The band originated in 2011 as Sadie Dupuis' solo project while she was teaching songwriting at a summer camp, recording her own material using her laptop.
"Resurrects the floppy-stringed guitar dissonance of old-school Boston bands like Kudgel and Swirlies, or Rob Crow from Pinback's predecessor Thingy, who forged similar anti-anthems out of the grimiest chords." - Boston Globe. TL;DR. DTF. 10" EP, 'Sports,' out on Exploding in Sound Records. 'Major Arcana' out on Carpark Records; 'Real Hair' EP followed in February 2014.
Cash Cab
Speedy Ortiz Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who pays
Rat king of the ward
Fell slack on the course
Quite doesn't retain
He can't remember a thing, fleeing the chalk of his mess
All of the smart ones repress
They get amnesia and now I wanna forget I loved someone who left me for dead
I forgot to forget
Only an empty head says, "I wanna be with somebody."
It went below and as I foretold
You'll pay
How wisely he roars
The chariot
Tell me what do you retain
You can't remember a thing
Torn between too many heads
All of the bad ones repress
They get amnesia and now I wanna forget I loved someone who left me for dead
I want amnesia just to please you again
Here goes another empty threat:
I wanna be with somebody just like me
Someone who laughs at crashed car rental
Someone who hurts in an accident
Someone as scared of abandonment
And all I'll ever do is untie all your knots
Dissolve all your thoughts
I wanna be with somebody just like me
Somebody just like me
I wanna be with somebody just like me
Somebody just like me
I'll do all this when you pay me
The song "Cash Cab" by Speedy Ortiz is a complex and introspective exploration of memory, repression, and abandonment. The opening lines of the song "as up above then so below, who pays, rat king of the ward, fell slack on the course, quite doesn't retain" seem to be referencing the idea of the law of correspondence, which holds that what is true in the macrocosm is also true in the microcosm. The ideas of upper and lower levels, and the question of who pays, could be interpreted as relating to the idea of cause and effect, or karma. The "rat king of the ward" seems to represent a person who is caught up in their own tangled mess of memories and experiences, unable to move forward or make sense of their life. The next line, "fell slack on the course, quite doesn't retain", suggests that this person has lost their way and can't seem to hold onto anything important or significant.
The chorus of the song, "they get amnesia and now I wanna forget I loved someone who left me for dead, I forgot to forget, only an empty head says 'I wanna be with somebody'", further expands on these themes of memory and loss. The idea of "getting amnesia" could be interpreted as a metaphor for repression or denial, as people often repress traumatic memories in order to cope with them. The singer of the song seems to be struggling with the fact that they still love someone who hurt them deeply, and are desperate to forget about them or move on in some way. The final line of the chorus, "only an empty head says 'I wanna be with somebody'", could be interpreted as a criticism of the singer's desire for companionship, suggesting that they are only seeking relationships as a way to avoid dealing with their own emotional baggage.
The second verse of the song continues to explore these themes, with lines like "torn between too many heads, all of the bad ones repress" suggesting a struggle with conflicting thoughts and emotions. The idea of "too many heads" could be interpreted as a reference to the multiple layers of consciousness that exist within a single person. The phrase "all of the bad ones repress" again suggests a desire to push away or deny difficult emotions. The final lines of the song, "I'll do all this when you pay me", seem to suggest that the singer is willing to confront their own emotional issues only when they are compensated in some way, perhaps in the form of love or validation.
Line by Line Meaning
As up above then so below
What happens in one realm, happens in the opposite realm as well.
Who pays
Who will take responsibility for the consequences of actions?
Rat king of the ward
The corrupt leader who holds power over others.
Fell slack on the course
Failed to keep up with the set standards/goals.
Quite doesn't retain
Unable to remember important information even after multiple attempts.
He can't remember a thing, fleeing the chalk of his mess
The person is trying to escape blame for the chaos he created and feigns ignorance.
All of the smart ones repress
The intelligent ones often suppress their feelings to avoid being vulnerable.
They get amnesia and now I wanna forget I loved someone who left me for dead
Those who have painful experiences may lose memories due to repression, while the artist wants to forget their past love who betrayed them.
I forgot to forget
Unable to forget despite trying to do so.
Only an empty head says, "I wanna be with somebody."
A person with limited capability to think and comprehend long-term consequences will want a relationship for the sake of it.
It went below and as I foretold
As predicted, the situation got worse.
You'll pay
You will face the consequences of your actions/decisions.
How wisely he roars
How cleverly he proclaims himself as the leader.
The chariot
Symbolic of control, dominance, and authority.
Tell me what do you retain
The singer wants to know what valuable information the person remembers.
Torn between too many heads
The person is struggling to make the right decision due to conflicting thoughts/voices within their head.
All of the bad ones repress
Those with negative experiences tend to suppress their pain rather than confront it.
They get amnesia and now I wanna forget I loved someone who left me for dead
Same as above mentioned line.
I want amnesia just to please you again
The singer wants to forget the past just to make their partner happy.
Here goes another empty threat:
A meaningless promise.
I wanna be with somebody just like me
The artist desires a partner who shares similar experiences and struggles.
Someone who laughs at crashed car rental
Someone who finds joy in the misfortune of others.
Someone who hurts in an accident
Someone who experiences pain and agony during an unfortunate event.
Someone as scared of abandonment
Someone who is terrified of being left alone by their loved ones.
And all I'll ever do is untie all your knots
The singer will help their partner overcome their emotional struggles.
Dissolve all your thoughts
Erase all of your anxieties and doubts.
I wanna be with somebody just like me
Same as above mentioned line.
Somebody just like me
The artist wants their ideal partner who shares their experiences and perspective.
I'll do all this when you pay me
The artist will only help and commit when their partner compensates/fulfills their own set of expectations.
Contributed by Ellie C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.