In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
The neon lights go flashing by
Electric land is in my eyes
The underworld is on the move
And everybody's got something to prove
The taxi driver delivers the news
Somebody out there has blown a fuse
We're passing the scene a man is dead
A thirty eight blew away his head
A jolt of lightning set's me back a pace
Feel like a visitor from outer space
Please excuse me if I don't quite understand
I'm just a stranger in electric land
Willing to have a good time
You live for the moment the moment is fine
You're up in your room the lights are low
Before you know it's time for the show
A jolt of lightning set's me back a pace
Feel like a visitor from outer space
Please excuse me if I don't quite understand
I'm just a stranger in electric land
Electric land is in my eyes
The underworld is on the move
And everybody's got something to prove
The taxi driver delivers the news
Somebody out there has blown a fuse
We're passing the scene a man is dead
A thirty eight blew away his head
A jolt of lightning set's me back a pace
Feel like a visitor from outer space
Please excuse me if I don't quite understand
I'm just a stranger in electric land
Willing to have a good time
You live for the moment the moment is fine
You're up in your room the lights are low
Before you know it's time for the show
A jolt of lightning set's me back a pace
Feel like a visitor from outer space
Please excuse me if I don't quite understand
I'm just a stranger in electric land
Lyrics submitted by jhines0042
Electricland Lyrics as written by Paul Rodgers
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
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
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
Thursday
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
No comments?!? This is one of my favorite songs by Bad Company!
I could not agree more, this song is awesome (:
I could relate this to a psychedelic experience.
"The neon lights go flashing by Electric land is in my eyes"
"The underworld is on the move And everybody's got something to prove"
besides physical changes, you begin to think differently. you see deeper meaning to everything somebody does or says
the next verse is about a taxi driver and a dead body; reality, yet it doesn't seem to touch you in the same way as usually
"A jolt of lightning set's me back a pace Feel like a visitor from outer space Please excuse me if I don't quite understand I'm just a stranger in electric land"
"Willing to have a good time You live for the moment the moment is fine You're up in your room the lights are low Before you know it's time for the show"
I had not heard this song in I don't know how many years - maybe, decades. Then I saw the title, went to YouTube and..."just wow." Immediately, at "Jolt of lightning...," I thought I was listening to a song Foreigner would do. It made me so curious, I had to check out Foreigner's repertoire on this site, just to see if they had never done a cover of it - or, was it a Foreigner song, and BC did THEIR cover of it? [laughing]
I do think this is the one song that helped me to remember that Bad Company exists. This, and "Feel Like Makin' Love." You could have told me years ago that Electric Land was originally by Foreigner, and I would have believed you until today. Just like I would have believed, if I'd been told that BC originally did "Hot Blooded," and Foreigner made it famous.
I will be hearing this song more often now, since I liked it so much back in the day when it was on the air so often.