Noose Dressed Like a Necklace
Kevin Devine Lyrics

A cadillac drives down my street
The presence of a luxury car reminds the singer of the vast wealth inequality that plagues society.

A bead of sweat pourin slow down a palm line
The singer is anxious and nervous about the state of the world as they watch the luxurious car pass by.

I see a bumper sticker
The singer notices a symbol of an individual's personal beliefs and values.

It's a bearded man with a wanted sign
The bumper sticker represents a person who is seen as rebellious or a criminal by society at large.

A myth we've made to scare out fears away
The artist references the common societal tendency to create myths or symbols to help push aside the overwhelming anxiety we feel in our daily lives.

A slogan that we slap on all our misdirected hate
The myths and symbols we create can often become misused as vehicles for our misplaced anger and frustrations.

A muddy symbol meant to mitigate our pain
The singer sees these symbols as a way to ease our pain, but ultimately they muddy the issue and make it harder to find solutions to our problems.

But it's really just a desert corpse
The symbol is ultimately empty, like a dead body left to rot in a desert wasteland.

We've painted on the wall out in some cave
The symbol is not real, but rather something we have created, like an image painted on the walls of a cave.

Anyway
Despite the overwhelming anxiety and frustration addressed in the previous lines, the artist wants to keep moving forward towards a better future.

My neighborhood drunk's on line at the deli
The singer observes one of the many people caught in the cycle of poverty and addiction that exists in society.

With his shaky hands and his swollen face he waits for his coffee
The physical symptoms of the man in line highlight the physical and emotional toll that living in poverty can take on a person.

He blacks out curbside every night
The man spends his nights outside, which likely further contributes to his physical and emotional struggles.

And every day crawls back towards wall street
Despite his struggles, the man is still trying to find a way to make progress in his life and move towards a more comfortable existence.

So I don't see it like it's us and them
The singer believes that society is made up of individuals who are all struggling in their own ways, rather than some inherent divide between privileged and unprivileged individuals.

I just see everybody working for that same eternal weekend
Despite our different experiences, the artist sees all individuals as striving for a better future and a time when they can be free of work and other obligations.

Droning on and on and on and never doing what we wanted
Despite our efforts to work towards a better future, many of us still find ourselves stuck in a cycle of low-paying or unfulfilling jobs that don't allow us to live the lives we want.

Heavy legs two steps behind some forever dangling carrot
We are all chasing a dream that always seems just out of reach or unattainable, like a carrot that is always dangling in front of us but that we can never quite get to.

And I'm tired of this
The singer is exhausted by the never-ending cycle of poverty and inequality in society.

So who's to say that we can't just fucking change it?
Despite the exhaustion and frustration, the artist believes that change is possible and worth working towards.

And I know it seems dramatic
The artist is aware that their desire for change may seem extreme or unrealistic to others.

But I treat it like a crisis
Despite the potential for outsiders to view their passion for change as a dramatic or unnecessary reaction, the artist sees it as a true crisis that demands immediate action.

The office to the coffin
The singer points out the grim reality that for many people, their lives are spent moving between a mundane, unfulfilling work environment and death.

All our time and talent wasted
The artist expresses frustration that so much of our potential goes unrealized due to the constraints placed on us by society and economic systems.

And that weight against your throat
The singer uses a weight pressing against the throat as a metaphor for the emotional and physical weight that the struggles of life can cause.

Is that a noose dressed like a necklace?
The singer suggests that what may seem like a harmless symbol or item of clothing may in fact be the very thing that is suffocating us or preventing us from living full and free lives.

From here I couldn't
The singer's perspective is limited by their own experiences and knowledge.

Really tell the difference
The danger that may be present in even everyday objects or symbols may not be readily apparent or easily discernible to the regular person.

Either way I say
Regardless of whether something is dangerous or not, the artist believes that it's better to err on the side of caution and take action to prevent harm from occurring.

Let's not take any chances
The singer urges listeners to be vigilant and aware of the potential dangers and risks present in society, working together to prevent harm from occurring whenever possible.

No I don't know where he's gonna park that thing
The repeated refrain of the singer's uncertainty regarding the Cadillac's parking spot emphasizes the overall sense of uncertainty and unease felt by the singer about the future and the potential for change.