Great Caesar's Ghost is a top-notch shitty punk outfit from the closet known as Philadelphia. They play fast. They play loud.
Can't You Hear Me Knocking
Great Caesar's Ghost Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah, you got plastic boots
Y'all got cocaine eyes
Yeah, you got speed-freak jive
Can't you hear me knockin' on your window
Can't you hear me knockin' on your door
Can't you hear me knockin' down your dirty street, yeah
Help me baby, ain't no stranger
Can you help me baby, ain't no stranger
Help me baby, ain't no stranger
Can't you hear me knockin', ahh, are you safe asleep?
Can't you hear me knockin', yeah, down the gas light street, now
Can't you hear me knockin', yeah, throw me down the keys
Alright now
Hear me ringing big bell tolls
Hear me singing soft and low
I've…
The lyrics to Great Caesar's Ghost's Can't You Hear Me Knocking are a powerful portrayal of addiction and the desperate cries for help that often come with it. The opening lines describe the contrast between two different types of people: those who have expensive, luxurious possessions like satin shoes, and those who are struggling with addiction and have to settle for plastic boots. The next two lines, "Y'all got cocaine eyes / Yeah, you got speed-freak jive" further highlight the characters' addiction, with the drugs having taken over their lives.
The chorus then begins, with the singer pleading for someone to hear them knocking on the door, to help them break free from their addiction. The repetition of the phrase "can't you hear me knockin'" emphasizes the urgency and desperation of the situation. The verses that follow continue this theme, with the singer asking for help and trying to get the attention of the person who can save them. The imagery of "gas light street" and "throw me down the keys" creates a sense of recklessness and desperation.
Overall, "Can't You Hear Me Knocking" is a haunting and emotional song that speaks to the struggles of addiction and the need for others to be there to support and help those who are affected by it.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah, you got satin shoes
Description of the extravagant fashion sense of the person being addressed
Yeah, you got plastic boots
Description of the contrasting low-end fashion choice of the person being addressed
Y'all got cocaine eyes
Reference to the dilated pupils of someone under the influence of cocaine
Yeah, you got speed-freak jive
Description of the frenzied behavior and speech patterns of someone using amphetamines
Can't you hear me knockin' on your window
Challenge to the listener's awareness of the singer's presence
Can't you hear me knockin' on your door
Challenge to the listener's willingness to engage with the singer
Can't you hear me knockin' down your dirty street, yeah
Challenge to the listener's comfort and complacency with their environment
Help me baby, ain't no stranger
Request for assistance from someone who is already familiar with the singer's needs
Can you help me baby, ain't no stranger
Repeating the request for assistance in a slightly different way
Help me baby, ain't no stranger
Repeating the request for assistance in the same way as before
Can't you hear me knockin', ahh, are you safe asleep?
Reinforcement of the challenge to the listener's awareness of the singer's presence, while acknowledging the possibility that they are not conscious
Can't you hear me knockin', yeah, down the gas light street, now
Reinforcement of the challenge to the listener's willingness to engage with the singer, while referencing a specific location
Can't you hear me knockin', yeah, throw me down the keys
Further reinforcement of the challenge to the listener's willingness to engage with the singer, with the added request for keys, which may have a symbolic or literal meaning
Hear me ringing big bell tolls
Declaring the singer's presence in a grand and attention-grabbing way
Hear me singing soft and low
Contrasting the previous line by creating a more intimate and subtle expression of the singer's presence
I've…
Sentence not completed, implying an incomplete thought or idea.
Contributed by Michael J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.