Suit and Tie
Life's Struggle in a Suit and Tie
Lyrics
Went to school to be someone I'm not
Expressing the pursuit of a different identity through education.
A big performance for the lot
Highlighting a significant performance for a large audience.
I hope that I make mom and daddy proud
Desiring parental approval for the achieved identity.
I paid for a paper on the wall
Referring to obtaining a degree with a diploma displayed on the wall.
And a newfound love for alcohol
Indicating a newfound attraction to alcohol.
It's not as cool when you've left your dorm halls
Reflecting on the less glamorous reality outside of college life.
Well I woke in a suit and tie
Describing waking up in a formal suit and tie.
Working that 9 to 5
Conveying the routine of a 9 to 5 job.
Just trying to stay alive
Expressing the struggle to survive in a demanding job.
In a job where young men die
Acknowledging the risks and dangers faced by young individuals in the job.
We brag in the break room about our wives
Boasting about marital relationships in the workplace.
The cost of our brand new lives
Referring to the financial cost of transitioning to a new lifestyle.
Sell your soul for some expensive lies
Commenting on sacrificing integrity for materialistic gains.
Or maybe a trip to some paradise
Considering the possibility of escaping reality through luxury.
'Cause you can't take your money to the grave
Emphasizing the transient nature of wealth.
A pine box will be the last price you pay
Reflecting on the inevitability of death and its equality.
As you hope and pray somebody cried for that hopeless suit and tie
Expressing a wish for empathy toward the struggles of a formal lifestyle.
I drive home in a brand new Chevrolet
Detailing a luxurious purchase with a week's earnings.
I bought it with just one week's pay
Describing the impulsiveness of buying for aesthetic pleasure.
I thought it'd look nice on my drive home
Contemplating the consequences of a potential fatal accident.
Would I care if I crashed off the road tonight?
Pondering the significance of life and its potential end.
If I swerved across those yellow lines
Considering the impact of deviating from a predetermined path.
And left this world in a big ole plume of smoke
Imagining a dramatic exit from life.
You can bury me in my suit and tie
Expressing a willingness to maintain a formal image even in death.
The weathered stone will read through my life
Anticipating a grave marker detailing a flawed life.
As a messed up kid who wasted all his time
Summarizing a life as one that wasted time in a troubled state.
'Cause you can't take your money to the grave
Reiterating the fleeting nature of wealth and possessions.
A pine box will be the last price you pay
Reaffirming the equalizing factor of death and its finality.
As you hope and pray somebody cried for that hopeless suit and tie
Echoing the desire for empathy towards those burdened by societal expectations.
'Cause you can't take your money to the grave
Repeating the theme of the inability to carry wealth beyond death.
A pine box will be the last price you pay
Reiterating the inevitability of a simple burial despite material pursuits.
As you hope and pray somebody cried for that hopeless suit and tie
Encouraging empathy and acknowledgment for those struggling in a formal lifestyle.
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