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The Streets of America Lyrics
Desolate and without purpose
Radiating from so many septic sources
Forming the fabric of a wayward people
Disappearing as the vestiges of our past
Scratched like tartan into virgin soil
A substrate for progress and disarray
A spreading network of broken dreams
Searching for a thoroughfare to take us away
Just a little tale from the streets of America
Sparkled promises paved with pathos and hysteria
Trenchant, weary native sons
Step back
Step back and see the damage done
Meander to the horizon
The streets of America
Black, tarred concrete
Pine for me
Lying dormant
For you and country
Hardened surface
Cracked within
Catch the sweat
From off the chin
Of men and women
Senior and child
Who look to you
And your sterile miles
And in their stares
Is bald dismay
For what fucking you promised
When you led them astray
Just another tale from the streets of America
Sparkled promises paved with pathos and hysteria
Trenchant, weary native sons
Step back
Step back and see the damage done
Meander to the horizon
The Streets of America
Hard-cracked, daunting, lifeless veins
False hope corridors to greener pastures is all that remains
Just a little tale from the streets of America
Sparkled promises paved with pathos and hysteria
Trenchant, weary native sons
Step back
Step back and see the damage done
Shoot straight into the horizon
The streets of America (Shoot straight into the horizon)
The Streets of America.
Radiating from so many septic sources
Forming the fabric of a wayward people
Disappearing as the vestiges of our past
A substrate for progress and disarray
A spreading network of broken dreams
Searching for a thoroughfare to take us away
Sparkled promises paved with pathos and hysteria
Trenchant, weary native sons
Step back
Step back and see the damage done
Meander to the horizon
The streets of America
Pine for me
Lying dormant
For you and country
Hardened surface
Cracked within
Catch the sweat
From off the chin
Senior and child
Who look to you
And your sterile miles
And in their stares
Is bald dismay
For what fucking you promised
When you led them astray
Sparkled promises paved with pathos and hysteria
Trenchant, weary native sons
Step back
Step back and see the damage done
Meander to the horizon
The Streets of America
False hope corridors to greener pastures is all that remains
Sparkled promises paved with pathos and hysteria
Trenchant, weary native sons
Step back
Step back and see the damage done
Shoot straight into the horizon
The streets of America (Shoot straight into the horizon)
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
It's gotta be about the native indians that saw their native land destroyed and they could only stand by and watch....
Maybe it's literally about streets and roads. We spend enormous resources (labor, material and equipment, land, time) to build, maintain, and use them. They promise to generate prosperity and freedom, but mostly they just let you sit in traffic without a poor person in the seat next to you.
My interpretation of this song is that it's a word of caution everyone in society, no matter what their belief or where they come from that to keep themselves in check. The nature of humanity, otherwise society is to be very selfish, acting only on their own instinct. Everyone in society has their own reality, they don't care about anyone else but what they want and by their 'rights as a human they deserve it.' Everyone has their own 'shade of truth,' we will know what they support but we will never know the whole truth.
The streets of America is telling me that the roads of life are already in need of serious repair and most people take the nearest exits rather than forging ahead. We need to become the ones who are paving that road to make a better America (I feel the song starts to yell at the audience directly). We can't rely on other people, because too many people already rely on us. I also get the generic punk rock feel, where our leaders are corrupt and are causing our lives to be in such desolate. Besides the generic blame politicians and religion view, I feel this songs focus on everyone who has tried being the leader or allowed people to rely on them.
Its about our direction. To the horizon. And how America is so onmipotent in the grand scale but scrutinized, the commoners are all in torpid misery and anguish
hence "hardened surface, cracked within"
agnostic solier is right, we'r all looking for our exits where we can get off on. some for the highway 420. About the new "native americans" being whatever - caucasion white people, and nowdays all colors, - all experience dissolusionment about the damage we see we'r doing.
The tone of the song really says it all, not so much the words. nobody can really make out what the hell these assholes are talking about 100%. jk. Best band ever