Roller Coaster
Roky Erickson The Black Angels Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
His eyes were clear to see,
He put his thoughts into my mind,
And gave my self to be
He stopped me from living so unsane,
I could be just what I want to be
And things appear as they really are,
I can see just what I want to see
Oh come on, and let it happen to you,
I say, I say come on, and let it happen to you
You gotta open up your mind
And let everything come through
Come on yeah!
Well it starts like a Roller coaster ride,
So real it takes your breath away
It slides you through your point of view,
You look back to where you thought you'd stayed
Your ride changes outside view,
While it glides you like a neon ray,
And you find you don't have to search for words,
'Cause there's nothing you need to say
Well come on, you gotta let it happen to you,
Come on, and let it happen to you,
You gotta open up your mind
And let everything come through
After your trip life opens up,
You start doing what you want to do
And you find out that the world that you once feared,
Gets what it has from you
No one can ever hurt you
'Cause you know more than you thought you knew
And you're looking at the world
From brand new eyes,
And no one can ever spoil the view
Come on, and let it happen to you,
Hey, hey, hey come on, and let it happen to you,
You gotta open up your mind
And let everything come through
Open up your mind,
And let everything come through
The lyrics to "Roller Coaster" by Roky Erickson and The Black Angels is a call to action for listeners to embrace the psychedelic experience. The use of a roller coaster ride as a metaphor for the psychedelic trip is very apt. It is a wild, unpredictable and intense ride that alters one's perceptions of reality in the same way, a psychedelic experience does. The opening lines of the song suggest that someone had introduced the singer to this altered state of consciousness and that it had transformed him into a more confident and self-assured person. He no longer feels trapped by his unsane way of living and sees things as they are, not as he wants them to be. The song then encourages the listener to let this transformation happen to them.
The second half of the song describes the actual roller coaster ride. The thrill of the ride is so intense that it takes your breath away and makes you view your life from a different perspective. The world is no longer something to fear because you see that it is merely a projection of your thoughts and emotions. Your newfound understanding of reality gives you a sense of empowerment and freedom, and you can do whatever you want without fear of being hurt. The song ends with the singer exhorting the listener once again to open up their mind and embrace the psychedelic experience.
Line by Line Meaning
Well once , somewhere, sometime ago
In the past, at some point and place that may not be specified
His eyes were clear to see,
His intentions were obvious and easy to understand
He put his thoughts into my mind,
He influenced my thinking with his ideas
And gave my self to be
He allowed me to be my true self
He stopped me from living so unsane,
He prevented me from living in an insane or unhealthy way
I could be just what I want to be
I was free to be whoever I wanted to be
And things appear as they really are,
I could see things for what they truly are
I can see just what I want to see
I have the power to perceive things the way I choose
Oh come on, and let it happen to you,
Encouragement to let oneself experience the same thing
I say, I say come on, and let it happen to you
Reaffirmation of the previous encouragement
You gotta open up your mind
One needs to let go of their preconceived notions
And let everything come through
And allow new experiences and perspectives to enter
Well it starts like a Roller coaster ride,
The experience is likened to a roller coaster ride
So real it takes your breath away
It's so intense that it leaves one gasping for breath
It slides you through your point of view,
It shifts one's perspective and worldview
You look back to where you thought you'd stayed
You reflect on your previous beliefs and life choices
Your ride changes outside view,
Your experience of the world changes
While it glides you like a neon ray,
It's a smooth and effortless experience
And you find you don't have to search for words,
It's difficult to articulate the experience
'Cause there's nothing you need to say
Because the experience speaks for itself
After your trip life opens up,
After the experience, life becomes clearer and more open
You start doing what you want to do
You have the confidence to pursue your dreams
And you find out that the world that you once feared,
The fears that once held you back no longer have power over you
Gets what it has from you
You realize that you have something to offer the world
No one can ever hurt you
You are no longer vulnerable to emotional pain
'Cause you know more than you thought you knew
You gain a deeper understanding of yourself and the world
And you're looking at the world
You have a fresh perspective on life
From brand new eyes,
You see everything anew
And no one can ever spoil the view
Your newfound perspective cannot be taken away from you
Hey, hey, hey come on, and let it happen to you,
Reiteration of the invitation to experience the same thing
Open up your mind,
Advice to be more open-minded
And let everything come through
And allow oneself to be receptive to new experiences and ideas
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ROGER KYN ERIKSON, JAMES HALL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind