The band is known for their lyrics, which often make strong social and political statements, dealing with themes such as anti-consumerism, vegetarianism, questioning of the status quo, and the general encouragement of people to get along with one another.
It is rumored that the band Citizen Dick from the movie Singles is an homage to Citizen Fish and its lead singer.
In 2006 they toured with and recorded a split LP with punk band Leftöver Crack. This was the first Fish activity in recent years, as the members have been concentrating on Subhumans activity as of late (they did do a small East Coast/Midwest U.S. tour consisting of off-the-map bars and basements in the summer of 2005, much to the delight of dedicated fans).
Traffic Lights
Citizen Fish Lyrics
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And a car kept going, well, nothing was said
It was quietly understood
That if he could do it, anyone could
I can do that, I can do that, I can do that, yeah!
But the queue remained and we felt the strain
Of being the majority obeying the authority
Of traffic lights turned red - traffic lights turned red
When the traffic lights turn green
And the car in front couldn't start, it seemed
Like he was holding us up to show
We were happy to stop until told to go
Oh no! No! No!
And the queue remained and we felt the strain
Of being the majority needing the authority
Of traffic lights turned green - traffic lights turned green
When the traffic lights broke down
There was a whole lot of cars reaching out of town
We were all too scared to move
Until a man in a uniform told us what to do
And as we drove on by
We wondered why
We hadn't gone the other way
Or gone ahead and said "Hooray!
Gone ahead and said "Hooray!
Gone ahead and said "Hooray!
Gone ahead and said "Hooray!
Gone ahead and said "Hooray!
The traffic lights are broken down!
The traffic lights are broken down!
The traffic lights are broken down!"
"The traffic lights are broken down!"
Beep! Beep!
The lyrics to Citizen Fish's song "Traffic Lights" criticize blind obedience to authority and question the effectiveness of traffic lights in regulating traffic. The first verse describes a car running a red light with no consequences, suggesting that breaking the law is easy and could be done by anyone. The chorus highlights the tension between following traffic laws and feeling the urge to break free from them, with the queue of cars obeying the traffic light while feeling the strain of conforming to authority. The second verse flips the script by focusing on a car that can’t start at a green light, causing frustration and impatience to the driver behind. The last verse describes the chaos that ensues when the traffic lights malfunction, with cars stopping and waiting for instructions from a man in uniform, demonstrating that people have become dependent on the authority of traffic lights.
The song is an anthem of rebellion against conformity, a theme that was popular in the punk music scene in the 1990s, when Citizen Fish released the song. In this context, the lyrics can be interpreted as a critique of societal norms and the status quo. The song also highlights the limitations of the law and the authorities charged with enforcing it. Furthermore, the song critiques the tendency for people to give up their power and agency to external authorities, rather than questioning them and making their own decisions.
Line by Line Meaning
When the traffic lights turned red
At the moment when the traffic signal turned red
And a car kept going, well, nothing was said
When a car drove past the red light, no one cared or complained about it
It was quietly understood
Everyone knew that they could do the same thing if they wanted to
That if he could do it, anyone could
Seeing the car drive past the red light made everyone realize that they could break the law as well
I can do that, I can do that, I can do that, yeah!
People start to feel empowered and confident that they can break the traffic signal too
But the queue remained and we felt the strain
Despite the temptation to break the traffic signal, most people stayed in the queue and felt the pressure to obey the rules
Of being the majority obeying the authority
People felt obligated to follow the traffic rule as the majority of people were doing the same
Of traffic lights turned red - traffic lights turned red
Continuous repetition of the red traffic signal implies the order to stop or pause
When the traffic lights turn green
When the traffic signal changes to green and the driver behind is unable to start the car
And the car in front couldn't start, it seemed
The car in front of the queue couldn't move, causing a delay in the traffic flow
Like he was holding us up to show
It felt like the driver deliberately stopped the car to trouble those behind him
We were happy to stop until told to go
People are ready to wait for their turn, rather than causing chaos by an unauthorized move
And the queue remained and we felt the strain
The queue was still there, putting pressure on those waiting in line
Of being the majority needing the authority
People reluctantly accepted the need for authority to maintain traffic order, even if was a sort of inconvenience to them
Of traffic lights turned green - traffic lights turned green
Repetition of the green traffic signal implies the order to go or proceed
When the traffic lights broke down
When the traffic lights stop functioning
There was a whole lot of cars reaching out of town
A lot of cars were stuck in the traffic, trying to get out of the town
We were all too scared to move
Everyone was afraid of making an unauthorized move, causing chaos or meeting with an accident
Until a man in a uniform told us what to do
People were looking for authoritative guidance and direction to move forward
And as we drove on by
Once the people received authoritative guidance, they started to move forward
We wondered why
People were surprised that they were able to move forward without any delay or chaos
We hadn't gone the other way
People realized that they had the option to take another route or shortcut to avoid traffic congestion
Or gone ahead and said "Hooray!
People realized that they could have celebrated the breakdown of the traffic signals as a moment of liberation
Gone ahead and said "Hooray!
Reiterating the missed opportunity to celebrate the breakdown of traffic signals
The traffic lights are broken down!
People accept the fact that traffic signals are not working and can move forward with caution
The traffic lights are broken down!
Reiteration of the fact that traffic signals have failed
The traffic lights are broken down!"
Reiteration of the liberation caused by the traffic lights breaking down
"Beep! Beep!
The sound made by the vehicles as they start to move forward
Contributed by Brody C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Vic Bautista
CITIZEN FKN FISH!!!!!!!! TRAFFIC LIGHTS!!!!!!