Soma
Ofln - The Strokes Lyrics
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Saw pain in a new way, high stakes for a few names
Racing against sun beams, losing against their dreams
In your eyes
And I am stop and go
In your eyes
See I am stop and go
Let's go
When I saw her for the first time, lips moved as her eyes closed
Heard something in his voice
"And I'll be there", he says, then he walks out
Somehow he was trying too hard to be like them
And I am stop and go
In your eyes
And I am stop
Oh, darling, let me go
Tried it once and they liked it, then tried to hide it
Says, "I've been doing this twenty-five years"
Well I'm not listening no more
And these friends, they keep asking for more
Oh, yeah
Oh, but that's it
The lyrics of The Strokes' song Soma are open to interpretation, but they seem to focus on themes of addiction, escapism, and the desire to belong. The song describes a drug called Soma that people take during hard times to see pain in a new way, but it also has high stakes for only a few names. The second verse tells the story of a man who's trying too hard to fit in with a group of people. He promises to always be there for someone, but in the end, he walks out on them. The chorus reveals the singer's own issues with stop-and-go behavior.
One interpretation of the lyrics suggests that Soma is a metaphor for a substance or activity that people use to escape their pain or problems. It could be alcohol, drugs, or any other behavior that numbs their emotions. The song seems to suggest that this type of escape is ultimately futile and can lead to a life of stop-and-go behavior, where people are always trying to escape their problems instead of facing them head-on. The line "losing against their dreams" suggests that this behavior leads to missed opportunities and unfulfilled potential.
Overall, Soma is a song that explores the dark side of human behavior and the desire to find a way out of pain and suffering. Although it's open to interpretation, the lyrics suggest that true happiness and fulfillment can only be found by facing our problems head-on and not trying to escape into temporary pleasures or distractions.
Line by Line Meaning
Soma is what they would take when hard times opened their eyes
Soma is the drug that people take when they go through difficult times and experience a real moment of awakening.
Saw pain in a new way, high stakes for a few names
The drug Soma allows people to see pain in a different manner, and the effects might lead to higher stakes for only a select few people.
Racing against sun beams, losing against their dreams
The drug makes people alert and energetic, but it can lead to unrealistic, unachievable dreams that people might never fulfill, which ultimately leads them to lose against their dreams.
In your eyes
This line is a refrain that emphasizes how personal this drug experience is for the singer and how he sees it through his own eyes.
And I am stop and go
The singer feels like he is in a constant state of stopping and starting, which mirrors the effects of the drug and takes him closer to the edge.
See I am stop and go
The persona of the singer becomes more defined with this assertion, and he is emphasizing how the drug has caused this stop and go motion.
When I saw her for the first time, lips moved as her eyes closed
The singer remembers the moments before he had the experience of taking Soma and is describing the girl's lips beginning to move as she gets lost in the feeling of euphoria that the drug induces.
Heard something in his voice
The singer remembers picking up on something strange in his friend's voice while he took the drug, which indicated that he was going somewhere unknown.
"And I'll be there", he says, then he walks out
The singer's friend seems to be acting in a cavalier manner, announcing that he will be the one to find out where the drug takes him and then abruptly walking away, seemingly unprepared to handle the experience himself.
Somehow he was trying too hard to be like them
The singer is judging his friend as trying to be one of the many who have tried the drug before him and who might have been caught in its trap.
Oh, darling, let me go
The singer is going through the experience of taking the drug in real-time, and he is pleading for his darling to let him go from the grip of the Soma.
Tried it once and they liked it, then tried to hide it
The drug is very addictive, and people take it again and again, but people start to hide it after they realize their addiction and the implications that come with it.
Says, "I've been doing this twenty-five years"
People who are addicted to the drug justify their addiction by saying that they have been using it for a long time and that it is impossible to quit.
Well I'm not listening no more
The singer reached a point where he stopped listening to those who were addicted to the drug as he realized the trap and the implications of the drug, and he doesn't want to be a part of it anymore.
And these friends, they keep asking for more
The singer is surrounded by friends who are addicted to the drug and keep asking for more, which makes him disgusted and feels helpless against being drawn in.
Oh, yeah
This line is used to emphasize the singer's feeling of resignation and realization that the drug is too powerful for him to fight against.
Oh, but that's it
This line shows that the singer feels resigned to never escaping the drug's grip and that he has accepted it as a fact of life.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Julian Casablancas
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind