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World News Lyrics
the lane next over is always faster
and you wait so long until you're so bothered
but right after you complete your merge
the lane you started in gets going
and while you wait for your luck to change
all you can think of is where you started
you don't like anything on local radio
so you fumble around 'til you land on NPR
and listen to world news
well, a bomb went off in the parking lot
of a newly opened sunni marketplace
and a cloud covers your car at just the right time
for you to see the dark on your face in the mirror
your phone goes off with a picture of your mother
it's five to six, and she can't find your brother
and while normally you'd yell and scream,
instructing her to go and find him on her own
but calmly you're exiting,
and telling her that you are headed on your way home
she does not know what to say,
just glad you're on your way home
you turn off your phone in a different tone
as you think,
the bad feeling so bad makes the good so good
and you wait so long until you're so bothered
but right after you complete your merge
the lane you started in gets going
and while you wait for your luck to change
all you can think of is where you started
so you fumble around 'til you land on NPR
and listen to world news
well, a bomb went off in the parking lot
of a newly opened sunni marketplace
and a cloud covers your car at just the right time
for you to see the dark on your face in the mirror
it's five to six, and she can't find your brother
and while normally you'd yell and scream,
instructing her to go and find him on her own
but calmly you're exiting,
and telling her that you are headed on your way home
she does not know what to say,
just glad you're on your way home
you turn off your phone in a different tone
as you think,
the bad feeling so bad makes the good so good
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I'm right there with ya, againstyourskin! Had no idea what ANY Local Natives lyrics were about actually until reading them, because I was too caught up in their amazing vocals and percussion! Now I love them even more because all these lyrics are so carefully crafted and meaningful. (rare these days..)
A nice reminder to control the ego. This song makes me feel guilty about my road rage. lol
I've listened to this song many times and never realized it had anything to do with being in a car. Crazy what you don't pick up on until you read the lyrics.
do do do do do do, do do do do do do
God damn this describes my everyday life. All the way down to the NPR and sunni bombings.
In any case, I like the sense of hope the last line in this song gives. Since it's semi-dismal up until that point. Kinda saying you never truly know when its good unless you experience the bad.
And its catchy as hell! Can't stop singing the "doo doo doo doo doo doo" part.
"just glad you're on your way home" i don't hear them say home?
I think this song is pretty straight up in terms of meaning. The first verse describes the mundanity of getting frustrated in traffic on the highway - some people get incredibly worked up about traffic, and even more so, some people are never happy with what they already have (ie. a space in a lane already). But he's saying it doesn't really matter which lane you're in - just calm down - you'll get where you're going. And the second verse kind of takes this a little further: while you're complaining about traffic on the highway people all over the world are dealing with hardships that make traffic laughable. The line "a cloud covers your car at just the right time for you to see the dark on your face in the mirror" is really key. Maybe he's saying you are finally able to get a look in the mirror at just how silly you're being in comparison to what you're hearing on the radio. And then in the third verse he gets a phone call from his mother, and instead of his usual knee-jerk reaction of yelling at his mother and deflecting the problem, he takes it on himself.
So basically, to me, this song is saying "stop getting frustrated at such petty things and be nice to those around you." And like allmyliesareonlywishes said, even though it's a kind of cliche, you can't experience the good without the bad.
the bad feeling so bad makes the good so gooooooooooooooooooood! ...SO GOOD!
Definitely no "home" at the end of "just glad you're on your way"
Beautiful song, though. I love it.
I feel like, very basically, the song is about putting things into perspective. How bad are your circumstances in comparison to people elsewhere? Be grateful for where you are and the people you have.
Basically, it's saying, "Ain't so tough. Cheer the fuck up!"