Fire Escape
Isakov Gregory Alan Lyrics
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A cigarette, a fire-escape
Walked this line
With dust in our pockets for the bedford station line to take us
Crazy
The drunkard playing the casio
Everytime we start starin' up
And hear
All the loneliest crickets play their violins
Aw what a shame
A subway ride was never meant to last
In the song Fire Escape, Isakov Gregory Alan portrays a vivid imagery of his time in New York City. In the opening lines, he communicates the city's winter chill and the hardship that comes with it. The reference to ice capades is allegorical, and the comparison draws attention to the cold and bone-chilling temperature in New York City. The lyrics, "A cigarette, a fire-escape", brings to mind the feeling of solace as Isakov and his companion seek escapism from the cold, seemingly leaning on the fire escape.
The song continues with Isakov talk about their journey, "walked this line, with dust in our pockets for the Bedford station line to take us." Isakov essentially speaks about how they embarked on a long and tedious journey just to get on this specific train. The phrase "dust in our pockets" represents the city's hustle and bustle, the long hours of work and stress that they bring along.
Isakov introduces the image of a drunkard playing the casio and the sound of crickets playing their violins. The drunkard playing the casio is a metaphor that represents the artist's dreams and aspirations that others might see as outlandish. On the other hand, the violins of the crickets express the city's loneliness and harsh environment. The line "subway ride was never meant to last" provides an idea of how Isakov lost himself in a temporary dream of escapism.
Line by Line Meaning
New york now was nothing but an ice-capade
The present-day New York seems less lively and joyous, it is more frozen and dull.
A cigarette, a fire-escape
The only choice we have at the moment is to light up a cigarette and climb up the fire escape to escape our worries.
Walked this line
We have been on this path for a while now and have become accustomed to the struggles it brings.
With dust in our pockets for the bedford station line to take us
We have nothing but dust in our pockets and are about to board the Bedford station line that will take us away from this place.
Crazy
The situation we are in is insane and makes us feel unpredictable and unstable.
The drunkard playing the casio
There is a drunk man playing the Casio piano which adds to the chaotic and unstable environment around us.
We're quiet
We keep our silence and try to avoid drawing attention to ourselves.
Every time we start starin' up
Whenever we begin to reflect on our situation and where we are headed.
And hear
We are able to hear the sounds of the environment around us.
All the loneliest crickets play their violins
The sound we hear around us is that of the loneliest crickets playing their violins, reflecting the feelings of despair and loneliness that surround us.
Aw what a shame
It's a pity that we have to leave this place, with its flaws and imperfections.
A subway ride was never meant to last
The subway ride symbolizes the struggle we have been through and despite it feeling never-ending, it was always meant to come to an end.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: GREGORY ALAN ISAKOV
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind