Police Car
Eliza Doolittle Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Banging on my tambourine,
I didn't think I'd make a scene
Until everyone joined in the chase,
I never meant to make you cry,
My head was floating in the sky,
And nothing looked to be out of place

I've got my head like a cello,
Melancholy bows,
If it goes, keep it mellow, baby,
Should I pay attention to the alarm,
The sirens going off in a police car

I forget, I forget to be cool, cool, cool
I try my best to not get arrested by you, you, you

I thought that I could plinky-plonk
Along the piano wall I wanted,
Didn't think you'd hear a wrong note,
I'm like a pencil load and blunt,
And writing in a bolder font,
And I'm steady losing your boat

And I forget, I forget to be cool, cool, cool
I try my best to not get arrested by you, you, you

I've got my head like a cello,
Melancholy bows,
If it goes, keep it mellow, baby,
Should I pay attention to the alarm,
The sirens going off in a police car

And I forget, I forget to be cool, cool, cool
I try my best to not get arrested by you, you, you





I forget, I forget to be cool, cool, cool
I try my best to not get arrested by you, you, you

Overall Meaning

The opening lyric "Banging on my tambourine, I didn't think I'd make a scene" suggests the singer is carefree and enjoying what they are doing, but the following lines reveal that the situation escalates when others join in. The singer is expressing regret for the attention they have received and for making someone cry. The metaphor "my head was floating in the sky" suggests the singer was not in the right state of mind. The line "And nothing looked to be out of place" hints that to the singer, their actions seemed normal.


The chorus brings in the theme of authority and being arrested. The singer admits to forgetting to be "cool," which can mean remaining calm or following the rules. They make an effort to not get arrested, showing a fear of the consequences of their actions. The line "I'm like a pencil load and blunt" implies that the singer feels inadequate or not up to standard. Overall, the song conveys a sense of recklessness and regret, as well as a fear of authority.


Line by Line Meaning

Banging on my tambourine,
I was making music, not causing any trouble.


I didn't think I'd make a scene
I didn't expect anyone to notice or join in.


Until everyone joined in the chase,
But then everyone started following me.


I never meant to make you cry,
I didn't intend to upset you.


My head was floating in the sky,
I was in my own world.


And nothing looked to be out of place
From my perspective, everything was fine.


I've got my head like a cello,
I'm feeling down and melancholy.


Melancholy bows,
Just like a cello bow produces a sad sound, my thoughts are sad.


If it goes, keep it mellow, baby,
If things get out of hand, let's keep the vibes relaxed.


Should I pay attention to the alarm,
I'm not sure if I should be worried.


The sirens going off in a police car
I can hear a police car approaching.


I forget, I forget to be cool, cool, cool
Sometimes I lose control and act impulsively.


I try my best to not get arrested by you, you, you
I don't want to get into trouble with the person I'm addressing.


I thought that I could plinky-plonk
I thought I could play the piano without being noticed.


Along the piano wall I wanted,
I wanted to play along the wall without bothering anybody.


Didn't think you'd hear a wrong note,
I didn't think anyone would notice my mistakes.


I'm like a pencil load and blunt,
I feel dull and uninspired.


And writing in a bolder font,
Trying to make a statement but not doing it with full force.


And I'm steady losing your boat
I'm starting to lose the connection we had.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CRAIGIE DODDS, ELIZA SOPHIE CAIRD

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions