Mountains
Surprise...Fire Lyrics

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They heard me singing and they told me to stop
Quit these pretentious things and just punch the clock
These days, my life, I feel it has no purpose
But late at night the feelings swim to the surface
'Cause on the suburbs the city lights shine
They're calling at me, come and find your kind

Sometimes I wonder if the world's so small

Then we can never get away from the sprawl
Living in the sprawl
Dead shopping malls rise like mountains beyond mountains
And there's no end in sight
I need the darkness someone please cut the lights

We rode our bikes to the nearest park
Sat under the swings, we kissed in the dark
We shield our eyes from the police lights
We run away, but we don't know why
And like a mirror these city lights shine
They're screaming at us, we don't need your kind

Sometimes I wonder if the world's so small
Then we can never get away from the sprawl
Living in the sprawl
Dead shopping malls rise like mountains beyond mountains
And there's no end in sight
I need the darkness someone please cut the lights

They heard me singing and they told me to stop
Quit these pretentious things and just punch the clock
Sometimes I wonder if the world's so small
Can we ever get away from the sprawl
Living in the sprawl
Dead shopping malls rise like mountains beyond mountains

And there's no end in sight
I need the darkness someone please cut the lights

Overall Meaning

The song “Mountains” by Surprise...Fire deals with themes of alienation and disenchantment. The singer of the song is struggling to find purpose in their life, feeling trapped in a world that is too small and too suffocating. The lyrics describe the city lights that shine in the suburbs, calling out to the singer to come and find their kind. However, at the same time, there is a sense of unease and discomfort that comes with living in the sprawl, surrounded by dead shopping malls that rise like mountains beyond mountains.

The song presents the listener with a feeling of claustrophobia, as if the world is closing in around us. The singer’s desire for darkness and to have the lights cut is a metaphor for their longing to escape the superficiality and emptiness of modern life. The lyrics also touch on themes of rebellion, as the singer and their partner run away from the police lights, unsure of why they are doing it but knowing that they need to escape.

Overall, the song “Mountains” invites the listener to think about our own place in the world, asking whether the world really is as small and as claustrophobic as it sometimes seems. It speaks to the feeling of being disconnected from society and struggling to find meaning in our lives.

Line by Line Meaning

They heard me singing and they told me to stop
Others don't always appreciate or understand creative expression and may try to suppress it

Quit these pretentious things and just punch the clock
Society values productivity over creativity and looks down on those who prioritize self-expression

These days, my life, I feel it has no purpose
The singer feels lost and unfulfilled in their daily routine

But late at night the feelings swim to the surface
The artist's true emotions and desires come out when they're alone and unguarded

'Cause on the suburbs the city lights shine
The bright lights of the city represent opportunities and excitement that feel out of reach from the suburbs

They're calling at me, come and find your kind
The city represents a place where the singer might find like-minded people and a sense of belonging

Sometimes I wonder if the world's so small
Despite the size of the planet, it can feel claustrophobic and impossible to escape one's own bubble

Then we can never get away from the sprawl
The city's seemingly endless expansion can make it hard to find genuine places of escape or refuge

Living in the sprawl
The artist feels stuck in a soulless, commercialized environment

Dead shopping malls rise like mountains beyond mountains
The abandoned buildings feel like lifeless, towering structures that dominate the landscape

And there's no end in sight
The lifelessness and emptiness of this place feels inescapable and endless

I need the darkness someone please cut the lights
The artist craves the quiet and isolation that darkness provides, and wants to escape the blaring neon lights of the city

We rode our bikes to the nearest park
The singer remembers a time when simple pleasures like biking to a park felt like real adventure

Sat under the swings, we kissed in the dark
The singer remembers a time of youthful romance and spontaneity

We shield our eyes from the police lights
The presence of law enforcement constantly reminds the singer of rules and boundaries that stifle freedom

We run away, but we don't know why
Even though they feel restless and unfulfilled, the artist doesn't know what they're running towards or what they truly want

And like a mirror these city lights shine
The city's vibrant lights reflect back the artist's own sense of dissatisfaction and yearning

They're screaming at us, we don't need your kind
The city can feel hostile towards those who don't fit the mold or conform to its standards

Can we ever get away from the sprawl
The singer is unsure if it's even possible to truly escape the lifeless, consumer-driven environment they're in

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Jeremy Gara, Regine Chassagne, Richard R Parry, Tim Kingsbury, William Butler, Win Butler

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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