Handshakes Lyrics
And then you wanna get out
When you get the money
To buy yourself a castle
How will you wear your leisure
Zipper back and front
On the fence together
Weekends in leather
Slip back to the left
For handshakes at the ranch
Small talk at the crossroads
Rubbing up to the ladder
Sucking on every rung
Coming up forever and hanging on
Cameras roll
Can you face the pavement
For a happy dog and pony show
Everybody loves you baby
Do you miss me
I miss you
Drive to work to pay for this car
and you wanna get out.
But you won't.
Cause it's a trap.

I'm surprised no one really jumped on the meaning here. It's social/professional ladder climbing, sitting on the fence to please everyone and make it ahead, get promoted by acting like a fool by sucking up and being a yes man and not stepping on anyone's toes. And after you've sacrificed your identity and dignity like that, there's no way out.
I think Bryia hit it on the head, the song is about sucking up to people and losing your dignity in doing so in order to achieve the final goal of so called "happiness." As well there seems to be the idea that people are working to live and then living to work (buy you car, ect.). This song is awesome and the meaning is genuine.
I think Bryia hit it on the head, the song is about sucking up to people and losing your dignity in doing so in order to achieve the final goal of so called "happiness." As well there seems to be the idea that people are working to live and then living to work (buy you car, ect.). This song is awesome and the meaning is genuine.
Bang on.
Bang on.
Yep.
Yep.

You missed a line. It's:
Everybody loves you, baby. Of course they do. Do you miss me? I miss you.

Oops, and at the end you forgot something, also.
"You say you wanna get in, and you wanna get out. But you won't. Cause it's a trap."

*when the cameras roll

Its about wishing something else was there but the endless monotony of the last two lines, and about creating your own path so there don't need to be any handshakes.
The 1st verse is the after, the second is trying to suck up to your boss, the 3rd is working hard to get your pay to feed the family that loves you.

Funny, in the rough version of this song, It's... "Everybody loves you baby, of course they do. But they're ugly and soon you'll be too."

Buy this car to drive to work Drive to work to pay for this car
I love that lyric... so true, so true.

Driiive to woOoOORK....
they're so fucking off beat
ooooh GASP ooooooooooooh DRIVE TO WOOOORK
I do this stuck in traffic. Not those words exactly (buy this car to drive to work drive to work to pay for this car) but you KNOW I was thinking it. My sister and I. The oohing and the breathing and temporary insanity. Uh huh. Nail on head (coffin)
handshakes at the ranch. ha ha.

This song perfectly shows the career-ish way of life (kinda crosses path with "Patriarch On A Vespa",imo). I hear so much irony in this song and it feels so good =D They nailed it very well.

I think this song is about someone who works really hard to get something then just ditches it when something better turns up (Say you wanna get in, and then you wanna get out, when you get the money to buy yourself a castle).