This song is timeless, and nearly 20 years after its creation, still possesses the mystique it did the first time i heard it ~1994. To me, at first blush, all those years ago, it had some kind of homo-erotic allure. The line "so that the others may do" tells of something which must be done for others to follow suit. It felt like like some kind of roxy-glam-pop invitation to sexual liberation.
Upon further introspection I think the song may not have an intrinsic meaning, but simply represents a sort of "holding open the door" for people who otherwise might be affronted by this song/band's unusual style. I know, as a sort of armchair rock-historian, that there have been few bands so daring and so true to the sound that wanted to emerge from within, whether the creator wanted it or not. This band handled it with elegance and grace seldom, if ever, seen.
Well, it would've been
Could've been worse than you would ever know
Oh, the dashboard melted
But we still have the radio
Oh, it should've been
Could've been worse than you would ever know
Well, you told me about nowhere
Well, it sounds like someplace I'd like to go
Oh, it could've been
Should've been worse than you would ever know
Well, the windshield was broken
But I love the fresh air ya know
(The dashboard melted, but we still have the radio)
Oh, it would've been
Could've been worse than you would ever know, oh!
(The dashboard melted, but we still have the radio)
Oh, we talked about nothing
Which was more than I wanted you to know-oh-oh-oh-oh
Now here we go!
Oh, it would've been
Could've been worse than it had even gone
Well, the car was on blocks, but I was already where I want
(It was impossible, we ran it good, we ran it good)
Why should we ever even ever really even get to know?
(It was impossible, we ran it good, we ran it good)
Oh, if the world don't like us
It'll shake us just like we were a co-oh-oh-oh-old
Now here we go!
Well, we scheme, and we scheme, but we always blow it
We've yet to crash, but we still might as well enjoy it
Standing at a light switch to each east and west horizon
Every dawn you're surprising
And the evening was consoling
Saying, "See, it wasn't quite as bad as"
Well, it would've been
Could've been worse than you would ever know
I was patiently erasing and recording the wrong episodes
After you had proved my point wrong
It wasn't like I'd let it go, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
I just wanted to catch the last laugh of this show
Yeah, it would've been
Could've been worse than you would ever know
Oh, the dashboard melted, but we still have the radio
(The dashboard melted, but we ran it good, we ran it good)
Hard-wired to conceive, so much we'd have to stow it
Even needs have needs, tiny giants made of tinier giants
Don't wear eyelids so I don't miss the last laugh of this show
(The dashboard melted, but we still have the radio)
Oh, we could've been
Should've been worse than you would ever know
(The dashboard melted, but we still have the radio)
Well, you told me about nowhere
Well, it sounds like someplace I'd like to go-oh-oh-oh-oh
Now here we go!
Well, we scheme, and we scheme, but we always blow it
We've yet to crash, but we still might as well enjoy it
Standing at a light switch to each east and west horizon
Every dawn you're surprising
And the evening was consoling
Saying, "See, it wasn't quite as bad as"
Oh, it would've been
Could've been worse than you would ever know
Could've been worse than you would ever know
Oh, the dashboard melted
But we still have the radio
Oh, it should've been
Could've been worse than you would ever know
Well, you told me about nowhere
Well, it sounds like someplace I'd like to go
Oh, it could've been
Should've been worse than you would ever know
Well, the windshield was broken
But I love the fresh air ya know
(The dashboard melted, but we still have the radio)
Oh, it would've been
Could've been worse than you would ever know, oh!
(The dashboard melted, but we still have the radio)
Oh, we talked about nothing
Which was more than I wanted you to know-oh-oh-oh-oh
Now here we go!
Oh, it would've been
Could've been worse than it had even gone
Well, the car was on blocks, but I was already where I want
(It was impossible, we ran it good, we ran it good)
Why should we ever even ever really even get to know?
(It was impossible, we ran it good, we ran it good)
Oh, if the world don't like us
It'll shake us just like we were a co-oh-oh-oh-old
Now here we go!
Well, we scheme, and we scheme, but we always blow it
We've yet to crash, but we still might as well enjoy it
Standing at a light switch to each east and west horizon
Every dawn you're surprising
And the evening was consoling
Saying, "See, it wasn't quite as bad as"
Well, it would've been
Could've been worse than you would ever know
I was patiently erasing and recording the wrong episodes
After you had proved my point wrong
It wasn't like I'd let it go, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
I just wanted to catch the last laugh of this show
Yeah, it would've been
Could've been worse than you would ever know
Oh, the dashboard melted, but we still have the radio
(The dashboard melted, but we ran it good, we ran it good)
Hard-wired to conceive, so much we'd have to stow it
Even needs have needs, tiny giants made of tinier giants
Don't wear eyelids so I don't miss the last laugh of this show
(The dashboard melted, but we still have the radio)
Oh, we could've been
Should've been worse than you would ever know
(The dashboard melted, but we still have the radio)
Well, you told me about nowhere
Well, it sounds like someplace I'd like to go-oh-oh-oh-oh
Now here we go!
Well, we scheme, and we scheme, but we always blow it
We've yet to crash, but we still might as well enjoy it
Standing at a light switch to each east and west horizon
Every dawn you're surprising
And the evening was consoling
Saying, "See, it wasn't quite as bad as"
Oh, it would've been
Could've been worse than you would ever know
Lyrics submitted by karlgetsalong, edited by TheDistantPanic, dodgerblue
Dashboard Lyrics as written by Isaac K. Brock Joe Plummer
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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The message is actually realizing how self centered or unable to change people are.
"The dash board melted but we still had the radio" Is just one of his thoughts he has jsut as many crappy nasty thoughts.
Ps Legalize it :0
you made everyone shutup by saying the truth.
They're finally getting what they deserve, and the thing is, that band likely wanted that from the start...
4 hr 15 min ago
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I think this is by far the best MM song, by far! The older stuff is really honest and you will connect with it but compared to a song like this, its not even close.
The old stuff is boring and old... sure they get a pretty killer point across but im sick of hearing songs like that, they have sooooo been done a million times before, just the way the song is layed out, you don't even have to really think about it for it to make sense to you, the lyrics of the old songs are simple to understand I only need to listen to them once to completely understand what they are saying BORING. I think a lot of people don't even know how to listen to Dashboard and they can't understand the real message or even what the song is talking about half the time.
Dashboard is a total different type of song than pretty much anything ive heard from them before. Dashboard honestly has a pretty good message but thats not even why the song is my favorite in the world. Why is everyone so convinced a great song even needs a message at all? Remember this is just music, just caus a song isn't sad and serious and comforting doesn't mean it can't be a great song. Don't get me wrong, its not even the beat or the mainstream sound that dashboard has that makes me like it. The reason dashboard is the best song ive ever heard is caus you could listen to it a million times and still not understand the story they are telling, It really takes a lot of effort and concentration to truly understand every aspect of the song dashboard.