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Kings Crossing (Alternative) Lyrics
The problem I have with the soul contraption,
Swallowed up slowly like a bad reaction,
All around what you do and say, while the symptom falls further away
You live in silence, but you can't describe it,
So what's the point of talking at all?
The store bought injury, the family cane
Just another boy, bad at the game
This is when you need a friend to keep you moving around
Because all your thinking has made you slow-
You might be stopping out, you know
Frustrated fireworks inside your head,
There's a lit fuse smoking, you caught instead
It's what you're dealing, but it's just a start
Was a time since your problem was a poison dart
And you act like a cowboy, whatever's in my hat
I'm a hardboiled hero, and I'm not so bad
But I didn't know when to run from this
A proud fan is going to see you shatter
I know that there really isn't anything the matter
Nothing is going to be crying words, they only want their voice to be heard
They use it sometimes, to show that they're around
Or they build you up a theory, like the walls of a town
A tired and ancient ruler right now
The neighborhood slaves are hardly skilled
Open your parachute, and drop your weight
Float on down to the center, and investigate
I did my self-requirement, better cop out hard,
Or I'll leave right now
Because this feeling of loving, I felt it in my chest
Like the nighttime footsteps of an unknown guest
I know it wasn't me, I wasn't moving..
I felt thunder, the rain was pouring
I know it must be something wrong, all this is restoring
You don't have to live in a lifeless state.
Stay in the center and wait
Stay in the center and wait
Stay in the center and wait
Swallowed up slowly like a bad reaction,
All around what you do and say, while the symptom falls further away
So what's the point of talking at all?
Just another boy, bad at the game
Because all your thinking has made you slow-
You might be stopping out, you know
There's a lit fuse smoking, you caught instead
It's what you're dealing, but it's just a start
Was a time since your problem was a poison dart
And you act like a cowboy, whatever's in my hat
I'm a hardboiled hero, and I'm not so bad
But I didn't know when to run from this
I know that there really isn't anything the matter
Nothing is going to be crying words, they only want their voice to be heard
They use it sometimes, to show that they're around
Or they build you up a theory, like the walls of a town
A tired and ancient ruler right now
The neighborhood slaves are hardly skilled
Float on down to the center, and investigate
I did my self-requirement, better cop out hard,
Or I'll leave right now
Because this feeling of loving, I felt it in my chest
Like the nighttime footsteps of an unknown guest
I know it wasn't me, I wasn't moving..
I know it must be something wrong, all this is restoring
You don't have to live in a lifeless state.
Stay in the center and wait
Stay in the center and wait
Stay in the center and wait
Song Info
Submitted by
first Timer On Aug 01, 2007
More Elliott Smith
Between the Bars
Needle in the Hay
King's Crossing
Twilight (Somebody's Baby)
A Fond Farewell
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
"the problem i have with the soul contraption"
Elliott had a Masters in Philosophy (Political Philosophy). You don't get an MA without reading/discussing the soul. One basic problem is the nature/nurture question. Are people a product of their environment? or are they just born fallen from the grace of god, yaddy yada.
"swallowed up slowly like a bad reaction"
His standpoint seems to say that we are a product of our environment. Our soul is "swallowed" up by our surroundings, like a druggie taking drugs and having a bad reaction.
"all around what you do and say while the symptom falls further away"
While we talk about the environment being the bad, he points out that it's not treating the soul. The bad reactions, or symptoms, seems to fall further away each time they are found. This suggests that there is a root to the problem that he's trying to tackle.
"you live in silence but you can't describe it so what's the point of talking at all?"
He folds and doesn't know what to do. In philosophy, they teach you different truths... While there are no absolute answers, there is a point of talking. Elliott seems to feel that there is a black & white answer with no gray. And even then, it's hard to describe what's going on in the middle of having an answer and no answer.
"the store bought injury.. the family cane"
This seems to say that he abused himself. You can buy lots of things at the store, and in this case, injuries with the family cane. Who would know the difference between him hurting himself and others hurting him?
"just another boy bad at the game"
He alludes to the fact that others are in on this game, and he, like the rest, are not winning.
"this is when you need a friend to keep you moving around 'cause all your thinking has made you slow you might be stopping out.. you know"
He may allude to the idea of being extremely prude, and how a lot of thinking leads to inaction. It's quite a big theory in philosophy which was a criticism of Nietzsche. Nietzsche called it Socraticism and the birth of resentment. He says that this is when you need a friend to keep you socializing and keep you on your feet. Someone to keep you doing things so that you don't harbor anymore resentment.
"frustrated fireworks inside your head there's a lit fuse smoking.. you caught instead"
This seems to illustrate the resentment idea.
"what you're dealing.. but it's just a start was a time since your problem was a poison dart and you act like a cowboy.. whatever's in my hat i'm a hardboiled hero and i'm not so bad"
With resentment, you don't really notice it.
"but i didn't know when to run from this a proud fan is gonna see you shatter i know that there really isn't anything the matter nothing is gonna be crying words.. they only want their voice to be heard they use it sometimes to show that they're around or they build you up a theory like the walls of a town a tired and ancient ruler right now.. the neighborhood slaves are hardly skilled open your parachute and drop your weight float on down to the center and investigate i did my self requirement.. better cop out hard or i'll leave right now 'cause this feeling of loving.. i felt it in my chest like the nighttime footsteps of an unknown guest i know it wasn't me.. i wasn't moving.. i felt thunder.. the rain was pouring i know it must be something wrong all this is restoring you don't have to live in a life's mistake stay in the center and wait stay in the center and wait stay in the center and wait "
My opinion on this seems to make sense of the last lines. He talks about his fame and how it overshadows his sense of resentment. He doesn't know what to do but just wait.
I have never heard this version before, how can I find a copy of it?
http://www.archive.org/details/esmith200-05-09.esmith200-05-09.flacf
there you go
http://www.archive.org/details/esmith2000-05-09.esmith2000-05-09.flacf, thats where you can find it.
I went to that website but the file isn't there anymore. Could someone email it to me if they have it please?! I really want it! If anyone sees this and has the song and wouldn't mind emailing it to me, my email is miriamleaman@hotmail.com. So beautiful. I have never heard it but I let it play in my head.
could someone email this to me as well, it would mean alot.
QQAnathema@hotmail.com
Miriam and Anathema, I will not emails it you because I'm lazy. However, I hope you both will find this link.
http://www.archive.org/details/esmith2000-05-09.esmith2000-05-09.flacf
If that doesn't work, go to the search bar on the site and type in "Kings crossing." It should be the one dated on 05-09-2000, which would also be my birthday.
this version is almost deeper and darker then the other
i think ive seen the listed lyrics change a bit over the past few months, but im not sure. i thought the last line was "you dont have to live in a lifeless state" and im sure i wont get an answer to this because people only post like once every year after a song is put up, but does the sound only come in one earphone for everyone else?
It's in both for me, you can send me a mail and I send you my version. ple.aberg@live.se
It's in both for me, you can send me a mail and I send you my version. ple.aberg@live.se
"i felt it in my chest" That's so heartbreaking considering the circumstances...