Alpha Centauri
At the Drive-In Lyrics
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A brief case filled with mace
Widows six legged lost and found
Students spray the kent state mist
Wishing wills missing clientele
Widows sex legged lost and found
Parkas worn in summer apparel
Widows veiled in rebound sheets
This is the ghost of a chance the lonely
Widows sex legged lost and found
Pecision watch the scalpel make roads
Hear them talk in paranoid parables
Widows sex legged lost and found
Storefront chairmans fingering buttons
This running of the bulls will trample all
The life support systems
Madrid space station apain
E space flesh vs machine
Matadors chase the bulls
In a china shop
Gored my neck but don't spare me death
I'm running circles red cape paper
Taste the vapor
Matadors chase the bulls
In a China shop
The song "Alpha Centauri" by At The Drive-In is packed with cryptic lyrics that might be hard to decipher. The song opens with "Widows an antique replacement, a briefcase filled with mace, widows six-legged lost and found, students spray the Kent State mist." These lyrics paint an image of something old and outdated being replaced with a dangerous weapon, symbolizing the cyclical nature of violence. The song then switches between different scenes, such as people missing and being sought for in the wilderness, people wearing inappropriate clothing in varying seasons, and mysterious medical procedures.
The lyrics then go on to say, "Widows veiled in rebound sheets, this is the ghost of a chance for the lonely, widows six-legged lost and found, precision watch the scalpel make roads." These lyrics are perhaps the most confusing of the song, but they might refer to widows (women who lost their husbands) looking for a way to cope and move on from their losses. Precision in watching the scalpel make roads might be a metaphor for building a new life, slowly but surely.
The song closes with "Matadors chase the bulls in a China shop, gored my neck but don't spare me death, I'm running circles red cape paper, taste the vapor. Matadors chase the bulls in a China shop." These lyrics are a metaphor for the chaos and violence that resides beneath the surface of mundane, everyday life. The red cape might be a reference to bullfighting, which is both a sport and a ritualistic sacrifice of the bull.
Line by Line Meaning
Widows an antique replacement
The use of widow as an archaic replacement for another word or concept
A brief case filled with mace
An unexpected and dangerous weapon concealed in a common item
Widows six legged lost and found
The search for something rare and unusual with no clear owner
Students spray the kent state mist
The use of non-violent means to resist oppressive forces
Wishing wills missing clientele
The futile hope for something that no longer exists
Widows sex legged lost and found
The strange and unexplainable objects that are discovered
Parkas worn in summer apparel
The absurdity of adhering to social norms and expectations
Sweat lodge comatose of broken arrows
The emptiness and sense of loss that comes after a failed venture
Widows veiled in rebound sheets
The facade of moving on and starting anew after a traumatic event
This is the ghost of a chance the lonely
The slim probability of finding companionship after feeling isolated or disconnected
Pecision watch the scalpel make roads
The meticulous and calculated effort required to make meaningful progress
Hear them talk in paranoid parables
The fear and uncertainty that lead to a distorted view of reality
Storefront chairmans fingering buttons
The manipulation of power and influence through seemingly innocuous actions
This running of the bulls will trample all
The destructive and reckless pursuit of a goal, regardless of the consequences
The life support systems
The means by which one sustains oneself and perseveres through difficult times
Madrid space station apain
The sense of isolation and detachment that can occur when separated from familiar surroundings
E space flesh vs machine
The conflict between organic and technological beings
Matadors chase the bulls
The pursuit of dangerous and challenging experiences
In a china shop
A setting where delicate and easily breakable objects are vulnerable to destruction
Gored my neck but don't spare me death
The desire to fully experience life, even if it means taking risks and facing danger
I'm running circles red cape paper
The illusion of control over situations that are ultimately unpredictable and chaotic
Taste the vapor
The fleeting nature of experiences and the inevitability of their disappearance
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: CEDRIC BIXLER, JIM WARD, OMAR RODRIGUEZ, PABLO HINOJOS, TONY HAJJAR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
slick Ric
even though these guys were in their mid-20s (if i remember right) when they recorded this, this is by far the best teenager music ever made. Cedric's conspiracy paranoia lyrics from El Gran Orgo forward, full of suburbia, politics and history class vocabulary through the lens of someone on LSD, were ridiculously inspired. while i don't condone recreational drugs at this point, i still have a great admiration for Cedric's creativity with words, which, far from the word-salad he's often accused of, were full of rich images so that each song of theirs really was like a small film, which i realized later made so much sense out of the band's name.
i consider this teenager music because it, this song in particular, recalls a time when everything meant something, and you actually felt agitated about some injustice somewhere (whether or not you actually did anything about it), because there was actually time to read about that kind of stuff and form feelings about it, before adult life came in like a running of the bulls to drag you along until God says so.
this is such an amazing intro, the energy from start to finish is a real lightning in a bottle moment. even the ending of the song - especially the ending - really does something to me. it sounds desperate, like trying to get it all out before time expires. it sounds like the fact that the aforementioned energy of youth really does last about as long as this song, burning bright and beautiful for a season, only to leave a smoldering heap of embers and ashes, never to truly reignite again. it sounds like a new phase beginning but some innocence dying in its place. i don't know. i used to miss high school really bad, and this band was the soundtrack for that feeling. now i hear them and it makes me want to light that fire all over again, but to use it for something way better and more level-headed this time. maybe even At the Drive In can help me to serve God the best i can. maybe they helped push me here all along. who knows
J P
I relate
Ludwing Carreño Celis
Wow
Terminal Ward Band
whatever you do, keep writing in your arsenal. You have a way with words, one we can't all be so lucky to find within ourselves. Cheers.
flower soul
nice words ! <3
Raymundo Jarillo Sánchez
I can't whit all the intensity this song transmits!
Mark Reeves
Today is a 20-year anniversary of my girlfriend from 12-18 who died while I was talking to her on the phone the night before April Fool's Day this album was one I was playing on one of our last nights out together
Om Egaliter
I don't understand the lyrics, but the music is so fucking awesome
Rodrigo Ibarra
Cedric is into the surrealistic thing, so there's no way you could understand his lyrics.
milesbeyond67
this whole album shaped me.