Forty-Second Street
Drive She Said Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All the elements of your desire
But the truth will make you out a liar
As you run between your horror and the shame
Transform you from the eagle to the snake
Parade the dancing lights before you
Tempt the ground beneath your feet
Heal the air that's come to taunt you
Finding words too hard to speak
Turn the corner, can't you see
Here we are, it's 42nd Street
Here we are, it's 42nd Street
This is not the way it has to be
But here we are, here we are, yeah
Form the sands into your rosary
Count the tears before they dry
His arrival is not hard to see
A carnival of appetites
Let the circus that's surrounding you
Forge your crystal into light
Has he come just to hang out with you
Or is this fantasy your life
Will he steal your flesh and blood
Call it sex or call it love
Honesty was not enough
Here you are at 42nd Street
Here we are, it's 42nd Street
This is not how it's supposed to be
Here we are, here we are
Accused of slapping you
But the heat, it ain't so rough, no
We consented to do Donahue
But the crime had shed no blood, no blood
'Not dysfunctional enough'
Said the eagle to the dove
Children disappearing from the scene
TV cameras and the magazines
Pander to our darkest curiosities
As criminals collect their royalties
Never try to lift us up, hey, hey, yeah
Wanna sell us one more beer or truck
To drive ourselves right out of luck
And here we are, it's 42nd Street
Here we are, it's 42nd Street
Hide from our vulnerability
Here we are, here we are
Through the mist I see the mystery
Hear the crowd inside my mind
Voices rise into a symphony
As they clamor for my sympathy
I tried to introduce them all to me
Some are just content to hide
Others rally by my side
All the voices come alive
They're singin'
Here we are on 42nd Street
Here we are, it's 42nd Street
Take us far away from Germany
Here we are, here we are
Feel the winds of mediocrity
Does the water make you weep
Cast your fate into the firelight
Heal the earth beneath your feet
All the elements of your design
They are changing before your eyes
And the truth is making you a liar
Send the smoke into the sky
One more time before we die
Turn the corner, got to try
Yeah, got to try
'Cause, here we are on 42nd Street
Here we are, it's forty deuce
Doesn't matter how it used to be
'Cause, here we are, here we are
Here we are on 42nd Street
Here we are, it's 42nd Street
This is not the way it has to be
But here we are, here we are
The lyrics of Drive She Said's song "Forty-Second Street" draw attention to the grim realities of life, the struggles of making choices, and the consequences that follow. The song opens with a reference to the elements, earth, water, wind, and fire, symbolizing the forces of nature that shape our lives. The lyrics contain powerful and thought-provoking imagery of transformation from an eagle to a snake and a circus-like environment surrounding the singer. The song suggests an impending sense of doom as the lyrics talk about the circus of appetites, crabbed horizons, and the disappearance of children from the scene. The song seems to hint at a dark underbelly of society where the innocent are at the mercy of the powerful.
The lyrics suggest that the singer is struggling to understand what is happening around them. The singer is trying to make sense of life at "42nd Street," which symbolizes a decadent and seedy place in New York City. The lyrics are cryptic, and their meaning depends on interpretation. "Forty-Second Street" seems to talk about the loss of innocence, the pains of growing up, and the harsh realities of life. The song's powerful metaphors and lyrics paint a vivid picture of struggle, pain, and disappointment. The song suggests that we can't escape our destinies; we can only hope to make peace with them.
Line by Line Meaning
Earth, water, wind and fire
The basic elements of nature that fulfill our desires
All the elements of your desire
Whatever you desire or long for can be fulfilled by nature's elements, but it may not always be truthful
But the truth will make you out a liar
Even though you might desire something, the truth behind it could contradict it and make you appear deceitful
As you run between your horror and the shame
Your fears and your guilt make you struggle and run between them
Transform you from the eagle to the snake
Your desire can turn you from a strong and powerful individual like an eagle into a deceptive and cunning person like a snake
Parade the dancing lights before you
The things you desire are attractive and flashy, and they parade in front of you
Tempt the ground beneath your feet
Your desires tempt you to tread on dangerous ground
Heal the air that's come to taunt you
Your desires heal the feelings of discomfort or unease that the surroundings may cause you
Paradise that made you weak
The things you desire that you thought would lead to paradise have only made you vulnerable and weak
Finding words too hard to speak
Describing these vulnerabilities is difficult and hard to articulate
Turn the corner, can't you see
Turn around and realize what's happening around you
Here we are, it's 42nd Street
Reflecting on the state of society, which is represented by 42nd Street
This is not the way it has to be
Despite the current state, things can be changed for the better
Form the sands into your rosary
Make peace with what has happened and acknowledge the realities of life
Count the tears before they dry
Reflect on the emotions you've experienced before you move on
His arrival is not hard to see
The arrival of someone who would exploit your desires is predictable
A carnival of appetites
The arrival of individuals will give rise to different wants,
Let the circus that's surrounding you
The people around you are a spectacle of their own
Forge your crystal into light
Change the way you see things and transform them into something positive
Has he come just to hang out with you
People might act nice to you, but it doesn't necessarily mean they have good intentions
Or is this fantasy your life
Desiring things wouldn’t necessarily mean that they will happen or if they do, they might not be as idealistic as we expect them to be
Will he steal your flesh and blood
People may take advantage of you in various ways
Call it sex or call it love
Whether it's called love or sex, it's still taking advantage of others either emotionally or physically
Honesty was not enough
Simply being honest was not sufficient to protect oneself
Accused of slapping you
People spread rumors easily which might not be true
But the heat, it ain't so rough, no
Things may feel intense for some time, but it'll eventually cool down and become more comfortable.
We consented to do Donahue
People would agree to do something on camera even if they don’t necessarily believe it.
But the crime had shed no blood, no blood
While the act may not have involved blood, it still allowed people to exploit others.
'Not dysfunctional enough'
A phrase said to discredit people who have suffered and minimize their problems
Said the eagle to the dove
What seems beautiful and nice on the outside may have darker underlying issues
Children disappearing from the scene
Innocents getting lost in the noise and chaos of society
TV cameras and the magazines
Media sensationalizing events in a way that distracts from the truth
Pander to our darkest curiosities
The public's interest in scandal and drama is emphasized and amplified by the media because it is engaging and sells tickets.
As criminals collect their royalties
Dangerous individuals profit from the sensationalism and media exploitation that surrounds them.
Never try to lift us up, hey, hey, yeah
Instead of pulling people up, what's appealing is to bring them down
Wanna sell us one more beer or truck
People exploit others' desires for their own gain, whether it's selling a product or representing a message
To drive ourselves right out of luck
The actions we take could potentially lead to our failure
Hide from our vulnerability
Avoid confronting what makes us exposed and weak
Through the mist I see the mystery
Despite the confusion, there is still an aspect of intrigue that surrounds the situation
Hear the crowd inside my mind
Feeling the pressure of external forces affecting people's thoughts and decisions
Voices rise into a symphony
The different opinions and thoughts of people come together to form something melodic like a symphony
As they clamor for my sympathy
The different voices are asking for compassion and understanding.
I tried to introduce them all to me
Despite efforts at unifying, there still remains a sense of alienation
Some are just content to hide
People have their own ways of coping, which could either be facing their issues or just ignoring them.
Others rally by my side
Some individuals might band together to fight against the struggles they face
All the voices come alive
The voices that were initially disconnected are now united
They're singin'
Wrapped up in their own chorus, the voices take the form of a song
Here we are, it's 42nd Street
A reminder of the state of society
Take us far away from Germany
A reference to the Holocaust and taking people away from the horrors of it
Feel the winds of mediocrity
The feeling of everything being too average, too normal, too mediocre
Does the water make you weep
The pain that is associated with life and experiences
Cast your fate into the firelight
Taking a risk with your life and not keeping anything hidden
Heal the earth beneath your feet
Improve yourself and the world around you simultaneously.
All the elements of your design
Everything that you have built for yourself.
They are changing before your eyes
Everything you worked hard to build could be changing right before you
And the truth is making you a liar
The reality of the situation contradicts what you believed to be true and is forcing you to deceive others
Send the smoke into the sky
An acknowledgement of the end, send smoke to the sky.
One more time before we die
One last attempt before it's too late
Turn the corner, got to try
One last step before giving up
Here we are on 42nd Street
A conclusion and reminder of society's current state.
This is not how it's supposed to be
Despite what currently is, the world can still change for the better
Contributed by Eva R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.