City of Bugs
The Cribs Lyrics

It came to me like a voice from above
The inspiration or realization arrived suddenly, almost as if it was a divine message

Or like a message in praise of platonic love
The inspiration may have been related to a non-romantic connection between people

And if you stand in the booth
Avoid being alone with strangers by standing in a public place

Then you don't have to sit with a stranger
Standing up means you can move away quickly in case a stranger approaches

You feel the rape in the city of bugs
A dark and unsafe atmosphere pervades the city, like a rape or violation

Fill the hole with glass
Covering the void or emptiness of the city with something hard and fragile

Vessels burst after love
The intensity and passion of love can cause emotional and physical breakdowns

But don't go too long without letting them know
It's important to communicate and show affection to loved ones, or they may feel neglected

That you're there
Reassuring others of your presence and care for them

A perfumed gust drifts to my core
A delicate and evocative sensation of a scent reaching deep inside

I give it one last look
A final glimpse of something before leaving it behind

It was a cross-hatched door
A door with a pattern that resembles a grid or mesh

But I'm messed up baby
Admitting to feeling confused, flawed, or emotionally unstable

Like the Berlin Wall
A simile for feeling divided, isolated or at odds with oneself or others

Tonight
Emphasizing the immediacy and urgency of feeling this way

You came into reach
Someone or something became accessible or available

Like the Serpent and Peach
A reference to the Bible story of the serpent tempting Eve with the forbidden fruit, suggesting a similar seductive or dangerous allure

Came to me in the dream
The appearance or realization had a dreamlike quality, perhaps surreal or imaginary

That contractions set free
The release or resolution of tension or conflict, like the relief of giving birth

But it's never too late to admit to me
Openness and honesty can still improve a relationship or situation

That you're worried
Acknowledging feelings of anxiety, fear, or concern

Never a choice
A sense of fatalism or inevitability, that things cannot be changed or avoided

Don't remember your voice
The loss or absence of someone's identity, personality or influence

I was born out of glass
A sense of fragility, vulnerability, or transparency about oneself

I'll return there at last
Going back to the beginning, the essence, or the origin of oneself

In a shattering climax
An explosive, cathartic or transformative moment of destruction or release

For left out children to carry
Something that will be inherited or continued by future generations, like a legacy or burden

A world without sin is a laughable thing
A cynical or sarcastic view of human nature, that perfection or moral purity is unattainable or unrealistic

So go out on a limb
Taking a risk or making an effort, despite the uncertainty or potential danger involved

Take a stone for a swim
Doing something unexpected, unconventional, or even absurd

In a shattering climax
Another reference to the explosive, transformative moment of destruction or release

The wall falls
The final realization or resolution, or the clearing of an obstacle or division