Originally formed as Pilate in 1999, the Toronto-based rock quartet changed… Read Full Bio ↴Originally formed as Pilate in 1999, the Toronto-based rock quartet changed their name to "Pilot Speed" in mid-2006, in order to avoid possible lawsuits as their music spread internationally from their native Canada. Pilate were born in 2000 after vocalist and New Zealand native Todd Clark left the music program at the University of Western Ontario where he'd been studying and placed an ad online for potential bandmates. Bassist Ruby Bumrah, a graduate of the Ontario College of Art and Design, answered the call, bringing with him fellow alums Chris Greenough (guitar) and Bill Keeley (drums). Citing influences like Crowded House, Radiohead, and U2 for Pilate's especially sweeping brand of melodic rock -- not so dissimilar to acts like Keane, Coldplay, and Snow Patrol -- they released the six-song EP For All That's Given, Wasted in the summer of 2001. It quickly sold out its initial pressing and established the guys as players in the Canadian music scene.

They then landed opening slots on shows for Broken Social Scene, DFA 1979, and Hot Hot Heat, and received the honor of Best Unsigned Band at the 2002 North by Northeast music conference (Canada's version of SXSW in the U.S.). Soon after, Pilate inked a deal with indie MapleMusic Recordings, which then released their full-length debut, Caught by the Window, in 2003. The album produced two hits on national radio and MuchMusic, as the guys toured North America, Australia, and Japan. Their follow-up, Sell Control for Life's Speed, appeared back at home in mid-2006, after which the band changed its name to Pilot Speed. The quartet had signed with Wind-Up earlier that same year following the completion of its third album overall (and first as Pilot Speed), Into the West; the label released the record that September.

Ambulance
Pilate Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'm a lover and a whore
And I've been rich but I've been poor
It's not over now

And the fortunes that we keep
Create bonds around our feet
It's not over now

Call me an ambulance
I'm fading away
I'm here overwhelmed
I'm here overwhelmed
Lost in the shuffle
I'll fall to the back
I'm here overwhelmed
I'm here... overwhelmed

And I've walked in the street
Had my head down in the feet
It's not over now

Taking for granted and I fell
Just to appreciate you now
My world's an island
Just waiting to be found

Call me an ambulance
I'm fading away
I'm here overwhelmed
I'm here overwhelmed
Lost in the shuffle
I'll fall to the back
I'm here overwhelmed
I'm here... overwhelmed

Can't let you down

And how do I begin?
Can I let you in?
And how do I begin?
Oh, how do I begin?

Can't hide behind these walls
The guard of every city falls
It comes crumbling down

And while your sister lies with me
Fortune smiles through broken teeth
Just waiting for you to lay her down

Call the ambulance
I'm fading away
I'm here overwhelmed
I'm here overwhelmed
And life in the shuffle

I'll fall to the back
Forever, ever stumbling down this path

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Pilate's song "Ambulance" depict a sense of overwhelming and desperation. The first verse highlights the singer's conflicting identity as both a lover and a whore, having experienced both wealth and poverty. Despite these contrasting experiences, the singer asserts that it's not over yet. The second verse refers to the bonds that success and fortune can create, likening them to chains around one's feet. The chorus consists of the repeated plea to call an ambulance, as the singer feels they are fading away and overwhelmed. The bridge poses a question of how to let someone in and begin anew, while the final verse refers to the crumbling of protective walls and the image of a broken smile as a symbol of fortune waiting to be claimed.

The song's lyrics suggest a feeling of being overwhelmed by external circumstances, be it success, poverty or heartbreak. The chorus is especially poignant as it repeats the call for an ambulance, a symbol of needing external help to survive. Despite this, the song also hints at the possibility of finding a way forward, even after experiencing setback or failure. The bridge's question of how to begin anew suggests an openness to try, while the final line of the song hints that even stumbling down a path is still moving forward. Overall, the song embodies a struggle to keep going despite overwhelming obstacles.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm a lover and a whore
I have been someone's love, but I have also been someone's lustful desire.

And I've been rich but I've been poor
I have experience affluence as well as poverty.

It's not over now
The situation is not yet concluded.

And the fortunes that we keep
The wealth that we hold on to

Create bonds around our feet
Prevents us from moving freely to anywhere.

Call me an ambulance I'm fading away I'm here overwhelmed I'm here overwhelmed Lost in the shuffle I'll fall to the back I'm here overwhelmed I'm here... overwhelmed
I need help, I'm drowning in my problems and I can't handle the stress on my own. I feel lost and overlooked but I'm still here.

And I've walked in the street Had my head down in the feet It's not over now
I've been through hard times before but the struggle is not yet over.

Taking for granted and I fell Just to appreciate you now My world's an island Just waiting to be found
I never appreciated what I had until I lost it, and I'm searching for something to make me feel whole again.

Can't let you down
I cannot disappoint you or let you down.

And how do I begin? Can I let you in? And how do I begin? Oh, how do I begin?
I'm not sure how to start or how to let someone new into my life.

Can't hide behind these walls The guard of every city falls It comes crumbling down
I can't hide from my problems forever, eventually everything will come crashing down and I'll have to face it.

And while your sister lies with me Fortune smiles through broken teeth Just waiting for you to lay her down
I am with someone but I don't really care for them, I'm waiting for someone else to come into my life.

Forever, ever stumbling down this path
I feel like I'm constantly making mistakes and can't get back on the right track.

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: WILLIAM KEELEY, CHRIS GREENOUGH, TODD CLARK, MANDEEP BUMRAH

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS