2 Meanings
Add Yours
Follow
Share
Q&A
Capitol City Lyrics
Capitol city skyline photo
Skyscraper shines the sun so
Low in the sky
Secretaries at the hot dog vendors
Cabs honk at bicycle messengers
Rolling by
I can't call with a subway token
Anyway the phones are all broken
I wish you were here
Better yet I wish I was there with you
You wouldn't like it here
You should stay right there
Breathe in that country air
You wouldn't like it here
Capitol towers radiator steam vents
Scream along with the clarinets and arguments
Echo down the hall
I can't sleep, I can't wake up
I'm shaken up maybe we should break up
I wish you were here
Better yet I wish I was there with you
You wouldn't like it here
You should stay right there
Breathe in that country air
You wouldn't like it here
Capitol city skyline photo
Picture postcard signed the moon so
Low in the sky
I can't smile when my hearts still broken
Faraway, in love and unspoken
I wish you were here
Or I was there with you
Skyscraper shines the sun so
Low in the sky
Secretaries at the hot dog vendors
Cabs honk at bicycle messengers
Rolling by
Anyway the phones are all broken
I wish you were here
Better yet I wish I was there with you
You should stay right there
Breathe in that country air
You wouldn't like it here
Scream along with the clarinets and arguments
Echo down the hall
I can't sleep, I can't wake up
I'm shaken up maybe we should break up
I wish you were here
Better yet I wish I was there with you
You should stay right there
Breathe in that country air
You wouldn't like it here
Picture postcard signed the moon so
Low in the sky
I can't smile when my hearts still broken
Faraway, in love and unspoken
I wish you were here
Or I was there with you
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
I've always understood that this song is about a person (let's say a guy) that moved to the big "Capitol city" of the title, leaving a girl back in town to allegedly maintain a long-distance relationship. But now that it's been a while and he's had a taste of big city life, the skyscrapers and everything, he wants to break up the relationship while pretending that he doesn't. Lines like "I can't call with a subway token, anyway the phones are all broken" are reminiscent of someone making up excuses, like the girl calls him after a few months and the guy is all "You know, I tried to call you but all I have are these subway tokens.. And you know, even if I did have some change, all the phones are broken so it's not like I could've called you anyway..." and lines like "I wish you were here, better yet I wish I was there with you" are followed right away by the corollary that the girl wouldn't like it in Capitol City so she definitely should stay back in town and NOT go to the city.
The final giveaway for me is when he says "I can't sleep, I can't wake up, I'm shaken up, maybe we should break up" which is that classic lie/excuse of "Oh, I'm having such a terrible time missing you, we should break up so that there is no more suffering" which is some grade A+ BS.
And the irony, then, comes in the last verse, when the guy finally does break up with the girl, and then is hit with the realization that he does miss her, and he can't seem to enjoy that great skyline he enjoyed at the beginning because he's now alone in the city and heartbroken.
Awesome song!
The lyrics to "Capitol City," which was released on The Whole Love in 2011, originated fully intact in Jeff Tweedy's 2004 poetry book entitled Adult Head. Makes you wonder what other gems he has kicking around that haven't seen the light of day