Keep the Car Running
Eternal Escape: Unraveling the Depths of 'Keep the Car Running' Meaning
Lyrics
Every night my dream's the same
Expressing repetition of a dream each night.
Same old city with a different name
Highlighting a recurring dream in different locations.
They're not coming to take me away
Assuring that no one is coming to take the speaker away.
I don't know why, but I know I can't stay
Feeling an unexplained compulsion to leave.
There's a weight that's pressing down
Describing a heavy burden or pressure.
Late at night you can hear the sound
Suggesting a mysterious noise late at night.
Even the noise you make when you sleep
Even the quietest sounds are significant.
Can't swim across a river so deep
Metaphorically unable to overcome a profound challenge.
They know my name because I told it to them
Revealing that the speaker has shared their name.
But they don't know where, and they don't know when
Uncertain about the specific location and time.
It's coming
Anticipation of an event or change.
When it's coming
Emphasizing the inevitability of the anticipated event.
There's this fear I keep so deep
Describing a profound, hidden fear.
Knew it's name since before I could speak
Having known and carried the fear since childhood.
Oh, oh, oh, oh
Repetition of a vocalized expression (Oh).
They know my name because I told it to them
Reiteration of sharing the speaker's name.
But they don't know where, and they don't know when
Uncertainty about the details of the impending event.
It's coming, oh when
Confirming the inevitability of the approaching event.
But it's coming, keep the car running
Emphasizing the need to keep the means of escape ready.
If some night I don't come home
Addressing a potential absence and reassuring others.
Please don't think I've left you alone
Requesting not to assume abandonment if absent.
The same place that I must go when they die
Referencing a destination related to death.
You can't climb across a mountain so high
Metaphorically illustrating an insurmountable obstacle.
The same city where I go when I sleep
Revealing another location visited during sleep.
Can't swim across a river so deep
Symbolizing an impassable barrier during sleep.
They know my name because I told it to them
Repeating the act of disclosing the speaker's name.
But they don't know where, and they don't know when
Continued uncertainty about specifics.
It's coming, oh when
Reaffirming the imminent nature of the anticipated event.
Is it's coming?
Pondering the certainty of the event's arrival.
Keep the car running
Stressing the importance of keeping the means of escape ready.
Keep the car running
Repetition of the directive to keep the car running.
Keep the car running
Reiteration of the importance of preparedness.
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