Cardboard California
Illusions in Cardboard California
Lyrics
Nothing is real in cardboard California
Expresses the unreality and superficial nature of life in California, using "cardboard" as a metaphor for a fake or artificial environment.
Just waking up brings you down
Highlighting the depressing feeling that comes with waking up in this artificial world.
One lousy deal is cardboard California
Suggests that any deal or opportunity in this fake California is not beneficial or successful.
You just can't survive in a make believe town
Emphasizes the difficulty of surviving in a town that is essentially a fabrication.
Lost in a city of little tin gods
Describes the people in the city as self-important or arrogant, portraying them as "little tin gods."
Cold plastic people with phony facades
Characterizes the inhabitants as fake and insincere, hiding behind false appearances.
How can you win when you look at the odds
Questions the possibility of success when the odds are stacked against you in this artificial environment.
You're running down a one way street
Metaphorically describes the challenges of progress as running down a one-way street, implying a lack of options.
Nobody cares if you survive
Conveys the indifference of the environment towards an individual's survival or well-being.
Sometimes you beg or you don't eat
Describes the desperation that might lead someone to beg for survival.
You gotta fight to stay alive
Emphasizes the necessity of fighting to stay alive in this harsh environment.
Hey, you're never gonna get away
Suggests that escaping or finding a better life is an elusive goal.
Where 's the world you used to know
Questions the disappearance of a familiar world and the good times from the past.
Where did all the good times go
Expresses a sense of loss and nostalgia for better times.
Look around your hopes and dreams are gone
Observes that hopes and dreams have faded or disappeared in this artificial setting.
But like a fool you still keep hanging on
Highlights the paradox of holding onto something (hanging on) even when it seems futile or foolish.
Come and be a movie star
Invites individuals to come and experience the illusion of success, fame, and luxury in California.
Come and drive a fancy car
Associates the allure of a fancy car with the glamorous lifestyle promised in California.
Come and see, what you really are
Suggests that individuals should come and discover their true selves amid the illusions of California.
Look in the mirror, mirrors don't lie
Encourages self-reflection by looking in the mirror, acknowledging the passing of time.
You're getting older, your time's past you by
Points out the inevitability of aging and the realization that time has moved on.
You lost your shot to some younger guy
Reflects on missed opportunities and losing out to younger individuals.
You're running down a one way street
Repeats the metaphor of running down a one-way street, reinforcing the sense of limited choices.
Nobody cares if you survive
Reiterates the theme of indifference in the environment towards survival.
Sometimes you beg or you don't eat
Reinforces the idea of desperation and the need to beg for sustenance in this challenging place.
You gotta fight to stay alive
Re-emphasizes the importance of fighting against the odds to stay alive.
Hey, you're never gonna get away
Reiterates the elusive nature of escape or improvement in this cardboard California.
Nothing is real in cardboard California
Recaps the unreality of everything in California, bringing attention to the persistent artificiality.
Just waking up brings you down
Restates the disheartening experience of waking up in this fake environment.
One lousy deal is cardboard California
Reaffirms the negative aspects of deals and opportunities in this fabricated California.
You just can't survive in a make believe town
Reiterates the harsh reality of being unable to survive in a town built on illusion.
Comment