“City with No Children” is used as a metaphor for a city with its life sucked out of it. Butler muses on images of childhood, and details their destruction, through war, a failing engine, or simply forgetting who we once were. Therein lies the tragedy of the transition from childhood to adulthood explored on the album – a complete transformation of character where the child within us dies, and we learn to accept the harsh realities of life.
City With No Children
Arcade Fire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I waited for your letter
I have no feeling for you now
Now that I know you better
I wish that I could have loved you then
Before our age was through
And before a world war does with us
Dreamt I drove home to Houston
On a highway that was underground
There was no light that we could see
As we listened to the sound of the engine failing
I feel like I've been living in
A city with no children in it
A garden left for ruin by a millionaire inside
Of a private prison
You never trust a millionaire
Quoting the sermon on the mount
I used to think I was not like them
But I'm beginning to have my doubts
My doubts about it
When you're hiding underground
The rain can't get you wet
Do you think your righteousness
Can pay the interest on your debt?
I have my doubts about it
I feel like I've been living in
A city with no children in it
A garden left for ruin by a millionaire inside
Of a private prison
I feel like I've been living in
A city with no children in it
A garden left for ruin by and by
As I hide inside
Of my private prison
The song "City With No Children" is a melancholic reflection on lost opportunities and the disillusionment of adulthood. The opening lines detail a past injury and a letter from a former love interest, setting the scene for a song about looking back and longing for what might have been. The singer expresses regret at not having loved this person earlier, before they had both grown older and been hardened by the world around them. The reference to a world war highlights the sense of impending doom and the inevitability of larger forces beyond our control.
The catchy chorus, with its striking imagery of a city with no children and a ruined garden, speaks to a larger theme of neglect and decay. The repeated line indicates that the singer feels a fundamental lack of joy or vitality in their surroundings, as if they are surrounded by lifeless concrete and artificial constructs. The metaphor of a private prison emphasizes the isolation and loneliness that can come with wealth and privilege, as well as the sense of being trapped by one's own choices.
The final lines of the song are particularly poignant, as the singer wonders whether their sense of righteousness will be enough to protect them from the storms of life. The contrast between hiding underground to avoid rain and the larger debt owed to society highlights the sense of personal responsibility and the struggle to find one's place in a complex and sometimes unfair world. Ultimately, the song offers a bittersweet meditation on the power of regret and the elusive nature of happiness.
Line by Line Meaning
The summer that I broke my arm
Refers to a specific event in the past and sets the tone for the rest of the song.
I waited for your letter
Expresses a sense of longing and anticipation for someone else.
I have no feeling for you now
Indicates a change in emotions and the fact that the singer no longer feels an emotional connection to the person they waited for.
Now that I know you better
Suggests that the person they waited for is not actually as great as they once thought they were.
I wish that I could have loved you then
Reflects on missed opportunities and romanticizes the past.
Before our age was through
Implies that the singer and the person they waited for were young when they were last in contact.
And before a world war does with us
Reflects on the possibility of major worldwide events and how they can change the course of our lives.
Whatever it will do
Concludes the thought and emphasizes the sense of uncertainty about the future.
Dreamt I drove home to Houston
Introduces a dream sequence that is used to contrast the present with an idealized past.
On a highway that was underground
Describes a surreal location that is both familiar and unfamiliar.
There was no light that we could see
Emphasizes the sense of darkness and uncertainty that the singer is experiencing in the present.
As we listened to the sound of the engine failing
Suggests that the artist is not in control of their situation and that things are starting to fall apart.
I feel like I've been living in
Presents a recurring feeling that the singer has been experiencing for some time.
A city with no children in it
Reflects on the lack of youthfulness and life in the singer's current location.
A garden left for ruin by a millionaire inside
Uses metaphor to describe the singer's surroundings as an abandoned, forgotten place that was once great.
Of a private prison
Suggests that the artist feels trapped in their current situation, unable to escape.
You never trust a millionaire
Questions the motives and trustworthiness of wealthy individuals.
Quoting the sermon on the mount
Suggests that the morality and integrity of the wealthy are often at odds with their actions.
I used to think I was not like them
Reflects on a past belief or attitude that the singer has since abandoned.
But I'm beginning to have my doubts
Indicates a shift in the artist's beliefs and worldview.
When you're hiding underground
Continues the dream sequence and introduces a new location that is also underground.
The rain can't get you wet
Uses paradox to suggest that there are advantages and disadvantages to different situations.
Do you think your righteousness
Asks a rhetorical question that challenges one's sense of morality and integrity.
Can pay the interest on your debt?
Suggests that even if one believes they are doing the right thing, they still have to face the consequences of their actions.
I have my doubts about it
Reinforces the singer's growing sense of uncertainty and doubt.
A garden left for ruin by and by
Uses poetic language to suggest that the singer's surroundings were once beautiful, but are now decaying.
As I hide inside
Suggests that the singer is actively trying to avoid their current reality and escape into their own thoughts or imagination.
Of my private prison
Concludes the song by emphasizing the sense of entrapment and powerlessness that the artist feels in their current situation.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Jeremy Gara, Regine Chassagne, Richard R Parry, Tim Kingsbury, William Butler, Win Butler
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Tedd Pfeifer
Ah, this album. So many memories... listening to any track on The Suburbs is like looking through a photo album of your entire adult and teenage life simultaneously
Sanchit Varma
It's a deeply nostalgic album.
Tomás Santos
Great bass line. I have been listening to this album since 2010 and it is my favorite arcade fire album
Anonymous Hypersphere
I don’t know where this Suburbs revival is coming from but I’m here for it.
niccotintiralla
10 year anneversary
Joshua Brunetta
Hasn’t been any other incredible albums in the last ten years so they’re going to rinse it again for the anniversary
Anonymous Hypersphere
@Joshua Brunetta heyyy, Reflektor was pretty great
Old Gregg
@niccotintiralla Oh my god its been 10 years?
niccotintiralla
@Old Gregg yuuuup.. The Suburbs released 2010
Leon_2
The older I get, the more I feel the lyrics