Smoke Signals
Chasing Ghosts: Unveiling the Hidden Stories in Smoke Signals
Lyrics
I went with you up to the place you grew up
I accompanied you to your hometown
And we spent a week in the cold
We spent a week in cold weather
Just long enough to Walden it with you
We experienced a simple life together, akin to Thoreau's "Walden"
Any longer, it would've got old
If it lasted longer, it might have become tedious
Singin' "Ace of Spades" when Lemmy died
We sang "Ace of Spades" in honor of Lemmy's death
But nothing's changed, L.A.'s alright
Despite events, Los Angeles is still alright
I'm sleepin' in my bed again
I'm back in my own bed
And gettin' in my head and then
Reflecting and contemplating
Walk around the reservoir
Strolling around the reservoir
You
Referring to the person addressed as "You"
You must've been lookin' for me
Implies a search for the speaker
Sendin' smoke signals
Using metaphorical smoke signals to communicate
Pelicans circling
Visualizing pelicans circling in the sky
Burnin' trash out on the beach
Describing a scene of burning trash on the beach
One of your eyes is always half-shut
Noticing that one of the person's eyes is always half-shut
Somethin' happened when you were a kid
Hinting at a traumatic childhood event
I didn't know you then and I'll never understand
The speaker didn't know the person during that time
Why it feels like I did
Expressing a deep connection despite not understanding fully
"How Soon Is Now" in an eighties sedan
Referencing "How Soon Is Now" in a specific context
You slept inside of it because your dad
Recalling a time when the person lived in a campground
Lived in a campground in the back of a van
Explaining the person's living situation in a van
You said that song'll creep you out until you're dead
The mentioned song has a lasting impact
And you
Referring to the person again
Must've been lookin' for me
The person is still searching for the speaker
Sendin' smoke signals
Continuing the metaphorical smoke signals
Pelicans circling
Repeating the image of pelicans circling
Burnin' trash out on the beach
Revisiting the scene of burning trash on the beach
I wanna live at the Holiday Inn
Expressing a desire to live in a carefree environment
Where somebody else makes the bed
Preferring a hotel where someone else takes care of things
We'll watch TV while the lights on the street
Describing a relaxed evening watching TV
Put all the stars to death
Making a metaphor about extinguishing stars
It's been on my mind since Bowie died
Referencing David Bowie's death and its impact
Just checking out to hide from life
Escaping from life by checking out mentally
And all of our problems, I'm gonna solve 'em
Determined to solve problems with the person
With you ridin' shotgun
Shared journey with the person, facing challenges together
Speeding 'cause fuck the cops
A rebellious act, disregarding law enforcement
And you
Returning to the person in the narrative
You must've been lookin' for me
Continuing the theme of searching for the speaker
Sendin' smoke signals
Reiterating the metaphorical smoke signals
Pelicans circling
Pelicans circling again as a visual motif
Burnin' trash out on the beach
Recalling the image of burning trash on the beach
Mm-mm
A non-verbal expression, possibly a sound or gesture
I buried a hatchet, it's comin' up lavender
Mentioning reconciliation, represented by lavender
The future's unwritten, the past is a corridor
Emphasizing the uncertainty of the future and the fixed nature of the past
I'm at the exit, lookin' back through the hall
Reflecting on past experiences as the person moves forward
You are anonymous, I am a concrete wall
Highlighting the speaker's identity as a barrier
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