So this has been.my favorite song of OTEP's since it came out in 2004, and I always thought it was a song about a child's narrative of suffering in an abusive Christian home. But now that I am revisiting the lyrics, I am seeing something totally new.
This song could be gospel of John but from the perspective of Jesus.
Jesus was NOT having a good time up to and during the crucifixion. Everyone in the known world at the time looked to him with fear, admiration or disgust and he was constantly being asked questions. He spoke in "verses, prophesies and curses". He had made an enemy of the state, and believed the world was increasingly wicked and fallen from grace, or that he was in the "mouth of madness".
The spine of atlas is the structure that allows the titan to hold the world up. Jesus challenged the state and in doing so became a celebrated resistance figure. It also made him public enemy #1.
All of this happened simply because he was doing his thing, not because of any agenda he had or strategy.
And then he gets scourged (storm of thorns)
There are some plot holes here but I think it's an interesting interpretation.
Out at the train tracks
I dream of escape
But a song comes onto my iPod
And I realize it's getting late
And I can't take the staring
And the sympathy
And I don't like the questions "How do you feel?"
"How's it going in school?"
And "Do you wanna talk about it?"
Way out
Way out of here
Fade out
Fade out, vanish
And I'll try to forget you
And I know that I will
In a thousand years
Or maybe a week
Burn all your pictures
Cut out your face
The shutters are down and the curtains are closed
And I've covered my tracks
Disposed of the car
And I'll try to forget even your name
And the way that you look
When you're sleeping
Dreaming of this
Way out
Way out of here
Fade out
Fade out, vanish
Way out
Way out of here
Fade out
Fade out, vanish
I dream of escape
But a song comes onto my iPod
And I realize it's getting late
And I can't take the staring
And the sympathy
And I don't like the questions "How do you feel?"
"How's it going in school?"
And "Do you wanna talk about it?"
Way out
Way out of here
Fade out
Fade out, vanish
And I'll try to forget you
And I know that I will
In a thousand years
Or maybe a week
Burn all your pictures
Cut out your face
The shutters are down and the curtains are closed
And I've covered my tracks
Disposed of the car
And I'll try to forget even your name
And the way that you look
When you're sleeping
Dreaming of this
Way out
Way out of here
Fade out
Fade out, vanish
Way out
Way out of here
Fade out
Fade out, vanish
Lyrics submitted by christsizeshoes, edited by Samuel1291, Octavarium64, skyseason
Way Out of Here Lyrics as written by Gavin Richard Harrison Colin Edwin Balch
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Downtown Music Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Ave Grave
Thee More Shallows
Thee More Shallows
when rules change
Life in Your Way
Life in Your Way
High life
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
I agree its definentely about suicide, but ill try and go a bit further:
At the start the teenager is at the train tracks, where alot of people go to commit suicide, dreaming about killing himself. The second verse contains a "you". This could either be a girlfriend leaving him, or even a girlfriend who committed suicide, and left him alone to face all of his problems (problems explored in the other songs). The teenager could also be referring to himself, and how much he hates himself, to the point where he cuts his face out of photos.
Both interpretations explain why people stare at him with sympathy, and how he hates sympathetic adults trying to help him.
"The shutters are down And the curtains are closed And I've covered my tracks Disposed of the car"
These lines are probably about how he went home and at a future date is preparing to kill himself. he's made sure noone is looking through the windows, and he's covered his tracks. I take that to mean he's tied up all of his loose affairs so his family dont have to worry about them after. Such as selling his car so his parents dont have to sell it after, and stuff like that.
err i'm probably wrong but the first time i read the lyrics i thought about murder<br /> <br /> Out at the train tracks<br /> I dream of escape<br /> But a song comes onto my iPod<br /> And I realize it's getting late<br /> <br /> he murdered someone (perhaps his girlfriend) maybe at the train tracks? idk...<br /> just pointing out: the song trains and the mentioning of train tracks in this song as well as in many other songs<br /> <br /> I can't take the staring<br /> And the sympathy<br /> And I don't like the questions,<br /> "How do you feel? How's it going in school? Do you want to talk about it?"<br /> <br /> now he comes back home or something and he can't take the questions and the staring, making it feel like people are on to him<br /> <br /> And I'm trying to forget you<br /> And I know that I will<br /> In a thousand years<br /> Or maybe a week<br /> <br /> now he's trying to forget about the murder he committed<br /> <br /> And the curtains are closed<br /> And I've covered my tracks<br /> Disposed of the car<br /> <br /> getting rid of the evidence?<br /> <br /> well that was just a thought.. hehe..<br />
Or, he could be seeking a life of adventure riding the rails...a modern-day hobo. Considering the "emo" tone, however, suicide is probably a better assessment.
In response to Unsound: I disagree. I think Wilson is a brilliant song writer. He doesnt come across immature to me at all. Dont get me wrong, i'm a pink floyd fan myself, but whats wrong with being a bit more straight forward? What's wrong with saying "this is how it is!" Hey its not too often that im listening to a prog band that dont always seem to deal in metophores. Oh and ya... Love the song.
It's about suicide. The Steve said so when I saw them in Newcastle.
I just got home of 2 exiting nights of Porcupine Tree at the 013 in Tilburg, The Netherlands. At the 2nd night SW actually said that "Way Out Of Here" was indeed about a girl who comitted suicide on the traintracks while listening to a Porcupine Tree song on her iPod. Actually her morther will be attending the indigO2 show on Sunday October 19th in London. This is also the date that the girl from the song would have turned 18 years old. Isn't his bizare? I already had some kind of idea what the song was about, but this really touched me even more! Wow, what a song, what kind of song writing and one big chapeau for SW of being so "into this world".
And yes, I completely agree with XCrusherX that the girl from the song is leaving her(old)self, not her boyfriend.
Yeah, this was about a PT fan, very obviously. I knew her casually through PT sites. I haven't heard Steven say it was about her, but I'm almost sure it was. Her family doesn't think it was suicide, but it just seems that way. If you watch the video for the song, it was set up just the way that she and her friend died.<br /> <br /> When I saw them on the FOABP tour, they played this song then transitioned into A Smart Kid, which was her favorite song. As you can imagine, I was crying when I realized that it was about her. As soon as I saw the train behind the girl in the video, it was clear.
Just as an aside, I like how in the first verse steve sings the words very softly, forlornly, and regretfully, as if this teenager is still just a kid, and does not know how to deal with his problems.
The second verse is still delivered with some innocence, but adds a sense of urgency and anger. Like he's made a final decision, out of hatred for himself or that girl who killed herself/left him, whatever, and is going to kill himself.
Perhaps im overanalysing, just something i noticed.
Compared to this one, The Cure's Pornography sounds like light entertainment.
I think while this song contemplates suicide, the closer Sleep Together is about actually committing it. On this one, there's anger and hatred and maybe the last remnants of hope. On the last track the hero is past that and only wants to carry out his plan.
I think is about a really hard depression, he/she is in front of the train tracks suicide cross his/her mind as a way out of there, but he chooses to forget and move on, go away, disappear...
so... he covers his tracks, he doesnt want to be found, vanish, leave all behind...
I know most agree with the suicide idea but I have another idea. Why couldn't it be about the killing of an abusive parent? The character "dreams of escape" but has to go home when he "realized it's getting late". He gets tired of living that way so he kills him/her ... "I've covered my tracks, disposed of the car" "I can't take the staring and sympathy" could be after the death of the parent yet no one else knows that they were actually killed by the child.
just my 2 cents...
This song is ridiculously good.
"This song is ridiculously good. " Thats quite an understatement :P This album is ridicously good. Its reassuring that there are some bands out there making fantastic music. The meaning of the song, its suicide as meantioned by Ed. The concept is that the teenager has finally decided to find a way out of this world and its farcical elements, shown in the beginning, with the use of techology (iPod)