Produced by Saint Etienne
Rel… Read Full Bio ↴Written by Bob Stanley & Pete Wiggs
Produced by Saint Etienne
Released February 1994 on Tiger Bay
Notes Mixed and programmed by Rick Smith of Underworld. The song seems to bear a debt to the song Silver Dagger by Joan Baez. Bob Stanley talking about the song in 1995: "Number 47 with a bullet. The Americans tried to get us to change the title to Like A Freeway! Can you believe it? We said, Autobahn was a hit all around the world, fuck off. Tiger Bay was supposed to be an album of modern folk songs done in 20th century styles like techno and dub. So we wrote most of it in the Forest Of Dean. We went into the country to get our heads together. We wanted to do loads of songs about death, so we bought the local papers to get some real stories, and there was nothing."
Like a Motorway
Saint Etienne Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He's gone, / he's gone. /
She wears sad jeans / torn at the waistband. /
Her pretty face / is stained with tears. /
I know this means / that he has gone. /
And in this town / of mis-guided tourists, /
She never thought / she'd fall in love. /
It was a few days / after her birthday, /
The thrill hostess / gave her first kiss. /
He said her skin / smelled just like petals, /
Said stupid things / he knew she'd like. /
She said her life / was like a motorway: /
Dull, grey, and long / 'til he came along. /
He's gone, / he's gone. /
I said "how could / he ever leave you? /
You two were good, / you were so right." /
She said "I wish / that he just left me; /
He'd be alive, / alive tonight." /
He's gone, / he's gone. /
He's gone, / he's gone. /
He's gone, / he's gone.
The lyrics to Saint Etienne's song Like a Motorway tell the story of a woman who is heartbroken after her lover has left her. The first verse describes her appearance, wearing sad jeans that are torn at the waistband and her pretty face is stained with tears. She holds a letter in her right hand, and it is clear that this means that he has left her. The second verse describes the town they were in, which is full of misguided tourists, and how she never thought she would fall in love. However, after her birthday, she was kissed by a thrill hostess, and it was then that she fell in love with the man who has now left her.
The third verse has the most poetic description of their love. Her lover complemented her skin and said stupid things he knew she'd like. She described her life before him as dull, grey, and long, much like a motorway. It is evident from the lyrics that the woman was deeply in love with the man who has left. In the chorus, she laments his departure and repeats "he's gone" multiple times. In the final verse, the woman expresses her deep sorrow and wishes that her lover had left her instead of being dead.
Overall, the lyrics of Like a Motorway are incredibly poignant and melancholic. The vivid imagery that Saint Etienne uses to describe her pain and sorrow is beautifully heartbreaking. It is a song about lost love, heartbreak, and the longing for the person who has left.
Line by Line Meaning
He's gone, he's gone.
The person she loves has left her.
She wears sad jeans torn at the waistband.
She is dressed in a way that reflects her sadness.
Her pretty face is stained with tears.
She has been crying and it's evident on her face.
And in her right hand she clasps a letter;
She has a letter or something that details why he left.
I know this means that he has gone.
She has received a letter or message from the person indicating that he has left.
And in this town of mis-guided tourists,
The town is full of people who are lost or don't know where they are going.
She never thought she'd fall in love.
She didn't expect to fall in love in this town.
It was a few days after her birthday,
The time when she met him was just after her birthday.
The thrill hostess gave her first kiss.
The experience of meeting the person was thrilling and also an opportunity to have her first kiss.
He said her skin smelled just like petals,
He complimented her by saying her skin was fragrant.
Said stupid things he knew she'd like.
He made comments he knew would appeal to her.
She said her life was like a motorway:
She thought her life was dull, repetitive, and uninteresting.
Dull, grey, and long 'til he came along.
Before he came into her life, it was uneventful, monotonous, and seemed to drag on forever.
I said 'how could he ever leave you?
The singer (possibly a friend) is asking how the person she loves could ever leave her.
You two were good, you were so right.'
The singer thinks they were a good fit and meant for each other.
She said 'I wish that he just left me;
She would prefer it if he had just broken up with her instead of something worse happening.
He'd be alive, alive tonight.'
Something terrible has happened to the person she loves and she wishes he was alive.
He's gone, he's gone.
Reiteration of the fact that the person she loves has left her.
He's gone, he's gone.
Reiteration of the fact that the person she loves has left her.
He's gone, he's gone.
Reiteration of the fact that the person she loves has left her.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BOB STANLEY, PETER STEWART WIGGS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Zalpater
Brilliant and so criminally underrated, like most of Saint Etienne’s work. One of the finest bands of the 1990s - decade of my youth - hands down! 💕
@hastekulvaati9681
So Tough is still one of my favourite albums. Very quirky. It really captured the early 90’s 60’s throwback.
@andrewwalsh8274
I have rereleased this classic song as a single in 2024. It is currently #119 on my charts (Playlist). This is a brilliant Europop song.
@DJL78
What?
@jtarantula3390
I recently discovered their work. I am in love.
Obsessed with a couple other songs.
This one broke my heart.
@gilesdunn5728
Avenue is my favourite
@Zedd7
@@gilesdunn5728 Mine too!
@ipiap
They re-released their entire discography in deluxe versions. It's worth checking them out.
@andeez4663
Check out People Get Real- my fave
@christophemoronvalle7515
Superbe musique, je viens de la redécouvrir après tant d'années, la chanteuse est superbe, quelle voix......