Screenwriter's Blues
Soul Coughing Lyrics

Exits to freeways
The multiple highways leading out of this city make it easy to leave, but do not address the underlying problems of those who are fleeing

Wisted like knots on The fingers
The city's streets are like tangled knots, impossible to unravel

Jewels cleaving Skin between Breasts.
There is a seductive and dangerous allure to this city that can cut deep and leave scars

Your Cadillac breathes Four hundred horses Over blue lines
The freedom of the road is exhilarating, but can quickly lead to recklessness and danger

You are going To Reseda To make love To a model From Ohio Whose real name You don't Know
In a city where people can reinvent themselves, it's easy to become lost in the fantasy and forget the reality of the situations at hand

You spin Like the cadillac was Overturning down a Cliff on television
The line between exhilaration and danger is a thin one, and can be easily crossed

And the radio is on And the radioman is speaking And the radioman says Women were a curse
The media perpetuates harmful and misogynistic beliefs that can poison people's minds

So men built Paramount Studios And men built Columbia Studios And men built Los Angeles
The city was built on the dreams and work of men, who have historically held more power and influence than women or marginalized groups

It is 5 am And you are listening To Los Angeles
The city never sleeps, always pulsing with energy and noise

And the radioman says It is a beautiful night out there! And the radioman says Rock and Roll lives! And the radioman says It is a beautiful night out there In Los Angeles
The media amplifies a superficial and sensationalized version of the city, perpetuating myths and attitudes rather than addressing deeper issues

You live In Los Angeles And you are going to Reseda; we are all In some way or Another going to Reseda someday To die
Death is inevitable, and the city's superficiality and impermanence can make confronting it difficult and frightening

And the radioman Laughs because The radioman fucks A model too
The media is not only complicit in perpetuating harmful attitudes, but is often involved in the very same toxic behavior it purports to report on

Gone savage For teenagers with Automatic weapons and Boundless love Gone savage for Teenagers who are Aesthetically pleasing In other words Fly
The city's lure attracts those who are vulnerable and searching for something, leading to dangerous and reckless behavior

Los Angeles beckons The teenagers To come to her On buses; Los Angeles loves Love
The city's mythology promises a glittering future, but often the reality is much darker and more dangerous

I am going to Los Angeles To built a screenplay about Lovers who Murder each Other I am going to Los Angeles To see my own Name on a Screen, five feet Long and luminous
The city's promise of fame and fortune distorts the creative process, leading to dark and twisted fantasies rather than meaningful expression

As the radioman says It is 5 am And the sun has charred The other side of The world and come Back to us And painted the smoke Over our heads An imperial violet
The city's beauty can be just as dangerous and destructive as it is alluring and captivating, leading to a never-ending cycle of destruction and rebirth

You are listening.
The song's repetition of this line is a reminder that, despite the words and images that are constantly bombarding us, sometimes it's important to just stop and listen