El Camino
The Basement Tapes Lyrics


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The teenagers always want more
The boys all wanna sleep with whores
The girls want boys who drive new cars
And their parents take pills out of medicine jars
In the dark everyone sings sad songs
And the kids find it hard to get along
With the monsters that sleep in the bottom of their bongs
El Camino stereo
No de nero radio zero

Don’t ever look in the rear view
You don't want to know what's behind you
Don’t listen to the kids who tell you what to do
The animals are bigger than the zoo
In the dark everyone sings sad songs
And the kids find it hard to get along
With the monsters that sleep in the bottom of their bongs
El Camino stereo
No de nero radio zero

Engine exhaust like rocket fuel to the stratosphere
Blast off to space without fear
And I will take you there
In the midnight air
In the dark we'll all sing along to sad songs
And we'll forget the words as we go along
But in the dark summer night nothing can go wrong




El camino stereo
No de nero radio zero

Overall Meaning

The song "El Camino" by The Basement Tapes describes the struggles and experiences of teenagers. The lyrics suggest that young people today are obsessed with status symbols and pleasure-seeking, rather than trying to connect with each other on a deeper level. The opening lines "The teenagers always want more / The boys all wanna sleep with whores / The girls want boys who drive new cars" paint a picture of shallow materialism and sexual objectification.


The second verse advises the listener not to get lost in trying to please others, but to focus on their own desires and aspirations. The imagery of "the animals are bigger than the zoo" suggests that there is a wildness within all of us that cannot be tamed by societal pressures. Later in the song, there is a sense of escape in the lines "Engine exhaust like rocket fuel to the stratosphere / Blast off to space without fear / And I will take you there / In the midnight air." Here, the singer is offering a chance to break free from the pressures of the world and enjoy a moment of pure thrill and excitement.


Overall, "El Camino" is a poignant commentary on the struggles facing young people today, with a message that encourages them to find their own path and escape the confines of societal expectations.


Line by Line Meaning

The teenagers always want more
Adolescents always crave for more than what they have.


The boys all wanna sleep with whores
The guys want to have sexual relations with women who are not virtuous.


The girls want boys who drive new cars
Young women are attracted to men who own flashy cars.


And their parents take pills out of medicine jars
The guardians of these adolescents consume medication from containers.


In the dark everyone sings sad songs
During darkness, people express sorrow through music.


And the kids find it hard to get along
The youths struggle to coexist with one another.


With the monsters that sleep in the bottom of their bongs
They have beasts dormant at the base of their smoking devices.


El Camino stereo
El Camino model's sound system.


No de nero radio zero
This does not have any economic value.


Don’t ever look in the rearview
Never look back into the past.


You don't want to know what's behind you
You should not be concerned about what happened earlier.


Don’t listen to the kids who tell you what to do
Do not obey the juveniles directing you.


The animals are bigger than the zoo
The creatures are numerous, and there is wilderness beyond zoos.


Engine exhaust like rocket fuel to the stratosphere
The fumes being expelled are similar to what propels rockets to the high atmosphere.


Blast off to space without fear
Launch to the galaxy with no doubt.


And I will take you there
I will lead the way to the final destination.


In the midnight air
Under the skies at night.


But in the dark summer night nothing can go wrong
During dark warmer evenings, everything can go as planned.




Contributed by Isaac L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

Ricky Greer

Happy snow day \m/

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