Ocasek released his first solo album in 1982. Beatitude is a somewhat more experimental variation of The Cars' New Wave rock sound. A more synthesizer-heavy follow up, This Side Of Paradise, was released in 1986. A minor hit, "Emotion In Motion" accompanied the album.
The Cars split in 1987, and Ocasek disappeared from the public eye for several years, resurfacing in 1990 with Fireball Zone. One track, "Rockaway", enjoyed a brief stay on the charts, but his solo albums have seen disappointing sales, especially compared to his success with the Cars. He subsequently released other solo works throughout the decade, including 1993's Quick Change World, 1996's Getchertikitz (a collaboration with Suicide's Alan Vega), and 1997's Billy Corgan-produced Troublizing (which Ocasek supported with a very brief tour, his first since leaving the Cars). In 2005, Ocasek released another album, Nexterday, to little fanfare but positive reviews.
In 2010, Ocasek reunited with the surviving original members of The Cars to record their first album in 24 years, titled Move Like This, which came out on May 10, 2011.
Coming for You
Ric Ocasek Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But you still can't turn away
Get up and run before you stall
Before the edges fray
You always feel misunderstood
But you did the best you could
They're coming for you
Appropriate sunshine frozen like clay
But you still can't focus clear
Elliptical trouble always missing the lines
And you don't want to stand too near
You thought it was a joke
All that emotional soft smoke
They're coming for you
Ah, they're coming for you
They're coming for you
Yeah, they're coming for you
You still feel a total wreck
But you figure, hey, what the heck
Oh, they're coming for you
Ah, they're coming for you
They're not done with you
Ah, they're coming for you
Here they come
They're coming for you
The lyrics in Ric Ocasek's song "Coming for You" seem to be about someone who feels like they're on the brink of something, almost like a feeling of impending doom. The first verse talks about "trim life shadows" flickering and falling, almost like the edges of their life are starting to fray. The lyrics urge the listener to "Get up and run before you stall," which could refer to the idea of not letting yourself get bogged down by life's challenges. The second verse continues this theme of feeling lost and unfocused, with "elliptical trouble always missing the lines" and an inability to "focus clear." The lyrics also suggest that this person is used to feeling misunderstood and may have even been written off as a joke when they expressed themselves emotionally, hence "you thought it was a joke / all that emotional soft smoke." Despite feeling like a "total wreck," the subject of the song seems to be resigned to the fact that something is coming for them, hinted at by the repeated phrase "they're coming for you."
These lyrics could be interpreted in different ways based on where the listener is in their own life. It could be interpreted as a warning to not let yourself become complacent and to always be ready for change, even if it's scary or uncomfortable. Or it could speak to someone who feels like they've been fighting against something or someone for a long time and they're just waiting for the moment they can't hold on anymore. At its core, the song seems to be about that feeling of anxiety and unease that comes from knowing something is on the horizon, but not knowing exactly what it is.
Line by Line Meaning
Trim life shadows flicker and fall
The fleeting moments and hardships of life constantly loom over you and slowly fade away.
But you still can't turn away
Despite the transience of life, you are unable to ignore it.
Get up and run before you stall
You need to keep moving and avoid getting stuck in one place.
Before the edges fray
To prevent yourself from falling apart and losing control.
You always feel misunderstood
People never seem to fully grasp your intentions or actions.
But you did the best you could
Despite feeling underappreciated or misinterpreted, you know you tried your hardest.
Ah, they're coming for you
A sense of impending danger or threat is lurking around the corner.
Appropriate sunshine frozen like clay
The warmth and positivity of life is present, yet unresponsive, similar to hardened clay.
But you still can't focus clear
Despite the positivity, it is difficult to concentrate and stay present.
Elliptical trouble always missing the lines
The problems you face seem never-ending and continually evade a clear or concise solution.
And you don't want to stand too near
Avoiding complications, both from others and yourself.
You thought it was a joke
Something that was initially perceived as humorous or insignificant ended up causing real emotional distress.
All that emotional soft smoke
A reference to a false sense of zen or enlightenment, which ultimately leads to disillusionment.
They're not done with you
The danger or threat is still lurking and may even intensify.
Yeah, they're coming for you
The danger or threat is quickly approaching.
You still feel a total wreck
Despite trying to remain positive and forward-thinking, you still feel broken and hopeless.
But you figure, hey, what the heck
Despite all the challenges and hardships, you decide to embrace a carefree attitude and roll with the punches.
Oh, they're coming for you
The danger or threat is becoming more palpable and threatening.
They're not done with you
The threat still looms, and there may be more challenges to come.
Ah, they're coming for you
The sense of danger and unease is growing stronger and more urgent.
Here they come
The danger or threat is now imminent and unavoidable.
Contributed by Joshua H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Helen Fein
Thanks Ric for a massive song. The guitars solos are insane. RIP Ric. Thanks for all the tunes and memories.
ldolphin34
Ric can be soft and quirky, but songs like this show his rock muscle and ability to instrumentally explode. This is why he's one of the best.
Monica Del sole
Esto sólo se escucha a volumen 1000 y que tus vecinos pregunten aturdidos, a quien escuchabas? Los amo. Desde Argentina!
john adams
Absolute genius.
Herald Yoman
The guitar in the beginning is unbelievably amazing!
Fredda Fox
Drummer is pretty good too.Is that a synth?It sounds too real to me.
Fredda Fox
Guitar at end is fantastic!
Too True
It's Steve Stevens. Billy Idol's guitarist...
joshua soonar
@Fredda Fox - I don't know if it's a Drum Machine or a Sampler. Cause of the exact velocity of each sound it can be a synthetic...but not sure.
minutes ago
The "GUITAR" is likely a $100,000 back then digital synclavier keyboard. like 2:33 and on, some parts are just so insane, sounding like sirens etc. It does say on the insert for jewel case for CD that they credit the synclavier playing and programming to someone. It could record and play real digitized sounds like guitar and they could run that through distortion. There could also be real guitar on the album, but the crazy riffs are very likely on the synclavier work station. The oscillations are too fast, unless they sped up an actual guitar.. but again it seems more like sped up midi. The drum sounds are likely part of the synclavier drum library or what they made. I've heard drums like this before.. Phil collins also had some samples like this besides using the linn 9000. 3:39 shows the snare repeats with the same attack. Yep, pretty sure we just heard the synclavier, on this. search up new england digital synclavier digital audio workstation.