Tourist
Julian Casablancas Lyrics

I wish that clouds could hold me up like I thought as a child growing up
As a child, I hoped that clouds could hold me up in the sky, but now I know that it's not possible.

I wish I could sound as soothing as the rainfall
I want to have a voice as calm and comforting as the sound of rainfall.

But I am only a drop from the storm.
However, I'm just a small part of the bigger picture.

I feel like a tourist out in the country
I feel like a stranger lost in a place that was once familiar.

Once this whole world was all countryside
The world used to be filled with vast open spaces and natural landscapes.

Feel like a tourist in the big city
I feel like an outsider in the fast-paced, complex urban environment.

Soon I will simply evaporate
Soon, I'll disappear without leaving a trace.

They took the strings up north, the drums down south
Music has evolved and changed as it has traveled from one region to another.

After they crossed Afghanistan a long time ago
This process has been going on for centuries.

You're shuffling your feet into the next dimension
You're moving forward towards something new and unknown.

Soon skyscrapers will be everywhere
Tall buildings will become a ubiquitous feature of the world's urban landscapes.

I feel like a tourist lost in the suburbs
Even in the more mundane and ordinary parts of the world, I feel out of place and disconnected.

Soon the whole world will be urban sprawl
Increasingly, cities are growing and spreading to cover more and more land.

Feel like a land lover out on the ocean
Just as someone who is used to being on solid ground would feel uncomfortable at sea, I feel out of my element.

Feel like a teardrop streaming off your chin
I feel insignificant, like a droplet in a much larger body of water.

Some will bet against you, try even to prevent you
Some people will doubt your abilities and try to hold you back.

But not many can stop you man, if you got a perfect plan
However, if you have a solid plan, few obstacles will be able to stop you.

Can they possibly try, I demand to know why they would doubt you?
I question the motives of those who would try to hinder or discourage you.

In this hand, a thousand generations
We are all carrying with us the collective knowledge, experience, and legacy of those who came before us.

Feel like a tourist out in the desert
When I'm in the desert, I feel exposed and vulnerable.

So hot it feels like the Devil's breath
The desert can be such an uncomfortable and inhospitable environment that it seems otherworldly and menacing.

Feel like a tourist out in the swampland
Similarly, swamps and marshes can feel ominous and unwelcoming.

This world is just patches of water and land
The world is full of contrasting and diverse environments, but at its core, it's simply a mix of water and earth.

Everywhere I go I'm a tourist,
No matter where I am, I feel like an outsider looking in.

But if you stay with me, I'll always be at home
But as long as I'm with someone I care about, I'll feel a sense of belonging and comfort.