This is from Julian Casablancas: "There are lyrics about keeping yourself busy: 'I'm just trying to find a mountain I can climb", and Machu Picchu is the Inca sacred place in the Andean mountains of Peru. So the title started out as a joke, but then that joke just started to seem fitting."

He's right. I'm from Peru ;)

This might be taking some of the lyrics a bit too literally, but some of it seems to be about prostitution and cheapening yourself, particularly "selling your body on the street". The "jacket made of meat" and "horses feet" stuff shows the harsh and depressing nature of people's lives when they live cheaply and sell themselves, and the "trying to find a mountain I can climb" is like saying he wants to do something somewhat meaningful and significant, even if it's not a big thing or achievement. Also there are sort of hints at romance, with "trying to find enough space for you and I" so him addressing the song to a cheap girl sort of slightly makes sense.

I'm not surprised there's so many different interpretations of the lyrics, as when I first heard this on the radio I could only understand the "tell us" "jealous" bit with a few other odd words. I guess the only way of truly knowing will be looking at the lyrics in the official album booklet, if they're printed in there.

I just spent an hour listening to that song over and over, and this is what I got:

I'm putting your patience to the test I'm putting your body on the line, for less And didn't you know there was a choice? It's never yours, but someone else's voice

Selling your body to the street Sending your girlfriends to the night, for cheap Wearing a jacket made of meat (it's a leather jacket, guys) Sealing a letter made with horses feet (glue in envelopes is supposedly made from horse)

And now you've heard that (?) turn to gray Life in the shade A violent cry From Nassau, USA (* Nassau is a county in New York... The bad's played at Nassau Coliseum) Bad moon's on the rise (?) in the sky I'm just trying' to find A mountain I can climb

I'm putting your patience to the test I'm putting your body on the line, for less And didn't you know there was a choice? And it's never yours, and someone else's voice

And now you've seen the Marks on the grave Life in the shade A violent cry In Nassau, USA Porn on the rise(?) Circles in the skies

I'm just tryin' to find A mountain I can climb

Tell us Can anybody tell us They're gonna be oh so jealous They're gonna be oh so silent They're gonna be sworn in silence(?)

(I didn't wanna ask you, baby I didn't wanna love you And everybody saw me (?) And even if they knew me,(?) Can anyone even hear us? (?))

Can anybody tell us They're gonna be oh so jealous They're gonna be oh so silent They're gonna be sworn in silence(?)

Can anybody tell us They're gonna be oh so jealous They're gonna be-

Aww, right...

Why are you waitin' At my door?

Life turns to dust And rain turns to rust The gossip is the truth ... the lives we took (?)

And why do you look surprised(?) Only since I'm in the skies(?) I'm just tryin' to find Enough space for you and I

the official lyrics (by Julian's site) are:

Putting you patience to the test Putting yout body on the line, for less Didn't you know there was a choice? It's never yours but someone else's voice

Selling your body to the streets Selling your girlfriend's to the night, for cheap Wearing a jacket made of meat Sealing a letter made with horse's feet And now you've heard that..

Waves turn to grey, life in the shade, A violent crime and that's the USA Platinium's on the rise, playboys in disguise I'm just tryin' to find a mountain I can climb

Putting you patience to the test Putting yout body on the line, for less Didn't you know there was a choice? It's never yours but someone else's voice And know you see that...

Blondes turn to grey, life in the shade A violent crime and that's the USA Porn's on the rise, psycho's in disguise I'm just tryin' to find a mountain I can climb

Darling ain't nobody gonna tell us, they're gonna be oh so jelous We're gonna be oh so silent, they're gonna be stoned in silence

I didn't want to ask you baby. I didn't want to have to ask anybody baby, Is anyone asking maybe? Can anyone even hear me/this shit? Why are you waiting beyond the door?

Life turns to dust, and rain turns to rust And money pays for the lies we trust Your love is a surprise, homeless saints are in disguise I'm just tryin' to find a nice place for you and I

Now they make much more sense to me, by the way, look at the picture from where I took the official lyrics: http://www.juliancasablancas.com/news/ - From the post of September 14th, 2011

I've been listening to this song over and over and this is what I got for lyrics...

I'm putting your patience to the test I'm putting your body on the line, for less And didn't you know there was a choice? It's never yours, but someone else's voice

Selling your body to the street Sending your girlfriends to the night, for cheap Wearing a jacket made of meat Sealing a letter made with horses feet

And now you've heard that Words turn to gray Life in the shade A violent cry And that's on USA Platinum's on the rise Payphones in the sky I'm just trying' to find A mountain I can climb

I'm putting your patience to the test I'm putting your body on the line, for less And didn't you know there was a choice? And it's never yours, in someone else's voice And now you've seen that

Waltz on the grave Life in the shade A violent cry And that's on USA Born on the right Circles in disguise

I'm just tryin' to find A mountain I can climb

Tell us Can anybody tell us They're gonna be oh so jealous They're gonna be oh so silent They're gonna be sworn in silence

I didn't wanna ask you, baby I didn't wanna love you And everybody saw me And even if they knew me, Can anyone even hear us?

Can anybody tell us They're gonna be oh so jealous They're gonna be oh so silent They're gonna be sworn in silence

Can anybody tell us They're gonna be oh so jealous They're gonna be-

Aww, right...

Why are you waitin' At my door?

Life turns to dust And rain turns to rust The gossip is the truth The money paid for the lives we took

And why do you look surprised Only since I'm in the skies I'm just tryin' to find Enough space for you and I

Hopefully that helps fill in a few gaps!

I agree with rb4134, except for the line : "Circles in disguise"..I think it's "Psycho in disguise."

The song definitely seems like Julian recognizes that a lot of people saw The Strokes image when they first hit the scene in 2001 (the skinny t-shirts and jeans, the leather coats) and they literally went through body transformations. Because no one was dressing in that Post-modern chuck taylor fashion before they came along outside of maybe New York City. So guys wanted to look like fab moretti, and started losing weight (I'm puttin your body on the line for less)...

This song has a theme of disillusionment which I recognized when I first started listening to this band. "That was me up on the mountain, all alone, no one surrounded" . Like people had the choice of not being influenced, but they started becoming obsessed with the strokes image, likeness, and persona. "He was on the minds of other men, I know he was." Kids who were born into Right wing families, suddenly started feeling like cultured Rich kids who graduated from the Dwight School. They envisioned themselves in street scenes of the 1970's, and wanted to be looked at like Prostitutes of this re-created culture that The Strokes music captures...They've captured this whole thing in a Neo Post-modern fashion that is Hard to Explain...

Putting your patience to the test (war in middle east has not ended yet, but keeps getting promised by President)

Putting your body on the line for less (soldiers are putting their lives on the line for less money, budget cuts affecting military)

Didn't you know you had a choice (the right to vote) (sarcastic)

It's never yours but someone else's voice (electoral college is actually the group who casts votes in Presidential elections)

Selling your bodies to the street Selling your girlfriends to the night for cheap (prostitution on the rise in US)

Wearing a jacket made of meat (leather jacket)

Sealing a letter made of horse's feet (horse hooves are used to make glue)

And now you've heard that Words turn to grey (words become less meaningful)

Life in the shade (easy lifestyle of most people in developed countries)

A violent clock Non-stop USA (Americans are always on the move, rushed for time)

Platinum's on the rise (increasing value of precious metals, dollar losing value)

Playboys in disguise I'm just trying to find a mountain I can climb (Wanting to escape or get away from this society)

Life turns to dust and rain turns to rust (Nothing lasts forever, decay is inevitable)

Gossip is the truth (People believe everything they hear without questioning) A little bit for the lie you told (Tabloid magazines paying people for made up stories)

Long enough surprised, hopeless saints are in the stars (Saint Jude is the Saint of hopeless cases...maybe this is a reference to the hopeless state of the world) I'm just trying to find enough space for you and I. (Man trying to provide for his woman)

Waves turn to grey = Words turn to grey Wearing a jacket, play the meat. = Wearing a jacket made of meat A violent cloud = A violent clock And that's on USA = Last time USA Running for the rights, = Brandings on the right Born on the rise = Born on the right

Tell us, are you gonna tell us? Why do we feel so jealous? Why do we feel so silent? Why is it always silent? (I didn't want to ask you baby, I didn't want you to suffer , and everybody is singing .... )

Tell us, are you gonna tell us That wannabe is so jealous That wannabe is you so silent (I didn't wanna love you baby I didn't wanna suffer, .....)

Gossip is a truth = Unless it gives the truth (?) lie you took = Or anyone give the life it should And why do you look surprised? = Now moment of suprise on A space for you and I = The best for you and I

Don't know of all of them are right, but this is what I heard..

Putting your patience to the test Putting you body on the line for less Didn't you know it was a choice It's never yours but with someone else's voice

Slipping your body to the street Serving your girlfriends to the knife, and cheat Wearing a jacket made of meat Ascending a ladder with with horse's feet

And now you think that

Words turn to grey Life in the shade A violent clock And that's all you would say Lightning's on the rise Playthings in the sky I'm just trying to find A mountain I can climb

Putting your patience to test Putting your body on the line for less Didn't you know it was a choice It's never yours and someone else's voice

And now you see that

Words turn to grey Life in the shade A violent clock And that's all you would say Born on the rise Circles in disguise I'm just trying to find A mountain I can climb

Tell us, when are they gonna Tell us, we're gonna be Oh so jealous We're gonna be always silent

I didn't wanna hurt you baby I didn't wanna love you

Alright

Why are you waiting In the dark

Life turns to dust Our waiting turns to rust Gossip is the truth Right before the night you took off Don't act so surprised ... I'm just trying to find Enough space for you and I

Honestly I think this is one of those songs by Julian where he just used a bunch of different prases. No real meaning.