Planningtorock (all one word, often just PTR) is the vehicle of expression … Read Full Bio ↴Planningtorock (all one word, often just PTR) is the vehicle of expression of Jam Rostron , a musician and visual artist from Bolton, Manchester, UK who started out in 2004 and has lived in Berlin for ten years. They have released four full-lengths so far, the latest being Powerhouse (2018), preceded by All Love's Legal (2014), W (2011) and their 2006 debut Have It All, which was a full-on chamber-pop romp that established Planningtorock as anything but orthodox.

W, Planningtorock's critically acclaimed 2011 debut on DFA, revealed a visionary and politicised producer. It offered up deeply queered art-pop – tense, atmospheric dance music cut with classical flourishes, and spell-binding androgyny. But it was 2014’s All Love's Legal (“a masterclass in left-of-centre dance music”, Mixmag), released on Rostron's own imprint Human Level, where Planningtorock, with banner-ready slogans (‘ Patriarchy Over And Out’, ‘ Let's Talk About Gender Baby’), revealed their ability to combine pop-oriented music with a political message. Powerhouse offers up something infinitely more personal: emotionally-charged, biographical anthems drawn from Rostron’s lived experiences as a non-binary genderqueer artist, experiences around family, identity and music itself.

Local Foreigner
Planningtorock Lyrics

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Yeah yeah
One of my favourites things to do (yeah)
It's drive around in my car (yeah)
Through the streets of Berlin (yeah)
Alone (yeah)

Now, those streets are nice and wide (nice and wide)
The European way (yeah) (European way)

Those houses are tall (yeah) (very tall)
And very very grey (yeah) (very grey)

Yeah yeah

It's just a little car (yeah)
It's all bumps and dents (yeah)
Ohhh oohh ooohh oohhhh

Yeah Yeah

One of my favourites things to do (yeah)
It's drive around in my car (yeah)
Through the streets of Berlin (yeah)
Alone (yeah)

Driving around in my car
Driving around in my car

Driving around in my car
Driving around in my car

Overall Meaning

In Planningtorock's song "Local Foreigner," the singer describes driving alone through the streets of Berlin in her car. She describes the streets as "nice and wide," reflecting the spaciousness of the European city, with tall grey houses lining the way. The repetition of "yeah yeah" creates a sense of playful enthusiasm, and the repeated refrain of driving around in her car underscores the joy of the simple pleasure of cruising around the city.

At first glance, the lyrics to "Local Foreigner" may seem simple and straightforward, but they actually reveal something deeper about the experience of being an outsider in a foreign country. As an expat or immigrant, one may feel a sense of displacement and disorientation, but also excitement and wonder at discovering new places and experiences. The act of driving alone through a new city can be a solitary and introspective experience, but it can also provide a sense of freedom and independence.

The song's title, "Local Foreigner," captures the paradoxical feeling of being both an insider and outsider in a new place. The singer is a "local" in the sense that she is living in and experiencing the city, but she is also a "foreigner" in that she is not a native and may not fully understand the culture and customs. This feeling of being caught between two worlds can be both exhilarating and challenging.

Line by Line Meaning

Yeah yeah
Expression of excitement and enthusiasm

One of my favourites things to do (yeah)
Driving around in my car is one of my favorite things to do

It's drive around in my car (yeah)
I enjoy driving around in my car

Through the streets of Berlin (yeah)
I drive through the streets of Berlin

Alone (yeah)
I am by myself when I drive

Now, those streets are nice and wide (nice and wide)
The streets I drive on are spacious

The European way (yeah) (European way)
The European style of streets

Those houses are tall (yeah) (very tall)
The buildings around me are high-rise structures

And very very grey (yeah) (very grey)
The buildings are mostly grey and devoid of color

It's just a little car (yeah)
My car is small in size

It's all bumps and dents (yeah)
My car is not in perfect condition, it has bumps and dents on it