Tourist
Wandering through Worlds: Julian Casablancas' 'Tourist' Meaning
Lyrics
I wish that clouds could hold me up
I desire the support and comfort of clouds.
Like I thought as a child growing up
Reflecting on childhood, hoping for a simpler time.
I wish I could sound as soothing as the rainfall
Wishing for a calming and comforting presence like rainfall.
But I am only a drop from the storm
Acknowledging personal insignificance compared to a larger force (storm).
I feel like a tourist out in the country
Feeling out of place and unfamiliar in a rural setting.
Once this whole world was all countryside
Recalling a time when the world was predominantly countryside.
Feel like a tourist in the big city
Feeling like a stranger in a bustling urban environment.
Soon I will simply evaporate
Expressing a sense of impermanence, anticipating evaporation.
They took the strings up north, the drums down south
Referencing the geographical distribution of musical instruments.
After they crossed Afghanistan a long time ago
Alluding to historical events, possibly war-related.
You're shuffling your feet into the next dimension
Describing a transition to a different state or reality.
Soon skyscrapers will be everywhere
Predicting widespread construction of tall buildings.
I feel like a tourist lost in the suburbs
Feeling like an outsider in suburban surroundings.
Soon the whole world will be urban sprawl
Anticipating global urbanization and loss of natural landscapes.
Feel like a land lover out on the ocean
Feeling out of place as if on the open sea.
Feel like a teardrop streaming off your chin
Comparing emotions to a teardrop, possibly expressing vulnerability.
Some will bet against you, try even to prevent you
Facing skepticism and opposition, emphasizing the power of a perfect plan.
But not many can stop you man, if you got a perfect plan
Confidence in overcoming obstacles with a well-devised plan.
Can they possibly try, I demand to know why they would doubt you?
Questioning why others would doubt or try to prevent success.
In this hand, a thousand generations
Symbolizing a long lineage and the weight of history in one's hand.
Feel like a tourist out in the desert
Feeling like a stranger in a harsh desert environment.
So hot it feels like the Devil's breath
Describing intense heat, possibly metaphorically as the Devil's breath.
Feel like a tourist out in the swampland
Feeling like an outsider in a swampy, unfamiliar setting.
This world is just patches of water and land
Perceiving the world as a combination of water and land patches.
Everywhere I go I'm a tourist
Expressing a continuous sense of being a tourist everywhere.
But if you stay with me, I'll always be at home
Promising a sense of belonging and comfort if accompanied.
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