The Bus
Temporary Basement Lyrics
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And pray for snow
And I know it's not my fault, but I say its not the truth.
I wake to rain
And hope for flood
I don't care, I fake the flu, but I'm still off to school.
My yellow ride
Front of the steps
I grit my teeth
Clench my fist and close my eyes but, nothing, I'm still here
I go outside
I take my time
I don't want to go to school today!
Last period ends
All wait for me
Audience forms
But I won't face up to what I have to do!
The lyrics to The Bus by Temporary Basement, are a story about a student who is struggling to cope with going to school. The first verse symbolizes the student's desire to avoid going to school, as they pray for snow, an event that would lead to the school's closure. The student recognizes that their desire is unfounded, however, they continue to deny the truth about their situation. The second verse continues with this theme as the student blames their fake illness on a flood that they also hope for. In this way, the student's avoidance has become an ingrained pattern of behavior.
The chorus of the song sees the student preparing for school, gritting their teeth, and clenching their fists, but despite their attempts, they know they will end up at school. The second part of the chorus sees the student admitting that they do not want to go to school but will go anyway. The last verse is about the student's fear of facing up to a challenging situation, with the audience symbolizing the student's fear of being judged for their anxiety. In this way, the song provides an insight into the thoughts and feelings of someone struggling with school-related anxiety.
Line by Line Meaning
I go to sleep
The singer goes to bed.
And pray for snow
The singer hopes for a snowstorm to cancel school tomorrow.
And I know it's not my fault, but I say its not the truth.
The singer is hesitant to take responsibility for their actions.
I wake to rain
The artist wakes up to rainy weather.
And hope for flood
The artist wants the rain to turn into a flood that will cancel school.
I don't care, I fake the flu, but I'm still off to school.
The singer pretends to be sick but still goes to school.
I go outside
The singer steps outside.
My yellow ride
The artist's yellow school bus arrives.
Front of the steps
The bus stops in front of the school steps.
I grit my teeth
The artist clenches their teeth.
Clench my fist and close my eyes but, nothing, I'm still here
The singer tries to will themselves away from the situation but ultimately has to face it.
I go outside
The artist exits the school bus.
I take my time
The singer tries to delay going to school by taking their time.
I don't want to go to school today!
The singer does not want to attend school today.
Last period ends
The final class of the day ends.
All wait for me
Other students wait for the artist.
Audience forms
A group of people forms to watch the artist's next move.
But I won't face up to what I have to do!
The singer avoids taking responsibility for their actions yet again.
Contributed by Aubrey W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.