Rubberneck
Anvil Lyrics


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Driving down the road, I see the brakelights ahead
Someone's crashed their car and they might be dead
Might be dead

I can't help myself, but I must look and see
All I can say is "I'm sure glad it's not me"

Rubberneck
Outta my way
Rubberneck

Tangled metal, glass fragments on the road
Jackknifed trailer has lost it's load
Lost it's load

I can't help myself, but I must look and see
All I can say is "I'm sure glad it's not me"

Caught in traffic, I hate the stress
Lining up to see the mess
I don't want to see
Another fatality

Flying truck tires smashing down from the sky
Greed of industry cause people to die
People die

Foot on the gas pedal, then on the brake
I think I've had all I can take




I can't help myself, but I must look and see
All I can say is "I'm sure glad it's not me"

Overall Meaning

Anvil's song Rubberneck is a powerful commentary on our society's fascination with tragedy and the dangers of rubbernecking. The song explores the experience of driving down the road and coming across an accident scene. The singer describes seeing the brake lights ahead and realizing that someone has crashed their car and may have died. Despite the potential danger, the singer cannot resist the urge to look and see what has happened. He expresses both relief that he is not in the accident and guilt for being unable to look away.


The chorus, "Rubberneck, outta my way, rubberneck", emphasizes the dangers of rubbernecking and how it can contribute to further accidents on the road. The lyrics describe the scene in detail, with references to tangled metal and glass fragments on the road, as well as a jackknifed trailer that has lost its load. The singer becomes increasingly frustrated and stressed as he is caught in traffic, lining up to see the mess. He expresses a desire to avoid seeing another fatality and highlights the greed of industry as a cause of such accidents.


The song ends with the singer feeling overwhelmed and unable to handle the ongoing stress and trauma of witnessing accidents on the road. Despite his inner conflict and guilt, the song serves as a powerful reminder to listeners to resist the urge to rubberneck and prioritize safety on the roadways.


Line by Line Meaning

Driving down the road, I see the brakelights ahead
As I'm driving, I notice the red lights ahead indicating a vehicle has stopped on the road.


Someone's crashed their car and they might be dead
A car has been severely damaged possibly resulting in a fatality of the people involved in the accident.


Might be dead
The possibility of someone losing their life in the accident is not unrealistic.


I can't help myself, but I must look and see
Though the scene may be disturbing, common human curiosity compels me to look at the accident.


All I can say is "I'm sure glad it's not me"
My relief from not being involved in that accident is so immense that it's the only thing that comes to mind.


Rubberneck
The term used for people who can't help but look at accidents while driving, causing traffic to slow down even further.


Outta my way
A request to other people driving not to slow down the traffic further by staring at the accident scene.


Tangled metal, glass fragments on the road
Scattered glass and twisted metal is visible on the road as an aftermath of the accident.


Jackknifed trailer has lost its load
A truck pulling a trailer has crashed causing the truck and the trailer to separate and the contents of the trailer to scatter all over.


Lost it's load
The contents of the truck trailer have fallen out onto the road from the force of the accident.


Caught in traffic, I hate the stress
Being stuck in the slow-moving traffic caused by an accident is both frustrating and stressful.


Lining up to see the mess
Automobiles in the vicinity of an accident start lining up to see what happened.


I don't want to see
As much as I'm intrigued to take a look at the accident, I'm also not looking forward to it.


Another fatality
Another accident resulting in a fatality, the sad reality being that such accidents are common on the roads.


Flying truck tires smashing down from the sky
Truck tires sometimes get detached from their vehicles and sometimes fly in the air, and when they come crashing down, they can cause accidents, injuries or even death.


Greed of industry cause people to die
The trucking industry, driven by the urge to maximize profits and minimize costs, directs its drivers to disregard safety norms, causing frequent accidents resulting in harm to the driver and other people on the road.


People die
Despite numerous traffic safety regulations, it is disconcerting that despite swift and decisive action taken by authorities, accidents resulting in the death of people are a frequent occurrence on the roads.


Foot on the gas pedal, then on the brake
Getting stuck in slow-moving traffic due to an accident leads to frustration as you are constantly having to accelerate and brake without making much headway.


I think I've had all I can take
Dealing with the stress of a traffic jam caused due to an accident is mentally exhausting and I'm at the point where I can't handle it anymore.




Contributed by John J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

@_MAEL

So crazy!

@eyejougan7564

13/july/2021 from malaysia lets rock ❤️🤟

@tomamaria7138

Here are the lyrics: w3lyrics.com/lyrics/song/21972/anvil-rubberneck.html