City
The Island Lyrics
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Just a shadow
Of a ghost
Of a memory, at most
And how you strayed, an arrow
Where you go
Where you been?
Where you came
This city, I'm sick and tired
And wild
The city that I came to love
I'm leaving
Filled with paranoia inside
Trust left with the loss of my pride
I say, "So long"
It's so strange, how a person can change a city's face
A time and place
Who we know
And believe
I believed, for too long
What you did to me, wasn't wrong
I grew to hate you
And this place too
This city, I'm sick and tired
Am I
The one that I forgot to love?
I'm losing
Filled with paranoia inside
Trust left with the loss of my pride
I say, "So long"
It's so strange, how a person can change a city's face
A person can change
A person can change a city's face
And the strangers I came to know
They're all strange now
All the strangers I came to know
They're all strange now
Strange now
Strange now
It's strange
The lyrics of The Island's song "City" convey a deep sense of disillusionment and resentment towards a city and the people within it. The opening lines suggest that the passage of time has made the experiences and memories associated with this city feel distant and inconsequential. There is a feeling of being hurt and betrayed, depicted through the imagery of straying arrows and questioning where the person has been and where they came from.
The singer expresses their weariness and dissatisfaction with the city they once loved. They are filled with paranoia and have lost their trust and pride, leading them to make the decision to leave. The repetition of "I'm leaving" and "so long" emphasizes their determination to move on from this toxic environment and escape the negative emotions that have consumed them.
The lyrics also explore the impact one person can have on a city's atmosphere and the relationships within it. The singer reflects on how someone's actions changed the face of the city and affected their own perception. They believed in this person for too long, only to realize that what they did was hurtful. This betrayal not only caused them to grow to hate the person, but also the city itself.
The chorus reveals the singer's internal struggle. They question whether they are the one at fault for forgetting to love the city and allowing themselves to become detached. This introspection signifies a personal journey of self-discovery and a realization that they must confront their own feelings and insecurities.
The closing lines bring attention to the strangers the singer has encountered in the city. These strangers, once familiar and known, now appear strange to them. This suggests a profound change in perspective and a realization that the city and its inhabitants may not be what they initially seemed. The repetition of the word "strange" emphasizes the singer's unease and discomfort with the newfound realization about the city and its residents. The song ends with the simple phrase "It's strange," encapsulating the complex emotions and thoughts expressed throughout the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
All those years
The passage of time
Just a shadow
Fleeting and indistinct
Of a ghost
Haunting and intangible
Of a memory, at most
A distant and faint recollection
And how you strayed, an arrow
You deviated sharply, leaving a mark
Where you go
Your destinations
Where you been?
Your past experiences
Where you came
Your origins
This city, I'm sick and tired
I am weary and discontent with this urban environment
And wild
Chaotic and unpredictable
The city that I came to love
The place I once adored
I'm leaving
I am departing from this location
Filled with paranoia inside
Overwhelmed with irrational fear
Trust left with the loss of my pride
My confidence and faith have dissipated
I say, "So long"
I bid farewell
It's so strange, how a person can change a city's face
It is peculiar how an individual can transform the perception of a place
A time and place
A specific moment and location
Who we know
The individuals we are acquainted with
And believe
And trust
I believed, for too long
I held onto my convictions, despite their falseness
What you did to me, wasn't wrong
Your actions towards me were not unjust
I grew to hate you
Over time, my feelings towards you turned to intense dislike
And this place too
And likewise, my animosity extends to this location
Am I
Is it I
The one that I forgot to love?
The person I neglected to cherish?
I'm losing
I am experiencing defeat or decline
And the strangers I came to know
The unfamiliar people I encountered
They're all strange now
They have become unfamiliar and peculiar
All the strangers I came to know
Every person I once perceived as a stranger
It's strange
It is peculiar
It's strange
It is peculiar
It's strange
It is peculiar
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: John Gerrit Welmers, Michael Lowry, Samuel Thompson Herring, William Cashion
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@rogue_one4382
I remember watching this when I was about 13 and loved it and always wondered way there wasn't any more episodes and later found out it wasn't popular. But I wish they had it would have been a great show.
@charleschadwick5686
The reason there was no more episodes. Was because it was a pilot and they were trying to find somebody to back it and nobody wanted to back it
@thomasjoseph5876
@Charles Chadwick If Time Trax hadn't gotten a 2nd year, this would have probably been backed by those people. While this was an entertaining concept, they should have put a bit more money into the special effects and broadened the story more. There was just the main plot and a small subplot with the Doctor's sister. While the main plot was ok, the subplot was lame.
I have seen some crazy pilots for shows and even crazier screenplays that never got turned into a show or a movie. My wife used to be an actress (retired), but she hated it and only appeared in 10 movies, one for her dad who was the director, and 9 others for some of her friends in the business. Because her brother is a well-known actor and her father is the biggest actor/director in the last 50 years, I got to meet a lot of studio Execs and saw some of the craziest ideas out there lol. And yes, I'm sure you can guess who my famous father-in-law is, if you can't yet, once you do it will "make your day" LOL.
@elhonnads7165
This show pilot was so memorable to me that despite there never being more episodes, I still have such distinct memories of seeing it, despite it being when I was a teenager and never being shown on television again. I can see where they went wrong in terms of mainstream appeal, but I feel like their base concept was really good. If someone could take the rights and redo this as a modern-style, darker and more realistic type of post-apocalyptic sci-fi, I feel like this could be a good series.
@goku10034
Still one of my favorite shows, it is a shame that it never got the backing it should have.
@wpatrickw2012
I have been trying to find this for about 20 years in any format. I would love for them to put it out on DVD. It was great being able to see it again, thanks for uploading it.
@rafaelantoniovasquez3950
Island city is truly a gem but hard to find in DVD or VHS or blue ray.
@hwhack
Wow, it's been 20 years since I've seen this! I found this video after 10 minutes of Google searching using keywords I could remember from the show. The show doesn't even show up on various "obscure 90's sci-fi lists" all over the internet.
Thank you so much for posting this.
@sycx1
you're welcome. took me like a month to find this. i don't normally post stuff like this on youtube but in this case it felt mandatory! when i was a kid i was sort of confused by this show.. they showed it like once a week but there was never any new episodes.. i couldn't tell if it was a movie or what but i watched it every week for like a year straight.
@lewiscarroll6680
://SyCx1 Productions OMG, I I did that too! Actually, watched it every day for a month straight; drove my mom CRAZY! It's funny to watch it again as an adult, though ^^