Go With It
Pete Yorn Lyrics

The lyrics to Pete Yorn's song "Carlos" revolve around themes of isolation, loneliness, and the struggle to find meaning in life. The first two lines, "Into the room / Keep it burning through" seem to suggest a desire to escape into the comforts of one's own mind and imagination, to keep the flame of one's own inner world burning brightly despite external hardship or indifference. The refrain "What's the upside of this place?" underscores a sense of disillusionment with the world and its systems, and an underlying anxiety about one's place within it.

The central character of the song, Carlos, is described as working in a place "that no one has gone." This could be interpreted as a metaphor for Carlos's own inner world, which is so unique and personal that it is inaccessible to others. His contentment with his own company is emphasized by the lines "If you know how to sing it alone / It's howlin' out tonight / And he's feeling' alright." This sense of self-sufficiency is contrasted with the singer's own experiences of social rejection and abandonment, as symbolized by the phrase "And you found something better to do."

The final refrain, "When you're with yourself / Oh don't let it go to your head," suggests a paradoxical tension between the need for self-affirmation and the danger of becoming too wrapped up in one's own thoughts and feelings. Overall, the lyrics of "Carlos" present a complex and introspective exploration of the human condition, with a focus on the search for meaning, identity, and personal fulfillment.