These are not my people, I should never have come here
The chick with a dick and the gift for the gab
I know a place, I've seen the face
And I'll take the coast from factory to factory
Ah

These night's that I've been on the road
Through my window the moonlight she shone
And on my walls the fire she danced
Playing out my very last chance to run, run, run, run
Don't look back, you're moving too fast
I know a place, I've seen the face
And I'll take the high road from factory to factory
Oh yeah
Oh yeah
Ah yeah
Ah yeah

There are millions and millions of people around
On my TV, walking my streets, making sounds
And I can walk with them I love them I need their love
There are others I have known as poor souls, sores exposed
The the run-of-the-mill, the destitute, and the cold
Sores exposed to the blisters and shards
Where any kind of kindness is as far as the sun, the sun
The sun, the sun, run, run, run, run
I know a place, I've seen a face
And I'll take the coast from factory to factory
Oh yeah
Oh yeah
Ah yeah
Ah yeah

Run, run
Mmmmmmm, mmmmmmm

These are not my people, I should never have come here
I know a place, I've seen the face
Take the coast from factory to factory
Oh yeah
Oh yeah
Ah yeah
Ah yeah
Oh yeah
Oh yeah
Ah yeah
Ah yeah...

Overall Meaning

The song "Factory" by Martha Wainwright talks about feeling out of place and disconnected from the people around her. She muses on how there are so many different people in the world, from the "chick with a dick and the gift for the gab" to "the run-of-the-mill, the destitute, and the cold," and wonders how to connect with them all. She points out that kindness is often hard to come by in a world full of "sores exposed to the blisters and shards."

The chorus of the song, with its repetition of "I know a place, I've seen the face / And I'll take the coast from factory to factory," suggests that Wainwright is looking for a way to escape her current situation and find a place where she belongs. She seems to find solace in the fact that she can travel from one factory to the next, as if the factories represent different parts of the world where she might find a sense of belonging. The last line of the song, "These are not my people, I should never have come here," underscores her feeling of alienation and sets up a bittersweet contrast with the earlier idea of moving from place to place in search of connection.

Line by Line Meaning

These are not my people, I should never have come here
I regret coming to this place because I feel out of place with these people

The chick with a dick and the gift for the gab
There are some unusual people in this place with unique and confident personalities

I know a place, I've seen the face, And I'll take the coast from factory to factory
I have a destination in mind and I'll travel from one factory to the next to get there

These night's that I've been on the road, Through my window the moonlight she shone
I have been traveling at night and have seen the moonlight shining through my window

And on my walls the fire she danced, Playing out my very last chance to run, run, run, run
As I stare at the fire dancing on my walls, I feel a sense of urgency to keep running

Don't look back, you're moving too fast
I need to keep moving and not let anything hold me back

There are millions and millions of people around, On my TV, walking my streets, making sounds
There are countless people in this world who I see on TV or on the streets making noise

And I can walk with them I love them I need their love
I feel a connection to these people and crave their love and acceptance

There are others I have known as poor souls, sores exposed, The the run-of-the-mill, the destitute, and the cold
I have encountered people who are struggling and suffering in their lives

Sores exposed to the blisters and shards,Where any kind of kindness is as far as the sun, the sun
These people are dealing with pain and suffering and are in desperate need of kindness and compassion

Run, run
I need to keep running to get to my destination

Mmmmmmm, mmmmmmm
N/A

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Martha Wainwright

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it