Biography by Mark Deming
Keep on dreamin'
The Arcs Lyrics
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Every single radio has gone away
And it isn't coming back, isn't coming back
The city isn't what it seems
Alien subway scenes, please go away
And never come back, never come back
Go for a stroll in the park
Nothing matters, no how
Keep on dreamin' now
Every single day, the same
Cloudy with a chance of rain
I'm not the only one
Who never gets back, never gets back, no
Barely see the light of day
Workin' my life away
God knows I'm done
And I'll never get it back, never get it back
Go for a stroll in the park
Keep my mind in the dark
Nothing matters, no how
Keep on dreamin' now
Bye-bye
If I kill it, might cry
Not that I even know how
Keep on dreamin' now
Go for a stroll in the park
Keep my mind in the dark
Nothing matters, no how
Keep on dreamin' now
Bye-bye
If I kill it, might cry
Not that I even know how
Keep on dreamin' now
The song "Keep on Dreamin'" by The Arcs appears to comment on the monotony and drudgery of life, particularly the urban working life, and the importance of remaining hopeful for a better future despite its challenges. The opening lines, "Every other city we go, every single radio has gone away, and it isn't coming back," suggest a sense of desolation and a loss of joy and culture in cities. The reluctance to return is conveyed through the repetition of the phrase "never come back," accentuating a feeling of futility and rejection of the urban environment.
The next verse similarly portrays a bleak workforce and a lack of fulfillment in daily life. The line "cloudy with a chance of rain" could be interpreted as a metaphor for how life can seem predictable and dreary. The chorus offers a remedy for this hopelessness through the phrase "keep on dreamin' now" which appears to imply that despite how overwhelming daily life can feel, the act of dreaming for something better is an essential refuge.
The song's final verse might suggest a feeling of anxiety around the act of dreaming, with the line "if I kill it, might cry, not that I even know how." In this sense, the song might be seen to warn against the dangers of becoming resigned to a mundane reality, of giving up on hope and possibility.
Line by Line Meaning
Every other city we go
As we travel from city to city, we notice that every radio station disappears.
Every single radio has gone away
We can't find any radio station to listen to, no matter where we go.
And it isn't coming back, isn't coming back
We don't expect the radio to come back, it's just gone.
The city isn't what it seems
We realize that the city appears to be something different than what it is.
Alien subway scenes, please go away
The subway scenes appear strange and unusual to us, and we wish they would disappear.
And never come back, never come back
We don't want to see them again in the future.
Go for a stroll in the park
We take a walk in the park to relax and clear our minds.
Keep my mind in the dark
We try to forget about our problems and keep our minds free from them.
Nothing matters, no how
We feel that nothing seems to matter, no matter how hard we try.
Keep on dreamin' now
We continue dreaming and hoping for the best.
Every single day, the same
Every day seems to be exactly the same, with no variation.
Cloudy with a chance of rain
The weather is always cloudy with a high probability of rain.
I'm not the only one
We are not the only ones experiencing this, as others feel the same way.
Who never gets back, never gets back, no
We feel like we never get back what we put in, and this continues to happen.
Barely see the light of day
We spend most of our days working and rarely get to see any sunlight.
Workin' my life away
We feel like we are working our whole life away with no relief in sight.
God knows I'm done
We are mentally and emotionally spent and feel like giving up.
And I'll never get it back, never get it back
We feel that we will never get back the time and energy that we put into things.
Bye-bye
We bid farewell to our current situation and mindset.
If I kill it, might cry
We fear that if we let go of this situation, we might experience an emotional breakdown.
Not that I even know how
We aren't sure how to let go of this situation or how to move forward.
Keep on dreamin' now
Despite everything, we continue to dream and hope for a better future.
Lyrics © SC PUBLISHING DBA SECRETLY CANADIAN PUB., BMG Rights Management
Written by: Daniel Quine Auerbach, Leon Michels, Homer Steinweiss, Nicholas Movshon, Richard Swift
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@natepoch2416
This band means so much to me, and the recorded version of this song is better than I ever could have imagined. What an amazing tribute to Swift, as well.
@EasyEyeSound
💚
@jessicavaldilenesousa393
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@10-minutos15
@@EasyEyeSound 3:😂😬
@onehardtaco
Picking up right where they left off. Richard’s music and influence lives on.
@pepsiman911
No matter what Dan Auerbach does it never seems to miss
@robd8167
The Arcs will always be on my desert island list
@doctorwu1303
It just amazes me how the Arcs, The Keys, and Dan’s solo material can sound so different and how Dan can keep it so fresh. You can hear all of them and tell which is which musically. I’ve seen all three in concert and Dan seems to present himself differently too. I’m glad they are back to do this for Swift.
@EasyEyeSound
Thank you for your continued support! 💚
@matguerra333
ah...the reason it's so fresh is bc it all has dan's production on it. He's a badass but to say it doesn't sound the same--is off. It sounds like Dan (aka great and unique) bc it's Dan. You'll find most great producers have a "sound".