KMAG YOYO

Album: KMAG YOYO (& Other American Stories) (2011)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • The title is an archaic military acronym that means "kiss my ass, guys, you're on your own."

    Hayes wrote the song with Scott Davis and John Evans. They found the term when they were looking through an old military dictionary.
  • The song is a chorus-less narrative told from the perspective of a young man who finds himself in the army and goes though a hallucination when he is wounded in battle. The "KMAG YOYO" lyric appears just once in the song, during a passage where the soldier things he is flying into space. In our interview with Hayes Carll, he said, "I thought it was a pretty great title because it just sums up the whole thing."

    Carll adds that the acronym also fit the theme of the album, which is why it was used for the title. He says that for a while, the whole album concept was "somebody just checking out from society and moving out to the desert and saying, 'F--k it, I'm going on my own on this."
  • Hayes was never in the military, but his father served in the Navy. The song doesn't glamorize the military experience, but instead shows how easy it can be to find yourself in uniform and wondering how you got there. Carll has made it clear that he has great respect for military personnel - t concerts, he has dedicated the song to those who have served.

Comments: 1

  • David Lloyd-jones from Toronto, CanadaKMAG-YOYO? I feel that way sometimes, but I've managed to pull myself together every time so far.
    Pessimism and self-pity are cheap luxuries -- but they don't feel any better in the morning.
    Here's your political thought for the day, from a Canadian friend:
    Was great? Well, best yet, anyway.
    Is great? Not too damn bad.
    Going to be great? Gonna take work. A fat guy with an $85,000 hair-do seems like more talk than work.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Gene Simmons of Kiss

Gene Simmons of KissSongwriter Interviews

The Kiss rocker covers a lot of ground in this interview, including why there are no Kiss collaborations, and why the Rock Hall has "become a sham."

Vince Clarke

Vince ClarkeSongwriter Interviews

An original member of Depeche Mode, Vince went on to form Erasure and Yaz.

Incongruent Opening Acts

Incongruent Opening ActsSong Writing

Here's what happens when an opening act is really out of place with the headliner, like when Beastie Boys opened for Madonna.

Subversive Songs Used To Sell

Subversive Songs Used To SellSong Writing

Songs about drugs, revolution and greed that have been used in commercials for sneakers, jeans, fast food, cruises and cars.

Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat World

Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat WorldSongwriter Interviews

Jim talks about the impact of "The Middle" and uses a tree metaphor to describe his songwriting philosophy.

Bill Medley of The Righteous Brothers

Bill Medley of The Righteous BrothersSongwriter Interviews

Medley looks back on "Unchained Melody" and "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" - his huge hits from the '60s that were later revived in movies.