Cincinnati
The Distillers Lyrics


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I've been to your town
Ain't nobody around
I've been to your city
Ain't no city like Cinicinnati

The first time I've been there
In the rollin heat
I saw black love spent
and angel wings
I saw white dust choke
and kill and end the violence

And I know I'm running the American Dream
Red, White, and Blue blood
Run at the seams
Bitter sweet liberty
Don't mean shit to me

Hey I've been to your town
Ain't nobody around
Hey baby I've been
To your city
Ain't no city like Cincinnati

Hey I run along to Mexico
Some water is cold up the coast
You know I bleed the sun
The ressurection

I run along to Ohio
Drive past the grave
of an old romance
Never felt more alive than
Suicide Cincinnati

And I've been to your town
Ain't nobody around
Hey baby I've been
To your city
Ain't no city like Cincinnati





Here we are...
In utopia

Overall Meaning

The Distillers’s song “Cincinnati” portrays the singer's experience in travel and the different perspectives she has encountered. The song is a protest against the American Dream and the emptiness that comes with it. According to the lyrics, the first time the singer went to Cincinnati, the city was deserted, and no one was there. She describes the city as being unique and not comparable to any other city.


The singer goes on to describe the violence and chaos that she witnessed. The effect of white dust chocking and killing everyone in sight also appears to have left a vivid memory of the city, and she speaks of how it ended the violence. The song suggests that the American Dream, epitomized in the red, white and blue, is falling apart. The concept of bitter, sweet liberty represented by the American Dream is lost on the singer since it doesn't mean anything to her.


As she runs along the coast, she describes the beauty of the scenery, and although she bleeds under the sun's heat, she ultimately finds a sense of renewal and resurrection. As she passes an old love's grave in Ohio, the singer confesses that she has never felt more alive than in suicide Cincinnati. The song ends with the singer and the audience in a utopia, a world that is a better version of reality, an idealistic view of the world.


Line by Line Meaning

I've been to your town
I have traveled to the place where you live


Ain't nobody around
I did not see or meet anyone there


I've been to your city
I have visited the larger, more urban area near your town


Ain't no city like Cincinnati
There is no other city quite like Cincinnati, Ohio


The first time I've been there
The initial occasion on which I visited the city


In the rollin heat
During a time when the weather was very hot and uncomfortable


I saw black love spent
I observed people who had devoted themselves fully to one another, only to find that their love had been depleted or exhausted


and angel wings
A metaphorical reference to a feeling of spiritual uplift or transcendence


I saw white dust choke
I witnessed the negative impact of pollution or environmental hazards on people and their surroundings


and kill and end the violence
The aftermath of conflict or aggression, which can have lethal consequences


And I know I'm running the American Dream
I am pursuing the concept of success and prosperity that is often associated with American culture


Red, White, and Blue blood
A metaphor for patriotism or nationalistic fervor, which can lead to aggressive or destructive behavior


Run at the seams
To unravel or fall apart due to strain or tension


Bitter sweet liberty
A complex idea of freedom that can involve both positive and negative aspects


Don't mean shit to me
I do not value or care about this concept


Hey I run along to Mexico
I fled the country and went to Mexico


Some water is cold up the coast
The temperature of the ocean changes as you travel along the coastline


You know I bleed the sun
I draw strength or inspiration from the sun, which is often associated with vitality or energy


The ressurection
A feeling of personal rejuvenation or rebirth


I run along to Ohio
I traveled to the state of Ohio


Drive past the grave
I drove past a cemetery or burial site


of an old romance
A reference to a past relationship or love interest


Never felt more alive than
I was energized or invigorated to a degree that I had not previously experienced


Suicide Cincinnati
An expression of despair or hopelessness associated with the city of Cincinnati


Here we are...
A transition to a different section of the song


In utopia
A reference to a perfect or ideal world that may not exist in reality




Contributed by Ellie A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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