Tourist
Romantic Illusions: Parisian Reverie in 'Tourist'
Lyrics
At least I avoided cliche
Expressing satisfaction in avoiding clichés.
Holding nobody's hand along the Champs-Élysées
Being alone on Champs-Élysées, emphasizing solitude.
Taking my time
Taking things slow and enjoying the moment.
Breaking bread, sipping wine
Sharing a meal and wine, typically a romantic setting.
Meant for two
Highlighting the romantic setting meant for a couple.
It's a beautiful city for saps
Describing the city as beautiful but suggesting vulnerability for sentimental people.
But turn out the lights, we're too clever for that
Rejecting sentimentality and claiming to be too clever for it.
And I know, I know we're not in love
Acknowledging that there's no love but playing along for appearances.
But we'd fool this old town
Deceiving the town with a false image of love.
With the view of us, thoughts from the tourist
Reflecting on the perception of them by the city, despite being alone.
Alone
Emphasizing loneliness despite the facade.
We could fall for the streets of Paris
Considering the allure of falling for the charm of Paris.
But the Eiffel's a joke and the punchline is me
Criticizing the Eiffel Tower and portraying it as a joke, with a self-deprecating punchline.
And you know, you know it's not funny
Acknowledging the lack of humor in the situation.
But we'd laugh till it was
Despite the lack of humor, finding laughter in the company of each other.
Just the two of us, thoughts from the tourist
Reiterating the shared thoughts between them as tourists.
Alone
Re-emphasizing the solitude despite the shared experience.
And I know, I know that we tried
Acknowledging the attempt to survive on a false narrative.
To survive on a lie we couldn't endure
Recognizing the failure of sustaining a lie.
So what's just one more
Accepting the inevitability of another false thought or fantasy.
Thought from the tourist, imagining the two of us
Continuing to imagine a shared experience despite the reality.
Alone?
Pondering the idea of being alone despite the ongoing illusions.
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