Razorlight – America

General CommentI wonder if The Borrell's attempting use of 'America' in a sort of Simon & Garfunkel manner, aka. the ideal? He talks about restlessness and unhappiness and how it's parallel to the 'trouble in America', and all that. And it also works literally speaking, I suppose, though while being really rather simple.

(Of course, this IS Razorlight, so it could just be a load of gobshite, really.)

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  @_thegreatesthits

General CommentThis song is about a couple of things. First, it's a commentary on the media- in England, most of the news we get about America is bad stuff- it seems like that's all that ever happens. What with 9/11 (loath as I am to bring it up) terrorism,hurricane katrina and so on, it seems like all we ever see in the news is America. When this album was being written, Razorlight were touring America-
"There's nothing on the TV nothing on the radio
That means that much to me "
Everything about this song is lonliness, and isolation. When you're sat in hotel room after hotel room, with nothing to do but watch TV, missing everyone you love.

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  @skarlett_nailz

General CommentI agree with Skarlett, very much about watching American TV, news or movies that are very fast paced and conveniently pakaged and, dare I say, in the most part lacking any thought provocation and then thinking 'what relevance has that to do with me living here in UK, or wherever you may be?'
The 'panic'? Well just watch CNN (if you ever get stuck in a hotel with no other English channel available) trying to make out what a big deal some trivial headline is, on a no news day.

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  @shakeymango

MemoryI don't really know what the song means, but it always reminds me of being in Iraq, in the boiling hot sand. I always reminisce when i hear it of that time, and also how i missed the girl i loved. So i think i found my meaning to it in the loneliness part from missing her. And also i guess she went on holiday to America when i was out there, so it all links up somehow. Don't particularly rate razorlight but thats an outstanding song. And when i can't sleep forsome reason it always pops into my head and i go out for a cigarette, like tonight in fact! I enjoyed reading everyone elses interpretations on the song, and others memories.

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  @commandomax
  0

  I think it's an outstanding song too. I listened that song on the radio many times in France without knowing exactly the meaning of it. But somehow I felt connected to that song and now I know why. I met that wonderful american girl in France and I think she just changed everything in my life. when I am not with her in France, life has no sense. I look back and I see that without her, my life coud have been simple like a predictable movie script. When I look at America I can see a life intense but also so different. That is the panic I feel.
  I really love this song
  I enjoyed reading your own interpretations too.
  
  
  

  Flag frenchnicoon July 12, 2010  

General CommentI like this actually, its very different to the last Razorlight stuff, I think anyway
About the media? but im not really sure what else....

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  @bloc_party15

General CommentThere seems to be a few themes. One of which has to be his feeling of isolation by American Culture. How his life seems boring when compared to coverage on America. For the last verse or so, it seems he is actuall singing 'to' America:

Yesterday was easy
Yes I got the news
When you get it straight, but stand up you just can't lose
Give you my confidence, all my faith in life

Dont stand me up
Don't let me down
I need you tonight

Non?

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  @Jayd

General CommentI think this song is about beeing seperated from the one person you love and how your life is boring and somehow worthless and all you do is focus on her and how things are for her. and he is waiting and grasping for every little bit of news he gets from her. and he wants her to come back and stay with him. He is looking for something that could make him forget about loneliness and seperation but he can't find a thing that means as much to him so he could forget and he can't even sleep because of his longing for her.

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  @Alexiel_Laguna

General CommentDitto. Razorlight are extremely overrated.

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  @Deathsdoor99

General CommentHuh Is It Me Or Does This Sound Like He's Talking About September 11th Or Someone He Knew Who Died In September 11th Cos The Chorus They Talk About Panic And Trouble In America, Light A Cigarette Cos I Cant Sleep, I Got The News Etc Etc
Correct Me If I'mk Wrong But That's All It Points To In My Opinion

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  @Music-Guy!

General CommentOH MY GOD!!! What a crap song!!! I quite like the other Razorlight songs but this is really awful! I mean, what on earth is it about? "All my life, watching america, all my life, there's panic in america"- what is that all about? (I was going to put 'Well I go out somewhere then I come home again' but then I realised that it was 'well I go out somewhere and NOT come home again'...whoops!). Anyway...there are so few lyrics that it really is quite hard to tell what on earth he is on about. Something about America, I'm thinking. And the video- don't get me started on that. At the end he is just sitting there, kind of brooding, with shadows on his face- is it me or does this reinforce that he really wants to be taken seriously through these songs but he really isn't. These lyrics are just about as profound as the ones in 'Somewhere Else'- "Well I met a girl, she asked me my name, I told her what it was' (I hope those are right!).
Just to reinforce what I am saying here, I was listening to a recording of Johnny Borrell (plus a tiny bit from the rest of razorlight) talking about this song on the XFM website, and I got the impression that he thought he was writing some pretty ground breaking, rule breaking stuff. He was comparing themselves to the Beatles for god's sake! (sorry for moaning for so long about this song)

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  @ePilgrimage
  0

  @ePilgrimage Lyrics aren't the most important component in a song - the sound of the song and the melody are also very important. I think that people like this song for the singer's voice and the sound of the song as a whole rather than because of its lyrics. Just my two cents.

  Flag thedarknigon June 08, 2016