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)

Tiny Voices
Box Car Racer Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I've been all pinched up
Since Saturday I've run myself dry
Of excellence
16 long years in
Hale the bullshit in

Whatever I said
On Saturday

Whatever I did
I'll do it all again
19 marks up walls
Each year one short fall

Tiny voices
Make things harder
Everybody will be let down
Everybody will be let down

What is this for?
Ex parking lot
The dreamers go by
They never stop
20 plus 5 in
Let the youth cave in

Tiny voices
Here's your voices
Uh
Tiny voices
Here's your voices
Uh

Tiny voices
Make things harder
Tiny voices
Make things harder

Everybody will be let down
Everybody will be let down

Everybody will be let down
Everybody will be let down

Overall Meaning

In the Box Car Racer song Tiny Voices, the lyrics tell the story of someone who is feeling overwhelmed and exhausted due to the pressure and expectations placed upon them. The first verse indicates that the singer has been overworking themselves to the point of exhaustion, and despite their hard work, they feel like they haven't quite reached their potential. The following lines suggest that they have been putting up with difficult circumstances for a long time, possibly since childhood.

The chorus highlights the impact that others' voices can have on us, especially when those voices are negative or critical. The "tiny voices" referred to in the chorus could represent the various voices in the singer's life, such as family members, friends, or colleagues, who are all adding to the pressure and causing them to feel like they're constantly falling short. As a result, the singer feels like no matter what they do, they will always let someone down.

The second verse introduces the idea of escapism, as the singer observes dreamers passing by in a parking lot. However, the last line suggests that even young people are not immune to the pressure and expectations that plague the singer. The repetition of the chorus throughout the song reinforces the idea that the singer's struggle is ongoing and universal.

Line by Line Meaning

I've been all pinched up
I've been feeling tense and anxious

Since Saturday I've run myself dry
I've exhausted myself since last Saturday

Of excellence
Trying my best

16 long years in
I've been living for 16 years

Hale the bullshit in
I've been dealing with a lot of fake behavior

Whatever I said
Regardless of what I said

On Saturday
Last Saturday

Whatever I did
Regardless of what I did

I'll do it all again
I will do it all over again

19 marks up walls
19 years worth of scratches on the walls

Each year one short fall
Every year, I have one failure

Tiny voices
Small, subtle messages

Make things harder
Complicate matters

Everybody will be let down
Everyone will be disappointed

What is this for?
What is the reason for this?

Ex parking lot
A place that used to be a parking lot

The dreamers go by
People with big dreams pass by

They never stop
They never give up

20 plus 5 in
25 years old

Let the youth cave in
Young people should not give up

Here's your voices
These are the messages you are hearing

Tiny voices
Small, subtle messages

Make things harder
Complicate matters

Everybody will be let down
Everyone will be disappointed

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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