Ride
The Golden Palominos Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

At any moment, you know,
Your manufactured cool could blow
Welcome to the land of pointless and destructive

You keep whining and crying into your beer,
Complaining the reception doesn't come in clear
(you just can't make a connection)
What are all the pretty people on?
No one ever learns to speak American
There are only so many Kung Fu movies you can watch

Haircut, hometown, heroin friends
You make excuses, you should make amends
Who do you call for help when all your friends are dead?

Now they're calling to you from the bar,
And they're fucking with your film noir
And you wear your hope like Christmas

Now I don't know how to break this to you
But her blue eyes were never blue
So now the good times are gone but really, they never arrived

The terrycloth's beneath the tie
And another liar's caught in a lie
"I love you" hangs in the air like a subtitle

There's a war going on inside the bar
She calls for the check, you call for the car
And when you kiss her she tastes like hot candy

Now you're just left to wonder
How she sized you up in three minutes or under
She's out of your league, you're out of your mind

Things only feel true
When someone's abusing you
You are sometimes startled you are never surprised

There are only two speeds: fast and faster,
Now you're lashed to mast and lashed to master
Whether you're in bed or in court, everybody gets off

So she smokes to keep from eating
And you fuck her to keep from feeling
And this is a taste, and this is a waste
And these are all of your days sacrificed

You're rocking out in an empty room
You've built your house, it's become your tomb
Mmm thanks, she says, I'll keep my options open

Now you're nervous with hope, nervous with fear
She's barely gone, and you're barely here
Here comes the cocaine wake up call

And like a boy, not a slave to fame
You kissed lipstick only after money came
Born in New York 30 years ago, you've died several times since

Drive through tunnels and crawl through caves,
And suffer through a life no city can save
They've got an unmarked car with your name on it

So she smoked to keep from eating
And you fucked her to keep from feeling
And that was a taste, and that was a waste
Now these are all of your days magnified

Style over content. You know the other
Keep slugging it out in the superstructure
If you love something, chances are you can't afford it

Forget what's ahead and what's past




And live every day as if it were the last
The dead man never knows he's dead

Overall Meaning

The Golden Palominos's song "Ride" is a poignant commentary on modern life and the search for meaning in a world that seems devoid of it. The lyrics explore themes of alienation, loneliness, and the futile pursuit of pleasure and distraction.


The opening lines of the song suggest that people are only as cool as they allow themselves to be, and that this facade can crumble at any moment. The chorus speaks to the emptiness and destruction of modern life, where people spend their time on meaningless pursuits and find themselves unable to connect with others.


The lyrics also touch on the idea of futility, with lines like "there are only so many Kung Fu movies you can watch" and "things only feel true when someone's abusing you." The chorus repeats the phrase "you're out of your mind," highlighting the idea that many people are living in a state of detachment or delusion.


Overall, "Ride" is a powerful and evocative song that speaks to the struggles of modern life and the human desire for connection and meaning in a world that often seems to offer very little of either.


Line by Line Meaning

At any moment, you know, Your manufactured cool could blow Welcome to the land of pointless and destructive
You know that your fake persona can crumble at any moment, leading to a life filled with meaningless and destructive experiences


You keep whining and crying into your beer, Complaining the reception doesn't come in clear (you just can't make a connection)
You keep complaining and crying about your problems, but you can't seem to connect with anyone to fix them


What are all the pretty people on? No one ever learns to speak American There are only so many Kung Fu movies you can watch
You wonder what drugs the popular people are on, and no one seems to understand or speak the same language as you. You're tired of repetitive films and entertainment


Haircut, hometown, heroin friends You make excuses, you should make amends Who do you call for help when all your friends are dead?
You use superficial things like appearance, where you're from, and drug-using friends as excuses instead of taking responsibility for your actions. You don't have anyone to turn to when you've pushed away all your friends


Now they're calling to you from the bar, And they're fucking with your film noir And you wear your hope like Christmas
People are calling out to you at the bar and disrupting your serious movie-like mindset. You cling onto hope like it's a holiday


Now I don't know how to break this to you But her blue eyes were never blue So now the good times are gone but really, they never arrived
I don't know how to tell you this, but the woman you're pining over was never as genuine as you believed. You've been waiting for good times that never actually existed


The terrycloth's beneath the tie And another liar's caught in a lie "I love you" hangs in the air like a subtitle
Underneath the professional exterior, everyone is just as deceitful as the next person. Declarations of love feel scripted and insincere


There's a war going on inside the bar She calls for the check, you call for the car And when you kiss her she tastes like hot candy
A battle is happening inside the bar as patrons try to outdo each other. You and the woman you're with are in a rush to leave, and your kiss is filled with passion


Now you're just left to wonder How she sized you up in three minutes or under She's out of your league, you're out of your mind
You're left wondering how she managed to make a judgment call about you so quickly. She's above your level, and you're not thinking clearly


Things only feel true When someone's abusing you You are sometimes startled you are never surprised
Things only feel genuine when someone is treating you badly. You're occasionally taken aback, but you're never truly shocked


There are only two speeds: fast and faster, Now you're lashed to mast and lashed to master Whether you're in bed or in court, everybody gets off
Life only moves at one pace: fast. You're tied to people who control you, and everyone gets satisfaction, whether it's in bed or a courtroom


So she smokes to keep from eating And you fuck her to keep from feeling And this is a taste, and this is a waste And these are all of your days sacrificed
She avoids eating by smoking, and you avoid emotions by having sex. This lifestyle is a temporary thrill and a waste of time, leading to a lifetime of missed opportunities


You're rocking out in an empty room You've built your house, it's become your tomb Mmm thanks, she says, I'll keep my options open
You're alone, listening to music in an empty room. You've created your own living space, which has become a prison. The woman you're with is not fully committed to you


Now you're nervous with hope, nervous with fear She's barely gone, and you're barely here Here comes the cocaine wake up call
You're both excited and scared of what's to come. She just left, but you're already missing her. The realization that your drug use is just an escape is setting in


And like a boy, not a slave to fame You kissed lipstick only after money came Born in New York 30 years ago, you've died several times since
You're not obsessed with fame like some people are. You only kissed the woman after money was involved. You've been through a lot of changes in your life


Drive through tunnels and crawl through caves, And suffer through a life no city can save They've got an unmarked car with your name on it
You've been through the worst and continue to struggle through a life that no city can improve. Your past is catching up with you


So she smoked to keep from eating And you fucked her to keep from feeling And that was a taste, and that was a waste Now these are all of your days magnified
She's using smoking to maintain her weight, and you're using sex to avoid emotions. This behavior only brought temporary pleasure and is now magnifying the wasted days of your life


Style over content. You know the other Keep slugging it out in the superstructure If you love something, chances are you can't afford it
Appearance is more important than substance in your life. Others continue to fight it out in the higher-ups of society. If you love something, it's probably too expensive for you


Forget what's ahead and what's past And live every day as if it were the last The dead man never knows he's dead
Forget about what's already happened and what's to come, and live in the present. You never know when your time will be up, and once you're dead, you won't even know it




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ANTON FIER, NICOLE BLACKMAN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Hirnlego999

There's not enough music in the world with Nicole Blackman doing vocals

Angie ormiston

haven't heard this in 18 yrs! love it

LeeLee Me

This is one of THE hottest songs in the world. Thank you for putting it on youtube!

Wjyndigo

thank you for this i have been looking everywhere for them, oh my this takes me back.

TheCurrentClimate

Dig it. Dig it, hard.

tahda smith

<3

K. R. K.L.

Slow...slow...quick quick quick slow.....mmmmm

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