Rock Star
Nat & Alex Wolff Lyrics
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Hey man, you don't know where it's at
I stared at her until I figured
That she wasn't staring back.
Another tale for the epic,
Rejection in the starring role
A fixing cast among the shadows
Your empty coffee cup's as bitter as your soul.
Why, why, why must things be so hard?
Why why why-y-y
Why why why can't it be easy?
If I feel like a rockstar with no will to perform,
Will you stroke my ego 'till that feeling is gone?
I don't see the glass half empy 'cause I filled it to the brim
And I drink it down gulp by gulp 'till the devil calls again
Devils calls me again
If the devil calls again
Tell him I'm not in,
Tell him I'm not in
And the boring days run like clock work
And I never know what they mean
But it must be hard to live
Under the waiting wills of a frozen dream
So let's get fucked up and be happy
And run around the streets without our clothes
Laugh and whore at the joy
Like they'll never know
Why, why, why
Why, why, why must things be so hard?
Why, why, why-y-y
Why, why, why can't it be easy?
If I feel like a rockstar with no will to perform
Will you stroke my ego 'till that feeling is gone?
I don't see the glass half empty cause I filled it to the brim
And I drink it down gulp by gulp 'till the devil calls again
Devil calls me again
If the devil calls me again
If the devil calls again
Tell him I'm not in
Tell him I'm not in
Why, why, why
Why, why, why must things be so hard?
Why, why, why-y-y
Why, why, why can't it be easy?
If I feel like a rockstar with no will to perform
Will you stroke my ego 'till that feeling is gone?
I don't see the glass half empty 'cause I filled it to the brim
And I'll drink it down gulp by gulp 'till the devil calls again
Devil calls me again
If the devil calls me again
If the devils again
Tell him I'm not in,
Tell him I'm not in.
The song "Rock Star" by Nat & Alex Wolff is an introspective track that deals with themes of rejection, feeling lost, and the pressure to impress others. The lyrics start with a conversation between two people where one of them tells the other that they're not where they're supposed to be. The main character is struggling with rejection and feels like he's not doing enough to impress others. He's trying to fill a void of not feeling good enough by asking for validation, but he's cautious about getting too much of it. He's also struggling with the monotony of everyday life, feeling trapped and unfulfilled. The chorus poses the question of why things have to be so difficult and why it can't be easy.
The verse also touches upon the metaphor of the glass half full, suggesting that the main character is not a pessimist, but he's trying his best to look on the bright side. He's trying to fill his life up, but he keeps getting dragged down by his own insecurities. The lyrics take a turn when the song suggests that the answer to feeling lost and rejected lies in letting go and having fun. This sense of liberation is reflected in the lines "let's get fucked up and be happy, and run around the streets without our clothes". The song concludes with the same line "tell him I'm not in" which could be interpreted as the main character's way of avoiding the negativity that's weighing him down.
Line by Line Meaning
She turned to me and she whispered
The singer describes a scene where a person whispered something to them.
Hey man, you don't know where it's at
The person whispered to the singer that they are clueless about something.
I stared at her until I figured
The singer focused his attention on the person until they understood what the message was.
That she wasn't staring back.
The person was not reciprocating the artist's stare.
Another tale for the epic,
The artist refers to a story, which could be part of something larger.
Rejection in the starring role
The story's main character experiences rejection.
A fixing cast among the shadows
The character is surrounded by characters who are only supporting and play a smaller role.
Your empty coffee cup's as bitter as your soul.
The artist describes someone's emptiness and bitterness through their coffee cup.
Why, why, why,
The artist questions the difficulty of life with 'why'.
Why, why, why must things be so hard?
The artist wonders why life is so hard.
Why why why-y-y
The same question of why, but elongated for emphasis.
Why why why can't it be easy?
The artist wishes life was easier.
If I'm feeling like a rockstar with no will to perform,
The singer compares the feeling of being a rockstar with having no motivation to do anything.
Will you stroke my ego 'till that feeling is gone?
The singer asks if someone will boost his ego to get rid of his lack of motivation.
I don't see the glass half empty 'cause I filled it to the brim
The singer sees the good in life and does not focus on the negative.
And I drink it down gulp by gulp 'till the devil calls again
The artist is enjoying life and ignores the devil's temptation.
Devil calls me again
The artist acknowledges the temptation of the devil.
If the devil calls again
The singer anticipates the devil's temptation again.
Tell him I'm not in,
The singer refers to refusing the devil's temptation.
And the boring days run like clockwork
The artist describes mundane days that go by predictably.
And I never know what they mean
The artist cannot find significance in these boring days.
But it must be hard to live
The artist imagines it's tough to live this way.
Under the waiting wills of a frozen dream
The singer describes someone living under the influence of a long-term goal or idea that has not yet come to fruition.
So let's get fucked up and be happy
The artist suggests indulging in substances to feel happy.
And run around the streets without our clothes
The singer suggests an activity that could make them feel happy and free.
Laugh and whore at the joy
The singer suggests enjoying the happiness and joy as much as possible.
Like they'll never know
The singer wants to keep the joy a secret from others.
If I feel like a rockstar with no will to perform
The artist repeats the idea of feeling like a rockstar without any motivation to do anything.
Will you stroke my ego 'till that feeling is gone?
The artist repeats the request for someone to boost his ego to feel motivated again.
I don't see the glass half empty cause I filled it to the brim
The singer repeats the idea of seeing positivity instead of negativity in life.
And I'll drink it down gulp by gulp 'till the devil calls again
The singer repeats the idea of ignoring the devil's temptation and enjoying life gulp by gulp.
Devil calls me again
The artist repeats the idea of the devil's temptation.
If the devil calls me again
The artist repeats the idea of anticipating the devil's temptation.
If the devil's again,
The artist repeats the idea of the devil's potential temptation.
Tell him I'm not in,
The singer repeats the idea of refusing the devil's temptation.
Tell him I'm not in.
The artist repeats the idea of not wanting the devil's temptation.
Contributed by Kylie B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.