1) A NYC-b… Read Full Bio ↴La Strada is the name of at least five different groups:
1) A NYC-based seven piece band, recently named one of the "8 NYC Bands You Need to Hear" by L Magazine. From their Myspace: 'La Strada is the romance of old-world instrumentation through new world amplification. With soaring vocal harmonies, accordion, and string driven melodies set to rock rhythms, La Strada transports you to the hills of the Balkans, a street corner in Paris, and back to “your window overlooking the Brooklyn skyline”'.
2) Serbian new wave rock band from Novi Sad, formed in 1979 by Slobodan Tišma. La Strada disbanded in 1981, but was reformed in 1985 by creative half of the band Luna (which Slobodan Tišma formed after the break-up of La Strada), Slobodan Tišma and Jasmina Mitrušić and lasted until 1987. In this period they released their only album (self-titled).
3) Limburg hardcore band hailing over different "cité's" in Genk. They combine various styles like old school, beatdown and streetpunk into their music. in 2007 they released their first demo cité core.
4) A Finnish group of brasses and horns with normal band instruments. They do covers versioned by means of jazz and beatnik.
5) Polish disco / pop band, in 1995 released debut album titled "Tylko Ja". Band members: Katarzyna Zawadzka, Tomasz Nerkowski and Adam Łukowski. In 1996 they released seond album titled "Taka jestem", in 1997 "Kraina snów" and in the same year fourth album which included greatest hits from their previous albums. The band ended its activity in 1999.
Shapes In The Sky
La Strada Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Into glory after glory
Telling tales to strangers
Dying for category
He straggles through the city
With a burning cigarette
Opening red doors
The lucky man is dying to forget.
Red lights on broadway avenue
There's a chalk man on the scene
It could have been a fun day
But he flew to be a king
His mind a toll booth he couldn't pay fee
So many open doors it hurt to see
Across the burning ocean
Arabian sands are pearl white
With the dreams of the dying
Wishing their brothers to the light
Wind blows quiet when man is sleeping
Once he arises the fire burns again
An azure dusk in december
The month of the 'remember'
Overlooking pacific way
And wanting fly away
Is like a blue eve in brooklyn
By a busy intersection
Struck by a magnetic direction
That left me spinning
When there is nothing but cold dirt and sky
There's nothing to live for but shapes in the sky
There's an arrow across the river
Life is for the living
Are you going to stand and follow it?
The first verse of La Strada's "Shapes In The Sky" looks at the life of a beggar king. The man, who may have once been a king, now twists his story to continue living in glory. He tells his tales to strangers, dying for a classification. He walks through the city with a burning cigarette, opening red doors to find solace. But the lucky man is dying to forget, indicating that his life is not as fulfilling as it seems.
The second verse jumps to Broadway Avenue, where there are red lights and a drawing of a chalk man. The day could have been fun, but instead, the man flew to be a king. His mind is a toll booth that he cannot pay the fee for, and the sight of many open doors is painful for him. The chorus speaks of the dreams of the dying in Arabian sands, with the wind blowing quiet when people sleep but waking up again with fire. The third verse talks about a blue eve in Brooklyn, where the singer is struck by a magnetic direction, left spinning. The song ends with the question – When there is nothing but cold dirt and sky, are you going to stand and follow the arrow across the river?
Overall, "Shapes In The Sky" seems to reflect on the fleeting nature of human existence and how people grapple with mortality. The beggar king and the lucky man are examples of people who have tried to escape their realities by crafting false stories. The mention of Arabian sands and Pacific Way suggests that the song is a commentary not just on life in America but the human condition globally. The chorus is particularly poignant, reminding listeners that in the face of death, the only thing left to hope for is "shapes in the sky."
Line by Line Meaning
The beggar king twists his story
The king who had nothing made up stories in his mind.
Into glory after glory
In his mind, he turned his made-up stories into glorious tales.
Telling tales to strangers
He told his stories to people who did not know him.
Dying for category
He was so desperate for recognition, he pretended to belong to a specific group.
He straggles through the city
He wandered aimlessly through the city.
With a burning cigarette
He smoked a cigarette while walking through the city.
Opening red doors
He imagined himself opening doors to new opportunities and adventures.
The lucky man is dying to forget.
He wished he could forget his past and be as lucky as others.
Red lights on broadway avenue
There were neon red lights on Broadway Avenue.
There's a chalk man on the scene
Someone drew a man with chalk on the street.
It could have been a fun day
The day had the potential to be fun.
But he flew to be a king
But he daydreamed about being an important figure instead.
His mind a toll booth he couldn't pay fee
His thoughts and ideas were blocked by a toll he couldn't pay.
So many open doors it hurt to see
The abundance of possibilities made him feel overwhelmed.
Across the burning ocean
On the other side of the ocean.
Arabian sands are pearl white
The sand in Arabia is white like pearls.
With the dreams of the dying
People who are near death have dreams.
Wishing their brothers to the light
They hope their loved ones join them in the afterlife.
Wind blows quiet when man is sleeping
It's peaceful when people are sleeping.
Once he arises the fire burns again
But once they wake up, their worries and struggles resume.
An azure dusk in december
A blue sunset in December.
The month of the 'remember'
The month of the year where people reflect and look back.
Overlooking pacific way
Looking at the Pacific Ocean.
And wanting fly away
Wishing to escape and be free.
Is like a blue eve in brooklyn
Similar to a blue sunset in Brooklyn.
By a busy intersection
At a crowded street corner.
Struck by a magnetic direction
Feeling pulled towards a certain direction, like a magnet.
That left me spinning
It made me feel dizzy and unsure.
When there is nothing but cold dirt and sky
When there's nothing but the cold, empty world around.
There's nothing to live for but shapes in the sky
The only hope lies in seeing images in the clouds.
There's an arrow across the river
Someone drew an arrow on the other side of the river.
Life is for the living
Life is meant to be lived in the present.
Are you going to stand and follow it?
Will you take action and follow the arrow's direction?
Contributed by Olivia O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.