Shaft
Incubus Lyrics
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I am I.
Who are you?
You are me!
Why can't I get it straight?
No!
Why can't I see it straight?
Shaft!
We can't let you,
we can't let you go.
Shaft! Shaft! Shaft! Shaft!
I'll get a new one, then!
I take a look, a look around, gas limited.
I take a look around,
I tell myself I live again!
I take a look, a look around, gas limited.
I take a look around, I tell myself I live again!
Why can't I get it straight?
No!
Why can't I see it straight?
Shaft!
We can't let you,
we can't let you go.
Up until this day,
I take a look, a look around, gas limited.
Up untile this day,
I look around, I tell myself I live again!
Shaft
where's Lorena when we need her?
The lyrics to Incubus's song "Shaft" appear to explore themes related to identity and the challenges involved in gaining clarity around one's own sense of self. The opening lines of the song, "Who am I? / I am I. / Who are you? / You are me!" suggest a blurring of the boundaries between self and other, with the singer seeming to experience confusion or uncertainty around their own identity. This is further underscored by the repetition of the question "Why can't I get it straight? / Why can't I see it straight?" which seems to suggest a desire for clarity and understanding.
The repeated refrain of "Shaft" throughout the song adds a sense of urgency and energy, and could be interpreted as both a cry of frustration and a rallying call to action. The lines "We can't let you, / we can't let you go" could be understood as either a refusal to let go of confusion and doubt, or a defiant refusal to be held back by them. The repetition of the phrase "I take a look, a look around, gas limited" suggests a sense of feeling trapped or constrained in some way, but the subsequent line "I tell myself I live again!" suggests a determination to overcome these limitations.
Overall, the lyrics to "Shaft" suggest a struggle to define and assert one's own identity in the face of confusion and uncertainty. The repeated refrain of "Shaft" and the urgent tone of the song suggest a sense of determination and a refusal to be held back by doubt or limitation.
Line by Line Meaning
Who am I?
I am questioning my identity.
I am I.
I am acknowledging that I am myself.
Who are you?
I am questioning the identity of the person I am speaking to.
You are me!
I am suggesting that the person I am speaking to and I are very similar or even the same.
Why can't I get it straight?
I am expressing my frustration with my inability to understand or figure something out.
No!
I am rejecting the suggestion that I should be able to get it straight.
Why can't I see it straight?
I am expressing my frustration with my inability to perceive or understand something accurately.
Shaft!
I am using this exclamation as a way of showing my frustration or anger.
We can't let you,
Someone is speaking to me and telling me that they cannot allow me to do something.
we can't let you go.
The person speaking to me is explicitly telling me that I cannot leave.
Shaft! Shaft! Shaft! Shaft!
I am using this repeated exclamation as an expression of frustration or anger.
I'll get a new one, then!
I am suggesting that if I can't do what I want, I will simply find a different option.
I take a look, a look around, gas limited.
I am surveying my environment, which is limited or restricted in some way.
I take a look around, I tell myself I live again!
Despite the restricted nature of my environment, I am finding ways to appreciate and stay alive.
Up until this day,
I am referencing a period in time leading up to the current moment.
I look around, I tell myself I live again!
Despite any struggles or difficulties I've faced, I have found a way to keep going.
Shaft
I am once again using this exclamation as a way of expressing frustration or anger.
Where's Lorena when we need her?
I am using this rhetorical question to suggest that someone or something is missing or needed in the current situation.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ALEX KATUNICH, BRANDON BOYD, BRANDON CHARLES BOYD, GAVIN KOPPEL, JOSE PASILLAS II, JOSE ANTHONY II PASILLAS, MICHAEL EINZIGER, MICHAEL AARON EINZIGER
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