Roller Coaster
13th Floor Elevators Lyrics
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His eyes were clear to see,
He put his thoughts into my mind,
And gave my self to be
He stopped me from living so unsane,
I could be just what I want to be
And things appear as they really are,
I can see just what I want to see
Oh come on, and let it happen to you,
I say, I say come on, and let it happen to you
You gotta open up your mind
And let everything come through
Come on yeah!
Well it starts like a Roller coaster ride,
So real it takes your breath away
It slides you through your point of view,
You look back to where you thought you'd stayed
Your ride changes outside view,
While it glides you like a neon ray,
And you find you don't have to search for words,
'Cause there's nothing you need to say
Well come on, you gotta let it happen to you,
Come on, and let it happen to you,
You gotta open up your mind
And let everything come through
After your trip life opens up,
You start doing what you want to do
And you find out that the world that you once feared,
Gets what it has from you
No one can ever hurt you
'Cause you know more than you thought you knew
And you're looking at the world
From brand new eyes,
And no one can ever spoil the view
Come on, and let it happen to you,
Hey, hey, hey come on, and let it happen to you,
You gotta open up your mind
And let everything come through
Open up your mind,
And let everything come through
The lyrics to 13th Floor Elevators' "Roller Coaster" are about the transformative experience of expanding one's mind through consciousness-altering practices. The singer of the song has a realization, perhaps due to the influence of a guru or spiritual leader, that opens them up to new ways of thinking and being. They describe how their perception of the world has changed, and how they can now see everything exactly as they want to.
The roller coaster ride is used as a metaphor for this transformative experience of opening up. At first, it's scary and overwhelming, but soon enough, it becomes exhilarating as the rider starts to understand and embrace their new perspective. The song encourages listeners to let go of their preconceptions and allow themselves to be swept up in this journey of personal growth.
It's interesting to note that 13th Floor Elevators were one of the pioneers of psychedelic rock, with the band's founder Roky Erickson often experimenting with LSD and other drugs. This likely influenced the themes of their songs, which often dealt with expanded consciousness and alternate realities.
Line by Line Meaning
Well once , somewhere, sometime ago
At some point in time, the singer had an experience that influenced his worldview
His eyes were clear to see,
The person who influenced the singer had a clear vision of the world
He put his thoughts into my mind,
The person who influenced the singer imparted their ideas on him
And gave my self to be
The singer surrendered himself to the new way of thinking
He stopped me from living so unsane,
The singer's previous way of life was unhealthy or unfulfilling
I could be just what I want to be
The singer gained a sense of personal freedom or agency
And things appear as they really are,
The singer gained a clearer view of reality
I can see just what I want to see
The singer has a greater sense of control over their own perspective
Oh come on, and let it happen to you,
The singer encourages others to seek out a similar experience
I say, I say come on, and let it happen to you
The singer continues to urge listeners to pursue a personal awakening
You gotta open up your mind
The singer stresses the importance of being receptive to new ideas
And let everything come through
The singer advises listeners to be open and accepting of all experiences
Well it starts like a Roller coaster ride,
The singer uses the metaphor of a carnival ride to describe the experience of personal transformation
So real it takes your breath away
The sensation of change can be intense and disorienting
It slides you through your point of view,
Personal transformation can lead to a new perspective
You look back to where you thought you'd stayed
The singer reflects on their past self and behaviors
Your ride changes outside view,
The world outside the self may also appear different after a transformative experience
While it glides you like a neon ray,
The singer again utilizes carnival imagery to describe the experience
And you find you don't have to search for words,
After a transformative experience, one may be at a loss for words to describe it
'Cause there's nothing you need to say
The experience speaks for itself
After your trip life opens up,
Transformative experiences can have profound impacts on one's life outlook
You start doing what you want to do
The singer gained a sense of personal agency and autonomy
And you find out that the world that you once feared,
One's fears and anxieties may be alleviated after a transformative experience
Gets what it has from you
The self is empowered in relation to the external world
No one can ever hurt you
The singer has gained a sense of emotional resilience
'Cause you know more than you thought you knew
The transformative experience has expanded the singer's knowledge or understanding
And you're looking at the world
The singer's perspective on the world has significantly changed
From brand new eyes,
The singer has gained a wholly unique perspective
And no one can ever spoil the view
The singer has gained a sense of intellectual and emotional autonomy
Open up your mind,
The singer reiterates the need for being open to new experiences and ideas
And let everything come through
The transformative experience may lead to a greater sense of openness and connectedness with the world
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ROGER KYN ERIKSON, JAMES HALL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind