Friday's Tie-dye Nightmare
Carole King Lyrics

In Friday's tie-dye nightmare
The singer recounts a vividly surreal experience or daydream on Friday while wearing tie-dyed clothes

I was trying to get from here to there
The singer was attempting to get from one place to another

Walking to, passing through people everywhere
The singer was walking among a crowd of people and passing by them

I got on at my station, running through the fire
The artist got on a train or bus at their designated station, and there was some kind of dangerous situation occurring involving fire

Looking for an elevation that would get me a little higher
The artist was searching for a way to elevate themselves or get to a higher point to escape the danger on the ground

News of people dying, someone lying on the stair
The singer heard news of someone else's death or witnessed an individual lying on the stairs and potentially in need of medical attention

Crying for the nation, can we offer up a prayer
The singer voices their concern for the collective situation of the country and suggests that people should seek solace in prayer

There'll be a coronation, a fancy dress affair
A ceremony or formal event will take place with people dressed in their finest attire.

We'll be lined up in formation, but we won't be going anywhere
The attendees of the coronation or event will be lined up and organized, but there will be no real progress or meaningful action taking place

Down the hellhole, trying to make my way
The artist uses a metaphor to describe their journey as descending down into a hellish place

I couldn't get where I wanted, due to an unforeseen delay
The singer experienced an unexpected obstacle or delay on their journey

The man was apologetic as he turned his head to say
The person responsible for the delay offered an apology or explanation to the artist

Sorry, kid, you're not gonna make it home today
The responsible individual informs the singer that they will not be able to return home on that day

Hey mister, why'd you take my ticket away
The singer questions why the responsible individual took their ticket

Even more to the point, how come I let you
The singer asks a rhetorical question about why they allowed the responsible individual to take their ticket

I could blame it all on you or make up my mind to stay
The artist considers placing blame on the responsible individual or making the decision to stay and endure the situation

I wish I knew a way I could forget you
The artist expresses a desire to forget the person responsible for their current predicament

I didn't read the fine print, why'gotta be on the ball
The singer acknowledges their mistake of not reading the fine print and emphasizes the importance of being mindful and attentive

Some days I'm less confident, up against a wall
The singer admits to feeling less confident and facing difficult obstacles some days

I wonder where my mind went, I should have made the call
The artist questions where their mind was and regrets not taking a certain action

I like to think I'm innocent, but then, don't we all
The artist ponders their own innocence and acknowledges the common tendency for individuals to see themselves as blameless

I got to the next location, hoping for the best
The artist arrived at their next destination with optimism and hope

But another situation put me to the test
The singer faced yet another challenge or obstacle

A man in black pants, a white shirt, and a red vest
The artist describes a man's clothing as an identifying descriptor

Had fallen on the track and no one even got depressed
The singer observed an individual in distress on the tracks, but no one else seemed affected emotionally

Or even guessed he wasn't putting on an act
No one could tell if the fallen man was faking it or not

Someone said he'd drunk too much
An individual speculated that the fallen man was intoxicated

'Cause he was lying on his back
The artist describes the position of the fallen man

It was also duly noted that he happened to be black
The artist points out that the ethnicity of the fallen man was noticed and acknowledged

There was a serious lack of anything right at all here
The singer expresses their perception that something was seriously wrong in the situation

What's the difference--I didn't stop
The singer acknowledges that they did not stop to help the fallen man

The very least I could have done was call a cop
The artist suggests that the minimum level of assistance they could have provided was to call for help

But I passed the news vendor, pursuing my agenda
The artist continued on their journey instead of stopping to help

And I like everyone else, I dropped the ball here
The artist admits to their own failure in helping the fallen man and describes how they are not alone in this failure

Still trying to get home, I saw a telephone
The singer continued on their mission to return home and happened upon a telephone

And put some coins I had found
The artist used their found coins to make a phone call

They were supposed to work, they did for the man beside me
The coins were functioning properly for others but not for the singer

But when I dropped them in, they wouldn't go down
The singer experienced technical difficulties while attempting to use the coins

What is going on here
The singer voices their confusion and frustration over the recent events

Will I ever know the truth
The artist expresses doubt in their ability to ever truly understand the situation

How do to deal with the time stealing away your daddy's youth
The artist is concerned with time passing too quickly and taking away important moments in life

Story after story of disaster barely missed
The singer recalls narrowly avoiding catastrophes in the past

You see, common miracles somehow do exist
The singer suggests that while disasters are often narrowly averted, miracles are also frequently commonplace

And anyone can be kissed by lady fortune
The artist asserts that good fortune can happen to anyone

So I gathered up my skirt and tucked my wallet in
The artist prepares for a potential upcoming event or situation by gathering their dress and securing their wallet

Grabbed my bag and the sling I carried my girl child in
The artist retrieves their personal belongings and picks up a baby sling with their child in it

Funny she didn't cry, she wasn't scared at all
The singer observes their child not exhibiting any negative emotion or anxiety despite the chaos around them

She could see a happy outcome in the patterns on the wall
The artist imagines that their child is envisioning positive outcomes or finding hope in patterns on a nearby wall

And why'know
The singer transitions into a new train of thought

The next train was the right one, but not for the vested man
The following train was meant for the singer, but not for another individual described as wearing a red vest

I try, but there's too many things I'll never understand
The singer acknowledges their limitations in understanding everything in life

Why'gotta keep on going knowing someone's got a plan
The artist suggests that life goes on even if individuals do not always understand the bigger picture or plan

For Friday's tie-dye nightmare and Monday's promised land
The artist suggests that there will be both difficult and promising experiences in the future, using Friday and Monday as a metaphor for chaos and normalcy, respectively

And there it is
The singer concludes their story or thought process