Downtown Too Long
Flash and the Pan Lyrics
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Another Friday night on Broadway
The canyons shimmer in the smoke
The dudes are looking in a bad way
There's money mountains on the sidewalk
It's pouring out of limousines
And it's the lure of sitting pretty
On a life of golden dreams
There's a world for the humble and happy
And a world for the hard and the strong
I can take it, I can make it
There's a whole world out there
And I want my share
I've been downtown too long
Another night of playing bars
Familiar faces at the tables
The same old second hand cigars
The girls wear imitation sables
And out there there's the real thing
Cruising down the avenue
While I'm stuck here with my guitar
And I sing the blues to you
And it's hard to be humble and happy
And you know that you've got to be strong
I can take it, yeah I can make it
There's a whole world out there
And I want my share
I've been downtown too long
I've been hanging around waiting for the big one
To come sailing through the door
And I won't be waiting around anymore
No more
And out there there's the real thing
Cruising down the avenue
And if it's ever gonna happen
Then it's way long overdue
And it's hard to be humble and happy
When there's a world for the hard and the strong
I can make it, yeah I can take it
There's a whole world out there and I want my share
I've been downtown too long
I've been hanging around waiting for the big one
To come walking through the door
But I won't be waiting around anymore
No more.
The song "Downtown Too Long" by Flash and the Pan is a reflection of the artist's desire to break free from the monotony of their current lifestyle. The lyrics convey a sense of frustration with life, particularly with the lack of opportunities that the current situation holds. The recurrent "Another Friday night and broke" is a cry out that reflects the singer's perception of their current way of life, which seems to be stagnant and unfulfilling.
The lyrics also portray a contrast between two different worlds, that of luxury and that of simplicity. The artist seems to be longing for a life of comfort, depicted by the "money mountains on the sidewalk" and the "limousines" that are an embodiment of glamour and wealth. However, at the same time, the artist recognizes that there is another world, that of the "humble and happy," where simplicity and modesty reign. Flash and the Pan sing about the desire to achieve success, but they recognize the challenges that go along with it. The artist acknowledges the necessity to be strong and endure hardships while still being able to appreciate the simple pleasures in life.
The third verse is the most critical and probably the most soulfully penned. In the first couple of lines, the artist explicitly states that they have been waiting for a fresh opportunity that would change their lifestyle, but it has been in vain. This lack of progress is frustrating and unbearable. However, in the last line, they finally make a resolution to stop waiting around and proactively search for an opportunity to break away from the stale situation.
Overall, "Downtown Too Long" is a song that conveys the artist's frustration and desire to break free from the current situation. They recognize that they have been stuck downtown for too long and want their share of the world. The song's central message is one of resilience and determination, acknowledging that achieving success is not easy, but it is worth the effort.
Line by Line Meaning
Another Friday night and broke
It's another Friday night and I'm broke.
Another Friday night on Broadway
I spend my Friday nights on Broadway.
The canyons shimmer in the smoke
The buildings in the city are hazy from pollution.
The dudes are looking in a bad way
The guys here aren't doing well financially.
There's money mountains on the sidewalk
There's a lot of money being flaunted in public.
It's pouring out of limousines
The money is coming from the limousines passing by.
And it's the lure of sitting pretty
The promise of a luxurious life is attractive.
On a life of golden dreams
A life of wealth and success is highly sought after.
There's a world for the humble and happy
There's a simple life for those who are content.
And a world for the hard and the strong
There's a challenging life for those who persevere.
I can take it, I can make it
I have the strength to succeed.
There's a whole world out there
There's so much to see and explore.
And I want my share
I want to enjoy my own slice of success.
I've been downtown too long
I've been in the city for too long and it's time for a change.
Another night of playing bars
I spend another night performing at bars.
Familiar faces at the tables
I recognize the same people sitting at the tables.
The same old second hand cigars
The cigars are cheap and have been used before.
The girls wear imitation sables
The women are wearing fake fur coats.
And out there there's the real thing
There's real luxury and success out there.
Cruising down the avenue
The people with real success are driving down the street.
While I'm stuck here with my guitar
I'm still playing music while waiting for my break.
And I sing the blues to you
I'm expressing my sadness through my music.
And it's hard to be humble and happy
It's difficult to maintain humility and happiness in this environment.
And you know that you've got to be strong
Strength is necessary to survive and succeed here.
I've been hanging around waiting for the big one
I've been waiting for my big break to come.
To come sailing through the door
I'm waiting for a major opportunity to present itself.
But I won't be waiting around anymore
I won't wait forever for my chance to come.
No more
I'm done waiting passively.
And if it's ever gonna happen
If success will ever come to me.
Then it's way long overdue
I've waited for too long already.
There's a whole world out there and I want my share
I want to experience success and happiness like everyone else.
But I won't be waiting around anymore
I won't wait for success to come to me passively.
No more.
I'm done with waiting and will take action to achieve my dreams.
Contributed by Carter M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@jorgarendt59
Eins der besten Lieder vom einer unbekannten Band, zumindest in Europa
@craigreed2685
One of my favorites. Never got much respect in the US
@yafittsouri8054
I loved this album since it came out, what a unique band, awesome attitude and stuff, nothing like if
@MORITZvSTAHL
The Masters of the universe in action!!!
@jadzia7911
Yes it is one of my favs too along with Atlantis Calling, Where Were you and lots of others by F&tP, thanks for uploading
@ludo281160
Great upload, this song together with *Look at that woman (go)* are very great songs...In fact I am really liking the whole album...How many times I have listened to (first) the LP in 1985 and later on the CD in 1987....Fantastic stuff!
@believeinyourself4457
It's 1984 and I'm practicing rev to fwds in the school parking lot in the rain....with a few onlookers from the apartment building next door....in a 1974 Plymouth Satellite 2 door with a 5.2L 2bbl V8 with G60 15's on the back rubbing on the inside of the fender wells...holding on to the tiny Grant steering wheel because bench seat....memories.....
@Wolfwolveswolf
FLASH AND THE PAN
@progmeup
Stuck here with my guitar, and I'll sing the blues for you...indeed!
@progmeup
Has it really been eight years?