Light Enough To Travel Lyrics
Strange, 'cause we always agreed
At the start of every evening
That's the last place I wanna be
They don't give me no respect
They say: "Look, here comes another one,"
And I don't know what they mean yet
Keep it light enough to travel
Don't let it all unravel
Keep it light enough to travel
I feel so fucked up when I'm in there
Can't tell the bouncers from the customers
And I don't know which ones I prefer
Promise me we won't go into the nightclub
I really think that it's obscene
What kind of people go to meet people
Someplace they can't be heard or seen?
Don't let it all unravel
Keep it light enough to travel
Just to get a little release
I had to throw down my accordion
To get away from the police
Keep it light enough to travel
This is about not wanting to be ashamed but feeling ashamed anyway. It is our cover right, pretending we don't care about the coffee drinkers and the bouncers and the "together" people. But their opinion is often our opinion of ourselves. How many times have I gotten drunk again when I said tonight I am not going to- very relatable...
The Be Good Tanyas take old-timey folk and put a slight twist on it. It's hard to explain, but they add a cheerful drunkenness to their songs that makes them seem uplifting even when they are lyrically dark and dreary. Anyways this is a one of those songs ... it just bounces along, coming alive with precise picking, splashing drums and beautiful vocal harmonies. The bounce highlights the paranoia of the character in the song, who anxiously finds hereself amongst the coffee drinkers and bar drunkards she seeks to avoid. The song makes you feel alright to always keep a suitcase packed and to hit the road to find something new to despise.
While the title can be taken literally, especially in light of the line about ditching the accordion to make an escape from the police, it can also be seen as an admonition against the emotional entanglements that can keep you tied down.