freedom is dead and gone
The power of the rich is held by few
They keep the young paralyzed
Educated by your lies
Keep the old ones happy with the news
Tell the singer not to song a song
Tell the poet that she's wrong
In the courts you'll win the case with lies
'Cause you sold them down the river-o
Do I belong to some ancient race
I like to walk in ancient places
These are things that I can understand
Well, I don't believe in your modern way
Don't care about the things you say
Your policies have failed the test of time
'Cause you sold them down the river-o
Now, now in a land not far away
There's men in prison because they say
The color of your skin is not a question
Did you rally to their side?
No, you sat back and let them die
Don't know how you get to sleep at night
At night
Do I belong to some ancient race
I like to walk in ancient places
These are things that I can understand
Well, I don't believe in your modern way
Don't care about the things you say
Your policies have failed the test of time
Your money market goes round and round
The pound goes up, the dollar goes down
When the [Incomprehensible] you come down
You need the power for your new towns
You get scared when the night comes down
Won't you tell me where it is that we are bound?
Do I belong to some ancient race
I like to walk in ancient places
These are things that I can understand
Well, I don't believe in your modern way
Don't care about the things you say
Your policies have failed the test of time
Here is the door
Get out of our scene
No room for hate
For you or for me
Been there, done that
These are the things you say
You stay here, and claim ignorance
For the kids still here
Been there, done that
These are the things you say
You stay here, and claim ignorance
For the kids still here
Here is the door
Get out of our scene
No room for hate
For you or for me
Been there, done that
These are the things you say
You stay here, and claim ignorance
For the kids still here
Been there, done that
These are the things you say
You stay here, and claim ignorance
well, I know you can't work in fast food all your life
but don't sign that paper tonight, she said,
but it's too late.
And I don't remember what I read,
don't remember what they said,
I guess it doesn't matter,
I guess it doesn't matter anymore.
you're gonna go to the record store
you're gonna give 'em all your money
radio plays what they want you to hear
they tell me it's cool but I just don't believe it...
sell out, with me oh yea, sell out, with me tonight
record company's gonna give me lots of money
and everything's gonna be (all right).
no more flippin' burgers puttin' on my silly hat
you know I don't want that no more,
And I didn't ask when we'd get paid, I quit my day job anyway,
I guess it doesn't matter, I guess it doesn't matter anymore
You're gonna go to the record store,
you're gonna give 'em all your money,
radio plays what they want you to hear,
they tell me it's cool, I just don't believe it
sell out, with me oh yea, sell out
with me tonight, the records company's only give me
lots of money and everything's gonna be.
I don't think it'll be so bad
I know it won't be so bad
cause the man said "that's the way it is"
and the man said "it don't get better than this" no no no noo
so I signed on to the record company,
they say they're gonna give me lot's of money,
if I play what they want you to hear
they tell me it's cool, and I sure believe it...
sell out, with me oh yea, sell out, with me tonight
the record companies gonna give me lots of money and
I remember when you said you cared
And that you would never be ensnared
By the mortgage and the 9 to 5
Dumb existence in the human hive
So was that really all just a pose?
Your beliefs no deeper than your clothes?
Come on then - prove me wrong
I should've never had to write this song
Turned your back on your old life
Does everyone really have their price?
What about all the things for which we fought?
Are we all so easily bought?
Do you remember when you said you cared
And that you would never be ensnared
By the lure of the music biz
'Cos you were doing it all "for the kids"
Now that just seems like so many hollow lies
You've become what you said you despised
We can see from the dancefloor