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White Limousine Lyrics

I guess they think it's what we want
A smooth and easy ride
Constellations of ceiling lights
Hennessey and Naughahyde

America, America
And this is our reward
Everything is boring
And everyone is bored

Maybe white, maybe a white limousine
Maybe a white, white, white, white limousine

Who's the smart guy at the wheel
We're running out of gas
He likes to wear a flight suit
And fly around for laughs

Maybe white, maybe a white limousine
Maybe a white, white, white, white limousine

A few incentives for the pharmacy
Hey, I'm feeling better already
I don't want to be clear, that's too much for me
I'm making up
Oh I'm making up
For lost time
For all the lost time

Maybe white, maybe a white limousine
Maybe a white, white, white, white, limousine
Maybe a white, maybe a white limousine
Maybe a white, white, white, white limousine

Outside of the limousine
Grown men they do cry
The bill for seven hours
Is worth how many lives?

Maybe white, maybe a white limousine
Maybe a white, white, white, white limousine
We have won the war!
We have won the war!
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Cover art for White Limousine lyrics by Duncan Sheik

In this song I think Duncan is making a comment on America's current (and ongoing) obsession with money and power and ultimately a false "success." The white limousine attracts more attention than a black one, therefore chosing a white limousine in the song shows not actual wealth desired, but rather a desire to show off wealth aquired. The line: "A smooth and easy ride" represents our wish to aquire this wealth easily; without much effort. The line "Constellations of ceiling lights" may well represent our lack of consideration for nature on our path to wealth and fame (for example, oil spills, big corporations sacrificing the environment for profit.) The line "Hennessey and Naughahyde" represents our brand-name obsession. Hennessey being an (in my opinion) overpriced liquor and "Naughahyde" a form of fake leather. The stanza "Who's the smart guy at the wheel We're running out of gas He likes to wear a flight suit And fly around for laughs" is most likely a slant against George W. Bush. George Bush isn't known for his intelligence. The nation will soon face an oil crisis. Infamous photos of Bush in flight-suits. He was purported to join a B.S. air force unit to escape Vietnam service.

The "incentives for the pharmacy" is probably related to our nation's addiction to prescription drugs to dull reality (in Sheik's opinion.)

The last stanza: "Outside of the limousine Grown men they do cry The bill for seven hours Is worth how many lines?" Is probably about the growing separation between the rich and the poor in our county. I'm lost on the part about "seven hours" and "how many lines."

That's all I have to say ... except:

Could you idiots stop posting things like "OMG! This is the best song evar!! It reminds me of the time I went here and did this with my best friend evar!!!"

This is about what the song MEANS.... NOT WHAT IT MAKES YOU REMEMBER!!! GOD! IDIOTS!

Cover art for White Limousine lyrics by Duncan Sheik

~*~ I pretty much agree with jpwild's interpretation above..

I just wanted to throw in that in the last stanza, it's 'The bill for seven hours / Is worth how many lives?' That's what's in the liner notes.. and definitely makes more sense. Though I too am not sure exactly what 'the bill for seven hours' refers to..

Cover art for White Limousine lyrics by Duncan Sheik

correct, correct

this song is one of my favourites on the album. especially the first verse. and if I must say, Duncan's vocals are flawless in this song --" a smooth and easy ride" great harmony and bass line on that line.

Cover art for White Limousine lyrics by Duncan Sheik

I agree with JP although it actually says "How many lives?" at the end. I basically think that the "Bill for seven hours" part is the duration of his presidancy. I don't know where the seven hours came from but I think it means that when all is said and done we were better off than when we started. And that the 'bill' is the aftermath of his presidancy and was it all worth it?

Could possibly be that the seven hours is a shot at the impact of the presidency seeing that very little can be accomplished in 7 hours and maybe in truth the president accomplished relatively little for the country itself and more for himself further hinting that he used the presidency as a podium for his "smooth and easy ride" to wealth. I could be wrong though. what do you think?

Cover art for White Limousine lyrics by Duncan Sheik

I don't see how this song is about politics. I seems to me it's about a girl who hates the fact that all this guy wants to do is have sex with her in a white limousine because he thinks it's what all girl wants and it's romantic somehow.

@Benioff lol it's definitely about politics in america at the time

the first verse is poking satirical fun at americans being coddled and patted on the metaphorical heads, treated with kid gloves

"smart guy" - Pres. Bush was known for having a lack of intelligence, so calling him a "smart guy" is sarcasm. "at the wheel" is using the limo metaphor to say he is "in charge of the country." "smart guy at the wheel"="dumb ass in charge of the country"

"likes to wear a flightsuit"...

Cover art for White Limousine lyrics by Duncan Sheik

it's definitely about politics in america at the time

the first verse is poking satirical fun at americans being coddled and patted on the metaphorical heads, treated with kid gloves

"smart guy at the wheel" : "smart guy" - Pres. Bush was known for having a lack of intelligence, so calling him a "smart guy" is sarcasm. "at the wheel" is using the limo metaphor to say he is "in charge of the country." "smart guy at the wheel"="dumb ass in charge of the country"

"likes to wear a flightsuit" - referencing Bush's flight suit - outsidethebeltway.com/bushs_flightsuit/

"feel incentives for the pharmacy" - this is a general commentary on the state of America's healthcare and how it is all about the quick fix with pharmaceuticals versus really trying to address the root cause holistically. it's also a metaphor for the country as a whole.

"running out of gas" - continuing with the limo metaphor, he's saying Bush is running the country into the ground, so to speak

"we have won the war" - direct reference to the "Mission Accomplished" farce by Pres. Bush - responsiblestatecraft.org/2023/05/04/mission-accomplished-was-a-massive-fail-but-it-was-just-the-beginning

My Interpretation
 
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