After sometime, she decided to record a song she's been hearing in her head for a while - a few haunting notes, some sparse guitar lines - and put up the video performance on YouTube, raw and unedited as it was; probably because the comments online were made by people she didn't know anyway. Little did she expect her song to be featured on the site's homepage, getting more than 1 million views.
Suburbia
Ling Kai Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As she stares
At his car that's dead and he's parked in a house
that is overgrown with neglect
Television sets glued to bug-eyed housewives mad with excitement
Butcher for the bacon
And a kiss for the kids who believe in Jesus
I believe in you just as much
then he stuck his hand back in his pocket
I've got no change
I said go away away away eh
Magazines, furniture catalogs and things
Fill up houses and dreams the head of dairy queens
A neighbour's kid made the headlines again
A million stars on paper
his spectacled face on the cover
Butcher for the bacon
And a kiss for the kids who believe in Jesus
And hey love he said
I believe in you
just as much
but he stuck his hand back in his pocket
I've got no change
I said go away away away eh
Magazines, furniture catalogs and things
Fill up houses and dreams the head of dairy queens
A neighbour's kid made the headlines again
A million stars on paper
his spectacled face on the cover
In Ling Kai's song, Suburbia, we see a poignant interpretation of life in the suburbs, highlighting the sense of despair and emptiness that can be felt in such neighbourhoods. The opening lines describe a woman, whose strands of hair fall down her neck as she stares at a car that is dead and parked in a neglected house. This image highlights feelings of stagnation and desolation. The following lines describe an image of television sets glued to bug-eyed housewives mad with excitement, which reinforces the idea of a hollow existence governed by a consumerist culture.
The chorus speaks to the struggle of holding onto belief, while still feeling helpless and trapped. This is evident in the reference to a butcher for the bacon and a kiss for the kids who believe in Jesus. The idea of religion and tradition are juxtaposed with a culture that seems devoid of any deeper meaning, and the singer struggles with the tension between the two realities. The line, 'And hey love he said, I believe in you just as much' reinforces this tension, as the singer seems to be reaching for some kind of connection, but ultimately feels alone and unable to connect.
The second verse continues with the theme of emptiness, as magazines, furniture catalogs, and things are described as filling up houses and dreams that are ultimately unfulfilling. The reference to a neighbour's kid making the headlines again highlights the narrow focus on appearance and image that seems to govern this suburban culture. Ultimately, the song seems to be a commentary on the struggle to find meaning and purpose in the midst of a culture that seems to offer nothing of substance.
Line by Line Meaning
Strands of hair fall down her neck
Her hair falls onto her neck, indicating she's physically distraught
As she stares
She's staring intently, fixated on something in front of her
At his car that's dead and he's parked in a house
She's looking at a parked car that belongs to someone whose house is unkempt and neglected
that is overgrown with neglect
His house is run down with no care or maintenance
Television sets glued to bug-eyed housewives mad with excitement
She sees TVs broadcasting shows featuring overly excited, wide-eyed housewives
Butcher for the bacon
A reference to a traditional saying about needing to work hard to have something to eat
And a kiss for the kids who believe in Jesus
A gesture towards those who have religious beliefs
And hey love he said
He addresses her intimately, saying 'hey love'
I believe in you just as much
He expresses his faith in her to achieve her goals
then he stuck his hand back in his pocket
He returns his hand to his pocket indicating he may not be sincere
I've got no change
He has no spare coins to offer
I said go away away away eh
She rejects his insufficient apologies and wants him to leave her alone
Magazines, furniture catalogs and things
She sees various materials filling the houses around her
Fill up houses and dreams the head of dairy queens
Some people fill their dream with a type of aspirational civilian life of store owners, such as the head of a local dairy store
A neighbour's kid made the headlines again
A local kid has once again made the news for doing something noteworthy
A million stars on paper
Metaphorically describing how famous this kid has become so quickly
his spectacled face on the cover
The image of the child with glasses is on the front page of the newspaper
Contributed by Olivia O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.