Traffic
Rhatigan Lyrics


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Scarlet for the girl
Staving off the tummy wolf
Rumage through the rubbish for a scrummy little tit bit
Can't afford to nit pick
Punkapopalyptic
Pouting for the punters
Putting on her lip sticky
Wise cracking assholes widen cracks in your soul
Wide enough to drive a whole
Lorry load of turkeys home
To roost before the roasting traffic jams
And tarmacadam pirates
Soak up all the slack

I can do with out that
I can do without it
I can do with out all this shit
It really is a pain in the ass
I can do without that
I can do without
I can do with out all this
It really is a pain in the ass

Sickened for the man
Minced up in the gristle grinder
Splinters in your pasty
And an advert for a panty liner
Segue to the sarky DJ chat
Riding on the fortunes of some other bodies back
Sorry for myself
Mining for some inspiration
Sucked into the engine
Purring plunging
Carbon poisons puking carcinogenic crap

I can do with out that
I can do without it
I can do with out all this shit
It really is a pain in the ass
I can do without that
I can do without
I can do with out all this
It really is a pain in the ass

Depth charge heart attack
Jack knife head on crash
Pop star lipstick
Metal feathers turkey giblets
Blocking every pass
Our trusty DJ laughs
This one's for you
If you're if you're fouled up in the tail back

I can do with out that
I can do with out that
I can do with out that
I can do with out that
I can do with out that

Macho muck savages exposing their back passages
I can do with out
Free basing freemasons flexing moral muscle





I can do with out

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "Traffic" by Rhatigan tell a story of frustration and disgust with the chaos of modern society. The first verse describes a young woman, "Scarlet," who is trying to survive by finding scraps of food in the rubbish. She puts on a show for the people around her, trying to maintain some sort of dignity in the midst of poverty. The second verse changes perspective to a disillusioned man who is sickened by the harsh reality of the world he lives in. He's been ground up in the "gristle grinder" of life, and he sees no hope for himself or anyone else. The third verse brings together both characters as well as others who are stuck in the same situation, trapped in the never-ending traffic jams and inhaling the toxic fumes of the cars around them. It seems that everyone is suffering and there's no way out.


The chorus repeats the line "I can do without that" over and over, emphasizing the desire to escape from this miserable existence. The use of the phrase "pain in the ass" further emphasizes the difficulty and annoyance of the situation. The bridge brings in even more chaos, with images of heart attacks, crashes, and exposed body parts adding to the overwhelming sense of confusion and horror.


Overall, the lyrics of "Traffic" paint a bleak picture of modern life, with people struggling to survive and feeling trapped in a never-ending cycle of frustration and despair.



Line by Line Meaning

Scarlet for the girl
The girl is wearing red clothing


Staving off the tummy wolf
Trying to cure hunger


Rumage through the rubbish for a scrummy little tit bit
Searching through the trash for something delicious


Can't afford to nit pick
Unable to be picky


Punkapopalyptic
Referring to a punk rock apocalypse


Pouting for the punters
Puckering lips for the customers


Putting on her lip sticky
Applying lipstick


Wise cracking assholes widen cracks in your soul
Insincere jokes from unpleasant people causing emotional damage


Wide enough to drive a whole
Large enough to fit


Lorry load of turkeys home
Multiple turkey trucks returning home


To roost before the roasting traffic jams
Arriving home before traffic delays


And tarmacadam pirates
Pirates claiming ownership of the pavement


Soak up all the slack
Taking advantage of any opportunity


I can do with out that
I don't need that


I can do without it
I don't need it


I can do with out all this shit
I don't need all of this rubbish


It really is a pain in the ass
It's truly annoying


Sickened for the man
Feeling disgusted for the man


Minced up in the gristle grinder
Mangled in a meat grinder


Splinters in your pasty
Wood chips in your pastry


And an advert for a panty liner
And an advertisement for feminine hygiene products


Segue to the sarky DJ chat
Transitioning to sarcastic DJ speech


Riding on the fortunes of some other bodies back
Benefiting from someone else's success


Sorry for myself
Feeling sorry for oneself


Mining for some inspiration
Searching for creative motivation


Sucked into the engine
Pulled into the machinery


Purring plunging
Smoothly accelerating


Carbon poisons puking carcinogenic crap
Exhaust emissions releasing harmful chemicals


Depth charge heart attack
Overwhelming feeling of anxiety


Jack knife head on crash
Severe collision


Pop star lipstick
Lipstick commonly worn by pop stars


Metal feathers turkey giblets
Metal decorations resembling turkey organs


Blocking every pass
Obstructing all roads


Our trusty DJ laughs
The DJ chuckles


This one's for you
This song is dedicated to you


If you're if you're fouled up in the tail back
If you're stuck in traffic


Macho muck savages exposing their back passages
Aggressive people revealing their rear ends


Free basing freemasons flexing moral muscle
Drug-abusing members of a secret society demonstrating morality




Contributed by Victoria H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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