Meanwhile Back in the City
Urban Disillusionment: Escaping the Concrete Jungle's Grind
Lyrics
I was standing quiet, alone in a crowded disco
I felt isolated in a crowded disco.
When a man I did not know showed me the door
A stranger asked me to leave the disco.
And told me I had to go
I faced humiliation and was told to go.
Well, that kind of humiliation never happens on farm
City life brings a type of humiliation that is absent in farm life.
That's why city living does the psyche such harm
Living in the city negatively affects the mind.
And I said...
Expression of the speaker's reaction.
Fire escapes don't work until there's a fire
Fire escapes are useless until there's an actual fire.
You gotta sleep on the floor
Survival in the city often means sleeping on the floor.
Live in the mud
Living in harsh conditions, like mud, is necessary.
There's no need to go higher
No need to aim for a higher standard of living.
Once you taste a brick, you won't want more
Once you experience a basic lifestyle, you won't desire more.
Saving sanity is no trick when your livin' outdoors
Maintaining mental well-being is not difficult when living outdoors.
Well, it did not take me long to realize my mistake
Realization of the mistake in choosing city life.
When garbage trucks messed up my dreams, I knew my dreams were fake
City disturbances, like garbage trucks, shatter dreams.
Don't know how people gonna live like this
The speaker questions how people can endure city living.
Pigeons might enjoy it but I can't live in this mess, and I said...
While pigeons might cope, the speaker cannot live in such chaos.
Fire escapes don't work until there's a fire
Reiteration of the ineffectiveness of fire escapes until an actual fire.
You gotta sleep on the floor
Emphasizes the uncomfortable conditions of sleeping on the floor.
Live in the mud
Living in unpleasant situations, like mud, is part of city life.
There's no need to go higher
Rejecting the idea of aspiring to a better living situation.
Once you taste a brick, you can't chew and talk
Once accustomed to a basic lifestyle, desires for more diminish.
Saving sanity is no trick when your livin' in a room the size of a shoe box
Maintaining sanity is challenging in a cramped living space.
So, finally, all the wires and plastic got to me
The overload of technology and synthetic materials becomes overwhelming.
Ideas and realizations were passing right through me
Concepts and realizations pass through the speaker without impact.
I did not take a train, a plane, or bus with wings
A rejection of modern transportation methods; walking suffices.
Man wasn't meant to fly
Man wasn't designed to fly; walking has the same effect.
Besides, walking does the same thing: gets me outta here
Walking is a means of escaping the overwhelming city environment.
Fire escapes don't work until there's a fire
Reiteration of the uselessness of fire escapes until an actual fire.
You gotta sleep on the floor
Highlighting the discomfort of sleeping on the floor.
Live in the mud
Living in unfavorable conditions like mud is an unavoidable part of city life.
There's no need to go higher
Rejecting the idea of striving for a better living standard.
Once you taste a brick, you won't want more
Once accustomed to simplicity, desires for luxury decrease.
Saving sanity is a trick when you're livin' on someone else's floor
Maintaining sanity becomes a challenge when living in someone else's space.
Hi, wassup, how you doing? It's good to see ya
A casual greeting, expressing pleasure at seeing someone.
What's your name again? I can't remember
The speaker humorously forgets the person's name.
Times up, gotta go
The encounter is cut short; it's time to leave.
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