BoxCar Racer was a short-lived side project formed in 2002 by two members o… Read Full Bio ↴BoxCar Racer was a short-lived side project formed in 2002 by two members of the band blink-182, featuring guitarist Tom DeLonge and drummer Travis Barker. As lead member Tom DeLonge stated, "it was never a 'band' but rather a project" to experiment with and record ideas DeLonge felt did not fit with blink-182’s sound. Tom enlisted Travis Barker stating that the reason why he asked Barker to drum on the album is because he didn't want to pay for a studio drummer. Mark Hoppus made his feelings about this project known. Tom DeLonge said that he did not mean for Hoppus to feel that way and therefore stated that Box Car Racer would never reform.

Taking Barker from blink-182 and David Kennedy they recorded their self-titled album, "Box Car Racer", in 2002. On the album Tom did all the bass work, but Anthony Celestino was their touring bass player. Guests on the album included Mark Hoppus from blink-182, Tim Armstrong from Rancid and also Jordan Pundik from New Found Glory.

Tom and Travis claim the band was heavily influenced by Dischord Emo, citing influences such as Rites of Spring, Fugazi and later era post hardcore bands such as Quicksand.

Box Car Racer took a hiatus after their headlining tour in 2003. Tom has stated publicly that Box Car Racer is now defunct and will never reunite. Their website was taken off the Internet in late March 2005 and has since been put back online. Many people speculated that Tom's new project was going to be a new Box Car Racer album when he initially announced that he was working on a new album but those rumors were dismissed after the announcement of +44 and Angels & Airwaves. But now blink-182 is back - and touring!

Origin of Name
The band's name comes from the B-29 Bomber which dropped the second atomic bomb (to be used in warfare) on the Japanese city of Nagasaki. The plane's name was "Bockscar". Tom has said in an interview that he has seen the name misspelled as "Boxcar".

Members
Tom DeLonge - Vocals, Guitar (blink-182, Angels & Airwaves)
Travis Barker - Drums (blink-182, +44, The Transplants, The Aquabats)
David Kennedy - Guitar (Over My Dead Body, Hazen Street, Angels & Airwaves)
Anthony Celestino - Bass (Over My Dead Body)

Elevator
Box Car Racer Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

The building turned it's back
Ignored my call
The concrete looks too thin to break my fall
The sunset stretched across this night time scene
I counted people as I neared the street below, whoa, below, whoa

I saw it all, I saw it all go down
The shadow grew as he approached the ground

The sunset stretched across this night time scene
I turned away as he came near the street, below, whoa, below, whoa, below

Let's forget this all, move on
Let's forget this all, move on
Let's forget this all, move on
Let's forget this all, move on
Let's forget this all, move on

Let's forget this all, move on
Let's forget this all, move on

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Box Car Racer's song Elevator portray a sense of despair and hopelessness. The singer is standing on top of a building, calling out for help, but feels ignored by society - almost as if the building itself has turned its back on them. The concrete around them looks too thin to break their fall, and they contemplate jumping. As they watch the sunset, they count the people below, feeling isolated and disconnected from the world.

The second verse describes a shadow growing as someone else approaches the edge of the building. The singer turns away as this person falls to their death. The repetition of "below, whoa" emphasizes the impact and finality of the fall. The chorus, "Let's forget this all, move on" can be interpreted as a call to forget the pain and suffering that led the singer and the fallen person to this moment and to move on from it.

Overall, the lyrics reflect the loneliness, apathy, and desperation felt by individuals who are struggling with mental health issues or other difficult situations. They highlight the importance of seeking help and support from others rather than feeling isolated and alone.

Line by Line Meaning

The building turned it's back
The building seems indifferent and unresponsive

Ignored my call
It didn't answer or acknowledge my call for help

The concrete looks too thin to break my fall
The building's structure doesn't appear sturdy enough to save someone from falling

The sunset stretched across this night time scene
The sunset's beauty contrasts the dark and dangerous environment of the person's surroundings

I counted people as I neared the street below, whoa, below, whoa
As the person falls, they observe the people and activity on the street below

I saw it all, I saw it all go down
The person witnesses a tragic event

The shadow grew as he approached the ground
The person falling creates a growing shadow on the ground

I turned away as he came near the street, below, whoa, below, whoa, below
The intense scene is overwhelming for the person and they choose to look away

Let's forget this all, move on
The chorus suggests that they should move past the traumatic event and try to forget it

Let's forget this all, move on
Reinforcing the idea of moving past the traumatic event

Let's forget this all, move on
Continuing to emphasize that moving forward is the best course of action

Let's forget this all, move on
Encouraging the idea of leaving the tragic event behind and moving on

Let's forget this all, move on
Repeating the idea that moving forward is what's important

Let's forget this all, move on
Finalizing the chorus with the message to move past the tragedy and move forward with life

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: TOM DE LONGE, TRAVIS BARKER, TRAVIS L BARKER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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