You get the car, I'll get the night off.
You'll get the chance
to take the world apart and figure out how it works.
Don't let me know what you find out.
I need a car
You need a guide who needs a map.
If I don't die or worse.. I'm gonna need a nap.
At best I'll be asleep when you get back.

I want to see it when you find out what comets, stars, and moons are all about.
I want to see their faces turn to backs of heads and slowly get smaller.
I want to see it now.

I want specifics on the general idea.
I want to think what I should know.
Want you to do to me what you showed.
I want to see movies of my dreams [Repeat: x2]

I want to see it when you get stoned on a cloudy breezy desert afternoon.
I want to see it untame itself and break its owner.
I want to see it now.
I want to see it now


Lyrics submitted by rxqueen, edited by maxbear, kathleenma

Car song meanings
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  • +4
    General Comment

    Pondering with big questions and trying to find out the meaning of life is the biggest challenge anyone will ever face. Everyone has given these things a thought, but some never give up, and may even eventually go mad or give in to despair.

    I think this is all about a couple. One of them (the narrator in this song) has given up on the big questions, whereas the other one is not giving up, and is almost going crazy.

    "You get the car I'll get the night off You'll get the chance to take the world apart and figure out how it works"

    Here the narrator says he's willing to support his friend (or lover) in his or her quest for a meaning.

    "Don't let me know what you find out"

    He knows that there is no answer, no meaning, but has been able to ignore that fact and live life happily. That's why he doesn't want to hear it when his friend finds it out. He doesn't want to risk his own happiness.

    "If I don't die or worse I'm gonna need a nap at best I'll be asleep when you get back"

    Finding out that everything is meaningless can make you die (suicide?), or worse (go mad, get depressed). So he's warning his friend that it's going to be a long and hard trip.

    "I wanna see it when you find out what comets, stars and moons are all about I wanna see their faces turn to backs of heads and slowly get smaller"

    Still he wishes that his friend will find answers. Maybe he just loves the childlike curiosity of his friend, the never ending questioning of things, even though he knows it will set him or her apart from other people who want to live their lives without thinking about these kinds of things.

    "I want specifics on the general idea I wanna think what I should know I want you to do me what to show I wanna see movies of my dreams"

    I think this just means that he wants his friend to do what he didn't have the courage or the brains for; to find out something concrete about the world.

    "I wanna see it when you get stoned on a cloudy breezy desert afternoon I wanna see it untame itself and break its owner"

    I think this symbolizes the situation where the questions start to curse his friend. He's getting stoned just to escape from the questions he's so frustrated with? The thing that is untaming itself is the persons mind. The reason why he still wants to see it, is because he what he really loves about his friend is the way he never gives up, and is even braver than the narrator himself, who gave up with these questions.

    Rttuon August 21, 2007   Link
  • +4
    General Comment

    this song is all about experience. i see someone thought he didn't care about how the world works, but that's exactly what this song is about. it's about not finding out from others, but doing it on your own... he wants to SEE it for himself. he wants to drink life... take it in..

    socialgypsyon November 06, 2008   Link
  • +4
    General Comment

    this is so incredibly obviously about tripping on LSD "I wanna see it untame itself and break its owner"

    ganjjjjon February 06, 2009   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    You get the car= He Gives her the car I'll get the night off= He calls in because he has no ride ...You'll get the chance to figure out how it works...= She's off to live her own life to find herself (leaving him) Don't let me know what you find out= In all reality she is going to experiment and most likely be with other guys and he doesn't wanna know about it I need a car= He's left with no car, she took it You need a guide, who needs a map= She's looking for another guy to show her the world, this life that has been waiting, but just like everyone else this new guy doesn't know everything. This is a comment on how she expects to find someone but no matter who it is we all are "in need of a map" If I dont die or worse im gonna need a nap= He is depressed, cynically saying if he doesnt just sleep he will die or go crazy I wanna see it...comet moons blah= Basically saying I wanna see when you find all those things you dreamt about and thought were so amazing, but they you find out when you get a closer view they all just look like dirt. Meaning they look perfect from far away but when you get close you see them for what they really are I wanna see it when faces fade away= He wants to see it when she realizes this and leaves them like she left him I want specifics...I you to do me what to show= Saying he wants the opposite of all of this, he knows what he wants and wishes she thought of it more simply and was satisfied, but they are inverted and opposite (much like the sentences). Think of the inverse of the sentences of being what the girl wants. He isn't making verbal sense but he is stating he doesn't want this. I wanna see movies of my dreams= A way of saying he wants his dreams to play out, to come true I wanna see when you get stoned on a cloudy...= He wants to see it when she realizes what had just happened sitting alone, lonely, and reflective. *I wanna see it untame itself and break its owner= He wants to see when her realization "untames itself" and changes her, breaks her in a way, so she can finally be real.

    thrice19on May 11, 2010   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    "I want you to DO me what to SHOW." Get it? Instead of SHOW me what to DO. I think that line is awesome for some reason. I love backwards stuff like that. I think this song is more about how beautiful it is to watch this other person figure out the world. An he wants to know every little detail. It's beautiful.

    JayWrighton May 07, 2003   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    He doesn't care about the meaning of life or the secrets of the universe. He wants to see his dreams come true; and, while they are simple things, his dreams make him happy and that's all he needs.

    deathcabfan1on May 25, 2002   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    doug martsch is absolutly brilliant i am constantly amazed by his lyrical capabilities and this song is no exception

    longgoodnighton June 05, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    i like this song

    x_hopesfall_xon May 29, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This is my new theme song I love it so much, the whole idea of seeing your dreams as movies and not wanting to know why things work the way they do, i love it

    stellaluna1125on September 18, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This is a great great song....easily one of my favorite BTS (possibly number 1...) and it sounds good....however, i've heard numerous interviews where Doug Martsch claims that he rarely goes for much meaning in lyrics...and is usually just putting random words to music....ever since then, it's been hard for me to find anything or get anything uot of a BTS song...(don't get me wrong....I still love 'em)

    GeeMoon September 27, 2002   Link

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