City of Angels
The Distillers Lyrics

It's going down tonight in this town, 'cause they stare and growl, they all stare and growl.
The town is filled with hostile people who are glaring and growling at the singer.

I take a scar every time I cry, 'cause it ain't my style, no, it ain't my style.
The singer does not believe in crying as it takes a toll on them emotionally and leaves a lasting impact.

Going down to the gravel, head to the barrel, take this life and end this struggle. Los Angeles, come scam me please.
The singer is in a state of desperation and wishes for Los Angeles to take advantage of them in any way possible.

Emptiness never sleeps at Clifton's, 6 a.m, with your bag lady friend and your mind descending.
The artist feels an overwhelming sense of emptiness and despair at a specific location and time, accompanied by their companion and a mental deterioration.

Stripped of the right to be a human in control, it's warmer in hell so down we go.
The artist feels helpless as if they have lost their control over their life and are headed towards a place of no return.

They say this is the city, the city of angels. All I see is dead wings.
Despite the popular representation of Los Angeles as the city of angels, the singer sees it as a place where hope and life are scarce.

It's a ghost town, rabid underworld, dionysian night, vitriolic twilight.
The singer describes the town as if it is a place haunted by ghosts and filled with an association of negative emotions.

A mirage comes up, it never ends, once you get born you're never the same.
The artist highlights how life in Los Angeles is a mirage that never ends, causing people to lose their sense of self and become someone different entirely.

Left behind, erased from time, ain't no decency in being boxed up alive.
The artist feels as if they have been forgotten and left behind, abandoned by society and imprisoned in their own life with no dignity left.

Look around, ain't no R.I.P. signs here, we don't rest in peace, we just disappear.
The artist notes how there is no peace even in death, as people in Los Angeles disappear without a trace, forgotten by those who knew them in life.

So here we are, Los Angeles, no angels singing in your valley of unease.
The singer further emphasizes the lack of hope and positivity in Los Angeles, even in the supposedly symbolic valley.

I watch the sun roll down the pacific, over hookered sunset strip.
The artist observes the sunset in a particular location in Los Angeles, which they describe as a place filled with prostitution.

There's a black moon tonight, shining down on the western neon lights.
The singer describes a bleak night when a black moon is present and the neon lights that typically brighten up the night lack their usual charm.

They say this is the city, the city of angels. All I see is nothing.
The singer concludes with a final assertion that Los Angeles is a place of nothingness and despair, where hope is quashed and dreams are shattered.