Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Izzy_Stradlin
Studio albums
117° (1998)
Ride On (1999)
River (2001)
On Down the Road (2002)
Like a Dog (2005)
Miami (2007)
Fire, the Acoustic Album (2007)
Concrete (2008)
Smoke (2009)
Wave of Heat (2010)
Underground
Izzy Stradlin Lyrics
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Creep around, don't make a sound
You see the light and the hope grows
Throw you a line but your rope broke
La la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la la la
Tried a-living like an insane
Incarcerated in your own brain
Tried living in the underground
Creepin' around, don't make a sound
The lyrics of Izzy Stradlin's song ‘Underground’ talk about a person who has tried living in the underground, in secrecy, and away from the public eye. The person is hidden from view, creeping around to avoid detection, but they see a glimmer of hope in the light coming from above. They reach out for help, but their efforts prove futile. The line that is thrown to them ends up breaking before help arrives. The singer then tries living as an insane person, trapped in their own mind, but ultimately returns to being underground, hiding away from society.
The song seems to be about isolation and the struggles that come with it. The person in the lyrics is desperately searching for a way out of their underground lifestyle but cannot find one. It could be a metaphor for the feeling of being trapped and isolated from the world, unable to connect with others or feeling like there is no way to escape one's personal problems. The repeated "la la la" lines emphasise the hopelessness of the situation, and the melancholic melody fits perfectly with the theme of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Tried living in the underground
Attempted to live in a hidden or unrecognized manner
Creep around, don't make a sound
Move secretly and without attracting attention
You see the light and the hope grows
Discover a positive and optimistic perspective
Throw you a line but your rope broke
Receive assistance or support, but it ultimately fails or falls apart
La la la la la la
Interjection used to indicate melody or rhythm, no specific meaning
Tried a-living like an insane
Attempted to live in an irrational or mentally unstable way
Incarcerated in your own brain
Feeling trapped or constrained by one's own thoughts or mental state
Creepin' around, don't make a sound
Continuing to move secretly and without attracting attention
Contributed by Isabelle V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.