Traffic
Stereophonics Lyrics

We all face the same way
We are all going in the same direction, towards the same destination.

Still it takes all day, I take a look to my left
Despite everyone going in the same direction, it still takes a whole day to reach the destination. The singer takes a moment to look to their left, observing the people around them.

Pick out the worst and the best
The singer looks around and notices both the worst and the best of the people in the crowd.

She paints her lip greasy and thick
The artist observes a woman who has applied a lot of lip gloss, making her lips appear shiny and thick.

Another mirror stare and she's going where?
The woman in question seems to be checking her appearance in the mirror again, and the artist wonders where she could be going.

Another office affair, to kill an unborn scare?
The singer wonders if the woman is going to have an affair at the office, or if she is going there to deal with a potential unplanned pregnancy.

You talk dirty to a priest, it makes them human at least
The singer suggests that talking dirty to a priest can humanize them, in contrast to the holier-than-thou image that they often have.

But as you're running away, to start a brand new day?
The artist poses a question about whether the woman is running away from a situation to start anew.

Or she going home, why's she driving alone?
The artist questions why the woman is driving alone if she is heading home.

Is anyone going anywhere?
The artist questions if anyone in the crowd is actually going anywhere, or if they are just wandering aimlessly.

Everyone's gotta be somewhere
Despite the previous question, the singer acknowledges that everyone has a destination, even if it seems unimportant.

She got a body in the boot, or just bags full of food?
The artist wonders if the woman has a dead body in her car trunk, or if she is just carrying groceries.

Those are models legs, but are they women's are they men's?
The singer observes a pair of legs that look like those of a model's, but questions the gender of the person they belong to.

She shouts down the phone, missed a payment on the loan
The woman is yelling into her phone and seems to have missed a loan payment.

She gotta be above the rest keeping up with the best
The singer suggests that the woman is trying to keep up with the best, which causes her to feel the pressure of needing to be above average.

Wait tables for a crook? Wrote a hard back book?
The artist contemplates the different paths that people may have taken in their lives, such as waiting tables for a questionable employer or writing a successful book.

You teach kids how to read? Sell your body on the street?
The artist contrasts two possible professions - teaching children and prostitution - trying to highlight the different ways people can make their livings.

A nurse without a job? Another uptown snob
The singer observes a nurse who does not have a job, and assumes that she is an entitled person from an upscale part of town.

But have I got you wrong? One look and you were gone
The singer realizes that they have made assumptions about the people around them without really knowing anything about them, and that people can disappear in an instant.

Is anyone going anywhere?
The artist repeats their earlier question, expressing a sense of existential uncertainty about the point of all this movement.

Is anyone going anywhere?
The artist repeats the same question a second time, emphasizing their point and sense of confusion.

Is anyone going anywhere?
The artist repeats the question again, for a third and final time, expressing a sense of frustration and a lack of answers.

Everyone's got to be, somewhere
The singer comes back to their earlier point that, regardless of the confusion and uncertainty, everyone has a place they need to be.