The Last Emperor
David Byrne and Ryuichi Sakamoto Lyrics
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I see the shoreline, I see the whitecaps
A baseball diamond, nice weather down there
I see the school and the houses where the kids are
Places to park by the factories and buildings
Restaurants and bar for later in the evening
Then we come to the farmlands, and the undeveloped areas
I see the parkway that passes through them all
And I have learned how to look at these things and I say
I wouldn't live there if you paid me
I wouldn't live like that, no Siree
I wouldn't do the things the way those people do
I wouldn't live there if you paid me to
I guess it's healthy, I guess the air is clean
I guess those people have fun with their neighbors and friends
Look at that kitchen and all of that food
Look at them eat it, I guess it tastes real good
They grow it in those farmlands
Then they bring it to the stores
They put it in the car trunk
And they bring it back home and I say
I wouldn't live there if you paid me
I wouldn't live like that, no Siree
I wouldn't do the things the way those people do
I wouldn't live there if you paid me to
I'm tired of looking out the windows of the airplane
I am tired of traveling, I want to be somewhere
It's not even worth talking
About those people down there
The lyrics to David Byrne and Ryuichi Sakamoto's song 'The Last Emperor' are a reflection of the singer's observations as he views the landscape from an airplane window. The singer sees the shapes of the land he remembers from maps, the shoreline and white-caps, a baseball diamond, a school, and houses. He sees the variety of human-made structures like factories, buildings, restaurants, and bars, all coexisting with undeveloped areas and farmlands. He observes how these things work together and how food is grown, brought to stores and then to people's homes.
However, the singer's observations are tinged with a sense of superiority, as he states that he would not live like those people, even if paid to do so. He sees their way of life as inferior to his own and views the countryside and farmlands as disconnected from the rest of the world. He is tired of traveling and wants to be somewhere, but it's not even worth talking about the people down there.
Thus, the song looks at the relationship between humans and nature, urbanization and industrialization versus agriculture, and the way people view and judge others. It emphasizes the importance of understanding and respect for different ways of life and the interconnectedness of everything.
Line by Line Meaning
I see the shapes, I remember from maps
The shapes and landmarks I see from above remind me of maps.
I see the shoreline, I see the whitecaps
I see the waves breaking on the shore and the white crests of the water.
A baseball diamond, nice weather down there
I can see a baseball field and the weather seems pleasant.
I see the school and the houses where the kids are
I can see the school and the surrounding residential area, where the children live.
Places to park by the factories and buildings
There are parking lots near the factories and commercial buildings.
Restaurants and bar for later in the evening
There are restaurants and bars to go to later in the evening.
Then we come to the farmlands, and the undeveloped areas
As we fly further, we see fields and natural land that hasn't been developed.
And I have learned, how these things work together
Through observation and experience, I have learned how these different environments and communities interconnect.
I see the parkway that passes through them all
I can see the highway that connects all these places.
And I have learned how to look at these things and I say
I've learned to analyze and evaluate these surroundings.
I wouldn't live there if you paid me
I have no desire to live in that place, even if I was offered money.
I wouldn't live like that, no Siree
I don't like the way those people live, and I wouldn't want to live like that.
I wouldn't do the things the way those people do
I don't agree with or want to participate in the way those people do things.
I wouldn't live there if you paid me to
I really don't want to live there, not even for money.
I guess it's healthy, I guess the air is clean
I assume the environment down there is healthy and has clean air.
I guess those people have fun with their neighbors and friends
I suppose those people enjoy socializing with their neighbors and peers.
Look at that kitchen and all of that food
I can see a kitchen with a lot of food in it.
Look at them eat it, I guess it tastes real good
I can see the people eating and it appears they really enjoy the food.
They grow it in those farmlands
The food they're eating was most likely grown in the nearby fields.
Then they bring it to the stores
The food is most likely transported to nearby stores.
They put it in the car trunk
The food is then most likely loaded into the car trunk for transportation back home.
And they bring it back home and I say
I observe the people bringing the food back home.
I'm tired of looking out the windows of the airplane
I am fatigued with looking out the airplane window.
I am tired of traveling, I want to be somewhere
I'm worn out from traveling and want to stop somewhere.
It's not even worth talking about those people down there
I don't want to talk about the people or the environment down there.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVID BYRNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind