LAX
Ethan Hawke Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Pick you up, just tell me when you land
It's raining in L.A., and everyone's gone mad
I'd love to take you to the desert, but you hate makin' plans
I'll pick you up, just tell me when you land

All my songs are soundin' out of tune
The ocean's just a trinket, a gift from me to you
And I want to sing your praises 'cause you've been feelin' blue
But all my songs are soundin' out of tune

Your drag queen's dress, your plastic knife
You're pretty dangerous and so untrue
It's all been said a couple million times
But why'd you make me fall in love with you?

So when I drop off at LAX
I'll kiss you on the forehead and wish you all the best
I learned you never stay put the last time that you left
The last time I dropped you off at LAX

But if you wanna come back in the spring
We could go to the movies, we could do anything
It's all within reason, it's all been in my dreams
If you wanna come back in the spring

You're a toy I like, you're a traffic light
You're the thing I stop or go for when I move
I will never know if it's wrong or right
But why'd you make me fall in love with you?




I'll never know if it's wrong or right
But why'd you make me fall in love with you?

Overall Meaning

The song "Lax" by Ethan Hawke is a reflective and sentimental ballad that explores the feelings of a man who is missing his lover. The song opens with the singer expressing his desire to pick up his partner from LAX, the airport in Los Angeles, upon her arrival. However, he acknowledges that she hates to make plans and is unpredictable, making it difficult to arrange things. The singer's music is feeling out of tune and his songs are no longer connecting with his audience. He wants to sing the praises of his lover, but his creativity and energy are lacking.


The singer describes his lover in different ways, using metaphors like "your drag queen's dress," "your plastic knife," "you're pretty dangerous and so untrue," and "you're a toy I like, you're a traffic light." These metaphors are both negative and positive. They represent the complex and unpredictable nature of the singer's lover, who is both alluring and dangerous to him. He is confused about the way he feels about her, not sure if it is "wrong or right." Despite these contradictions, he confesses that he has fallen in love with her, and can't help but wonder "why'd you make me fall in love with you?"


The chorus is a melancholic reflection on the inevitability of their separation. The singer expresses his sadness at having to drop his lover off at the airport, knowing that she might not return, and that he might not be able to see her again. He hopes that she'll come back in spring, but acknowledges that it's all within reason, and all in his dreams.


Overall, the song "Lax" is a poignant meditation on the nature of love, desire, and loss. It is a beautiful and hauntingly honest portrayal of a complicated relationship that is both exciting and terrifying.


Line by Line Meaning

Pick you up, just tell me when you land
I am always here to support you, just inform me when and where you are going to land and I'll come pick you up.


It's raining in L.A., and everyone's gone mad
The weather is unpleasant, and people seem to be crazier than usual.


I'd love to take you to the desert, but you hate makin' plans
I want to take you to a lovely place, but I know that you are not a fan of organizing everything beforehand.


All my songs are soundin' out of tune
I'm feeling frustrated because my music is not coming out the way I want it to.


The ocean's just a trinket, a gift from me to you
The sea is a small present that I am offering to you, even though it means so much more to me.


And I want to sing your praises 'cause you've been feelin' blue
I would love to lift you up with my music and give you something to feel good about when you're feeling down.


Your drag queen's dress, your plastic knife
I notice that you enjoy playing with gender and power dynamics, which is both intriguing and slightly unnerving.


You're pretty dangerous and so untrue
I find you enigmatic and mysterious, but also slightly dishonest and untrustworthy.


It's all been said a couple million times
I am aware that what I am saying is somewhat clichéd, but I still feel it needs to be articulated.


But why'd you make me fall in love with you?
I cannot help but wonder why I have fallen for you, despite the complicated nature of our relationship.


So when I drop off at LAX
When I take you to the airport and say goodbye,


I'll kiss you on the forehead and wish you all the best
I will give you a gentle kiss on the forehead and hope that everything goes well.


I learned you never stay put the last time that you left
I realized that you are not one to stay in one place for long the last time you went away.


But if you wanna come back in the spring
However, if you decide to return in the spring,


We could go to the movies, we could do anything
We can have great fun together by doing anything that we want, perhaps even seeing a movie.


It's all within reason, it's all been in my dreams
There are plenty of possibilities for what we can do, and they all seem very achievable and exciting to me in my daydreams.


You're a toy I like, you're a traffic light
You are someone that I find fascinating even though I cannot completely figure you out, like a toy that I can't stop playing with, or a traffic light that I can't help but watch.


You're the thing I stop or go for when I move
You are what makes me pause and take a moment when I'm running around, or what I keep moving towards when I am feeling motivated.


I'll never know if it's wrong or right
I am uncertain whether my attraction to you is healthy or reasonable, as you bring both joy and confusion to my life.


But why'd you make me fall in love with you?
I am still wondering at the root of why I have fallen in love with you despite it all.




Writer(s): 伊森‧霍克

Contributed by Jack L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

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

More Versions