The Tourist
Christopher O'Riley Lyrics

The Tourist is a song by Christopher O'Riley that presents a captivating and thought-provoking narrative. At the beginning of the song, the singer describes how a dog barks at no one else but him, as if it has seen a ghost. However, the reason for the dog's reaction is that it has seen the sparks flowing around him, and no one else would know the reason for such a phenomenon. The second verse makes even less sense, as the singer talks about being overcharged and how that leads to sparks, going at a thousand feet per second. However, the third verse seems to be a plea, as two people implore the singer to slow down, calling him an 'idiot' to emphasize their point.

The song seems to be a commentary on the state of being overwhelmed, of how life can feel like we are going at thousand feet per second, and no one else can see what we are experiencing. Particularly, the second verse could reference the increasing pace of modern life and how it can lead to burnout, which, in turn, can spark hallucinations and paranoia. Therefore, the singer's plea in the third verse seems to be a call to slow down, even if it means calling ourselves idiots. In a world that glorifies productivity and efficiency, sometimes taking a break can be the most productive thing we can do for ourselves.