This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Two could be complete without the rest of the world
Two could be complete without the rest of the world
Do it for the people that have died for your sake
An entire generation that has nothing to say
How'd you make your way to me?
Oh, let's say you made a deal with me
And I got your name and your home address
Oh, you're all trashed up with your big red belt
And you almost say that you might need help
I could drop you off at the next red light
If it don't make sense or it don't feel right
All the girls could never make me love them the way I love you
Can't you see the sky is not the limit no more?
I can see the elevator crash through the floor
I can still see yesterday sailing away
Seven billion people who got nothing to say
Are you comin' on to me?
Well, I saw your face, then I heard that song
It was so inviting, it hurt my bones
Well, it looks like you but your eyes are gray
And your hair is gone but your mind's okay
Yes, I like your smile but your forehead's cold
I don't want you to be afraid and go
I would cheat and lie and steal, now I'll stay at home and kneel for you
I was waiting
For my baby to arrive
Right by my side
Oh, please, leave me alone tonight
Forget the past
Two could be complete without the rest of the world
Oh, you know I said it just to get you to laugh
Do it for the people that have died for your sake
An entire generation of entertainers to blame
The light is red, the camera's on
Get yourself a lawyer and a gun
Hate your friend's new friends like everyone
Childhood's end can be so competitive
Oh, the sky's not the limit and you're never gonna guess what is
Oh
Two could be complete without the rest of the world
Do it for the people that have died for your sake
An entire generation that has nothing to say
How'd you make your way to me?
Oh, let's say you made a deal with me
And I got your name and your home address
Oh, you're all trashed up with your big red belt
And you almost say that you might need help
I could drop you off at the next red light
If it don't make sense or it don't feel right
All the girls could never make me love them the way I love you
Can't you see the sky is not the limit no more?
I can see the elevator crash through the floor
I can still see yesterday sailing away
Seven billion people who got nothing to say
Are you comin' on to me?
Well, I saw your face, then I heard that song
It was so inviting, it hurt my bones
Well, it looks like you but your eyes are gray
And your hair is gone but your mind's okay
Yes, I like your smile but your forehead's cold
I don't want you to be afraid and go
I would cheat and lie and steal, now I'll stay at home and kneel for you
I was waiting
For my baby to arrive
Right by my side
Oh, please, leave me alone tonight
Forget the past
Two could be complete without the rest of the world
Oh, you know I said it just to get you to laugh
Do it for the people that have died for your sake
An entire generation of entertainers to blame
The light is red, the camera's on
Get yourself a lawyer and a gun
Hate your friend's new friends like everyone
Childhood's end can be so competitive
Oh, the sky's not the limit and you're never gonna guess what is
Oh
Lyrics submitted by electricityscape
Red Light Lyrics as written by Julian Casablancas
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
I think this song is and isn't what some of you have mentioned. But for the deeper meaning, I know that Julian does write alot of lyrics that kind of reflect whats going on in his life/with the strokes. That being said, here's what I think the song is REALLY about...
In short, Red Light is kind of like Julian talking to the rest of the band. Kind of letting them know that he still cares for them and doesn't want anything bad to happen between them despite some of the issues they've been having.
"Two could be complete without the rest of the world. Two could be complete without the rest of the world."<<<We can make it on our own without all this fame/publicity/partying "Do it for the people that have died for your sake. An entire generation that has nothing to say."<<<<<Let's do this for all those who've been through this before(Bands that have pushed themselves to the breaking point without realizing it)
"How'd you make your way to me?"<<<<<Remember how we first got started?
"Oh, let's say you made a deal with me "And I got your name and your home address."<<<<<We know each other so let's keep in touch "You're all trashed up with your big red belt. "I would almost say that you might need help."<<<<<I can tell that we're all tired from what we've done "I could drop you off at the next red light If it don't make sense or it don't feel right."<<<<<If this doesn't work out, then we can just stop and not force ourselves to go through with this
"All the girls could never make me love them The way I love you."<<<<<All our fame couldn't keep me from loving you guys more
"Can't you see the sky is not the limit no more? I can see the elevator crash through the floor."<<<<<Can believe we've already gone this far? "I can still see yesterday sailing away,"I still remember when we first started "Seven billion people who have nothing to say.">>>>>We've made the whole world speechless with what we've done
"Are you coming on to me?">>>>>Is all this really working out?
"I saw your face then I heard that song. It was so inviting it hurt my bones.">>>>>I saw how you looked but the music/fame is so tempting "Well it looks like you but your eyes are gray And your hair is gone but your minds O.K. "I like your smile but your forehead's cold.">>>>>You look okay and you seem okay but I know your not okay "I don't want you to be afraid and go.">>>>>I don't want to keep this going if it'll force us to break up.
"I would cheat and lie and steal Now I'll stay at home and kneel for you.">>>>>With all that we've done to ourselves for the band/for each other, it's time we take a break and recover for each other
"I was waiting For my baby to arrive Right by my side.">>>>>I was waiting for things to get better, to be how they should be.
"Oh please leave me alone tonight... Forget the past.">>>>>I don't want this to stop, let's just forget everything we've done.
"Two can be complete with out the rest of the world. Oh you know I said it just to get you to laugh.">>>>>It may seem impossible, but we can make it on our own" "Do it for the people that have died for your sake. An entire generation of entertainers to blame.">>>>>Let's do it for the other bands in the same position. It's those 'entertainers' who got us in this position.
"Get yourself a lawyer and a gun.">>>>>[Reference to things ending badly] "Hate your friends's new friends like everyone.">>>>>[Reference to all the petty drama celebrities have just because they're celebrities] "Childhood's end can be so competitive.">>>>>Getting to this point can be so difficult to decide what to do
"Oh, the sky is not the limit and you're never gonna guess what is...">>>>>We've made it this far, just wait and see what we'll do next