Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
Dar Williams Lyrics

The song “Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere” by Dar Williams is a poignant reflection on the struggle to find a sense of home and belonging. The opening lines express a desire to return to a familiar place, to “go back home” and “take it easy.” The singer longs to connect with someone in this place, a “woman that I’d like to get to know.” This yearning for human connection underscores the feelings of loneliness and isolation that pervade the song.

The chorus repeats the phrase “everybody knows this is nowhere” multiple times, underscoring the sense of ennui and dissatisfaction that the singer feels. The lines “everybody seems to wonder / what it's like down here” suggest that the world at large is curious about the place where the singer has found himself, but he himself is struggling to find meaning and purpose there. By the end of the song, the repetition of the chorus has taken on a desperate quality, as if the singer is trying to convince himself that he can find a way to be content where he is.

Overall, the lyrics suggest a sense of alienation from one’s environment as well as a yearning for connection and a place to call home. The repetition of the chorus creates a powerful sense of desperation and isolation, as if the singer is trapped in a place where he doesn’t belong.