Tenderloin
Rancid (USA) Lyrics
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You criticize your existence
It's your demise when no sun arise
When you're paralyzed by your lack of resistance
She know she is
She knows she's going
Down below where the fire's glowing
The tricks she gets them she's not a victim
She makes a list of them and reads them all alone
For money she's walking down on larkin'
In T.I. they're rocking all night long
The song "Tenderloin" by Rancid explores the theme of dehumanization of a prostitute's life. The first verse highlights the consequences of living a life where a person's existence is constantly criticized, leading to their own undoing. The line "Realize you're dehumanized" suggests that the subject has lost touch with their own humanity, likely due to the nature of their work which sees them being constantly objectified as a sexual commodity. The second line, "It's your demise when no sun arise," makes a reference to the bleakness of their existence, with the sun representing hope and optimism. This imagery is contrasted by the subject's lack of resistance to their situation, rendering them paralyzed and unable to break free from their situation.
The chorus is centered around the Tenderloin area, a notorious neighborhood in San Francisco that was rife with prostitution, drug use, and crime in the 1980s when Rancid was formed. The character in the song knows that she is going down a risky path as represented in the lyrics "She knows she's going down below where the fire's glowing". However, the character is no helpless victim as affirmed in the line "The tricks she gets them she's not a victim, She makes a list of them and reads them all alone". This lyric showcases that the prostitute takes control of her situation by carefully monitoring her clients in a bid to avoid danger.
Line by Line Meaning
Realize you're dehumanized
Understand that you've lost touch with your humanity
You criticize your existence
You're judging yourself harshly
It's your demise when no sun arise
Your downfall is inevitable in this hopeless situation
When you're paralyzed by your lack of resistance
Your inability to fight back leaves you helpless and trapped
She know she is
She's aware of her situation
She knows she's going
She's heading somewhere specific
Down below where the fire's glowing
She's going to a place where danger and excitement await
Tenderloin
This place is the Tenderloin district in San Francisco
The tricks she gets them she's not a victim
She's in control, using her own tactics to get what she wants
She makes a list of them and reads them all alone
She keeps a record of her clients and reviews it in private
For money she's walking down on larkin'
She's working as a prostitute on Larkin Street for financial gain
In T.I. they're rocking all night long
At the Tenderloin, people party and engage in risky behavior throughout the night
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@brandenjohnson3798
best dam rock'n'roll album ever period!!!!
@SamJ-mt6tn
This is the cleanest matts voice has been
@mattlumpkins1412
Everytime I hear about the TL I think of this
@stevet6401
This fuckin song has been playing full blast in my brain today. For money she's
walking down Larkin in TL they rockin all night long!
@samorenpalmer
Amazing stuff
@decorummortis5175
I <3 these guys Punk isn't dead =D
@simon-pierredrolet955
🤘🔥
@bruddanecessity34
Realize you're dehumanized
You criticize your existence
It's your demise when no sun arise
When you're paralyzed by your lack of resistance
She know she is
She knows she's going
Down below where the fire's glowing
Tenderloin
The tricks she gets them she's not a victim
She makes a list of them and reads them all alone
For money she's walking down on larkin'
In T.I. they're rocking all night long