Concert Going
Barenaked Ladies Lyrics

I look straight in the window, try not to look below
The singer is looking out of a window and avoiding looking down at the street below them, possibly due to fear or vertigo.

Pretend I'm not up here, I try counting sheep
The singer is attempting to distract themselves and calm their nerves by counting sheep in their mind, as if they were trying to fall asleep.

The sheep seem to shower off this office tower
The singer observes that the office tower they are in is so high that even imaginary sheep appear to be falling off.

Its Nine-point-eight straight down I can't stop my knees
The height of the building and the view of the ground below is causing the artist to feel a sense of vertigo or unease in their legs.

I wish I could fly From this building From this wall And if I should try Would you catch me if I fall?
The artist expresses a desire to escape the building and their current situation by flying away, and asks if anyone would try to save them if they were to fall from the building.

My hands clench the squeegee, my secular rosary
The singer is holding onto a window cleaning tool tightly in their hands like a religious symbol, indicating how scared they are.

Hang on to your wallet, hang on to your rings
The singer warns those walking on the street below to hold onto their belongings securely, perhaps implying that they might fall from the building and land on someone.

I can't look below me, or something might throw me
The artist cannot bring themselves to look at the ground below for fear of becoming overwhelmed by their fear of heights.

I curse at the windstorms that October brings
The artist expresses resentment towards the weather conditions of the current season which add to their stress and discomfort while working on the building.

I look in the boardroom; a modern pharaoh's tomb
The artist observes the executives in the boardroom, comparing them to pharaohs who have power and control over their world, but may also be trapped in their own ways of thinking.

I'd gladly swap places, if they care to dive
The singer would willingly trade places with the executives in the boardroom, if they were brave enough to experience what it's like to be outside on the scaffold, high above the ground.

They're lined up at the window, peer down into limbo
The executives in the boardroom are looking out the window, but instead of being fearful of falling, they seem more fascinated with the view and the sense of power it gives them.

They're frightened of jumping, in case they survive
Despite their power and control, the executives in the boardroom are still afraid of taking risks that could lead to a change in their lives, even if that change might be positive.

I wish I could step from this scaffold Onto soft green pastures, shopping malls, or bed With my family and my pastor and my grandfather who's Dead
The singer wishes they could escape their dangerous and stressful situation and be in a more comfortable and familiar environment with loved ones and a sense of security.

I look straight in the mirror, I watch it come clearer I look like a painter, behind all the grease But paintings creating, and I'm just erasing A crystal-clear canvas is my masterpiece
The singer sees their reflection in a window and realizes that they look like a painter with dirty hands, but instead of creating something beautiful, they are just cleaning and erasing the dirt. However, the clear window itself becomes their masterpiece.

When I fall When I fall When I fall When I fall
The repetition of this line at the end of the song emphasizes the artist's fear and uncertainty about what will happen to them if they fall or take a risk, both physically and emotionally.