The song is an emotional ballad from the group, featuring lyrics about a breaking relationship and having to deal with an “endless” goal that can never be achieved.
The track was produced by legendary producer Rick Rubin, who has worked with legendary artists including Beastie Boys, Johnny Cash, and Kanye West.
The song has been teased continuously by the band and on February 10, 2020, a snippet of the song was heard from the venue before their live performance at the Bernie Sanders political rally. The snippet was revealed to be “At The Door” by Shazam. The full song and animated video later premiered at the Bernie Sanders' New Hampshire political rally on February 10, 2020.
The song and video were officially released on streaming platforms the next day, on February 11, 2020.
In a 2020 interview with music critic Anthony Fantano, Julian Casablancas said:
"[Paul Vassallo, guitar technician] and I were just kind of there [Shangri-La] late at night, and I think we were just jamming and he was just playing, and basically it’s his song; he wrote that thing… the guitar, it sounds like a keyboard that Nick [Valensi] is playing but it’s actually a guitar, one of those digital guitars…
I thought it was gonna be kind of like “More Than Words”, an Extreme style, like an acoustic guitar […] That was probably the least organic song, I think, on the record, because Paul wrote the verse, and I sang over it, and then I brought in the chorus and then Nick came and we recorded all the digital guitar, and I added all these random classical parts… that one was kind of a laboratory freak."
At the Door
The Strokes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Never gonna make it
Out of this in time
I guess that's just fine
I'm not there quite yet
My thoughts, such a mess
Like a little boy
What you running for?
Arrive at the door
Anyone home?
Have I lost it all?
Struck me like a chord
I'm an ugly boy
Holding out the night
Lonely after light
You begged me not to go
Sinking like a stone
Use me like an oar
And get yourself to shore
Bang at the door
Anyone home?
It's just what they do
Right in front of you
Like a cannonball
Slamming through your wall
In their face I saw
What they're fighting for
I can't escape it
I'm never gonna make it to the end, I guess
Struck me like a chord
I'm an ugly boy
Holdin' out the night
Lonely after light
Banging on the door
I don't want to know
Sinking like a stone
So use me like an oar
Hard to fight what I can't see
Not trying to build no dynasty
I can't see beyond this wall
But we lost this game
So many times before
I been on a cold road
I'll be waiting, yeah
I'll be waiting from the other side
Waiting for the tide to rise
I been on a cold road
I'll be waiting, yeah
I'll be waiting from the other side
Waiting for the tide to rise
The lyrics to The Strokes' song At the Door are a reflection of the struggles and conflicts the singer is going through. The opening lines reveal a sense of resignation that the singer will not be able to escape their current predicament in time. However, they seem to be at peace with their situation, indicating that they have come to terms with the inevitable outcome. The use of the metaphor "Struck me like a chord" emphasizes the abrupt realization that the singer has about their own life.
The song then progresses to a moment of self-reflection where the singer voices their feelings of inadequacy and their inherent loneliness. The melancholy tone of the song is seen in lines such as "Lonely after light" and "Sinking like a stone," which reflect the despair and helplessness the singer feels. The repeated banging on the door highlights the desperation of the situation, and the final lines of the song symbolize the desire to move past the struggles and into the unknown.
Overall, the lyrics to At the Door represent the complexities of the human experience and the emotions that come with introspection and self-discovery.
Line by Line Meaning
I can't escape it
The singer is feeling trapped and unable to escape their situation.
Never gonna make it
The singer doesn't believe they will be successful in getting out of their current situation.
Out of this in time
The singer doesn't believe they will be able to make it out of their situation before it's too late.
I guess that's just fine
The singer has come to terms with the fact that they may not be able to escape their situation.
I'm not there quite yet
The singer has not yet reached a point where they can escape their situation.
My thoughts, such a mess
The singer's thoughts are jumbled and confused, making it difficult for them to think clearly.
Like a little boy
The singer feels vulnerable and helpless, like a child.
What you running for?
Someone is questioning the singer's motives for trying to escape their current situation.
Arrive at the door
The singer has arrived at their destination.
Anyone home?
The singer is questioning if someone is present at their destination.
Have I lost it all?
The singer is questioning if they have lost everything they had hoped to gain by arriving at their destination.
Struck me like a chord
Something has affected the singer deeply, like the sound of a musical chord resonating within them.
I'm an ugly boy
The singer feels unattractive or undesirable, possibly due to their vulnerability and helplessness.
Holding out the night
The singer is holding onto darkness or loneliness.
Lonely after light
The singer is still lonely even when surrounded by light or positivity.
You begged me not to go
Someone had asked the singer to stay but they still chose to leave, possibly to try and escape their situation.
Sinking like a stone
The singer feels like they are drowning and unable to stay afloat.
Use me like an oar
The singer is offering themselves as a tool to help someone else escape their situation, even if it means they will sink.
Bang at the door
Someone is forcefully knocking on a door or trying to break in.
It's just what they do
The knocking or trying to break in is a common occurrence.
Right in front of you
The knocking or trying to break in is happening in close proximity to the singer.
Like a cannonball
The force of the knocking or trying to break in is like the impact of a cannonball.
Slamming through your wall
The knocking or trying to break in is so forceful that it feels like it may break through the wall or barrier separating the singer from the outside world.
In their face I saw
The singer is observing the reaction of the person on the other side of the door.
What they're fighting for
The singer is trying to understand why the person on the other side of the door is so determined and forceful in their actions.
Hard to fight what I can't see
The singer is struggling to fight against something that they can't fully understand or perceive.
Not trying to build no dynasty
The singer is not trying to make a grand, long-lasting accomplishment or legacy.
I can't see beyond this wall
The singer is unable to perceive or plan for the future because they are stuck in their current situation.
But we lost this game
The singer is acknowledging that they have already lost their battle and may not be able to escape their situation.
So many times before
The singer has been in similar situations before, and they have always ended in defeat or failure.
I been on a cold road
The singer has been traveling a difficult or unpleasant path for a long time.
I'll be waiting, yeah
The singer is resigned to waiting for something to change or improve.
I'll be waiting from the other side
The singer is waiting for a resolution or escape from their situation, even if it means waiting on the other side of a metaphorical barrier or boundary.
Waiting for the tide to rise
The singer is waiting for a change in their situation, as if they are waiting for the tide to come in and wash them away from their problems.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Albert Hammond, Fabrizio Moretti, Julian Casablancas, Nick Valensi, Nikolai Fraiture, Paul Vassallo
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@inkyflamingo2722
Lyrics:
I can't escape it
I'm never gonna make it out of this in time
I guess that's just fine
I'm not there quite yet
My thoughts, such a mess
Like a little boy
What you runnin' for?
Run at the door
Anyone home?
Have I lost it all?
Struck me like a chord
I'm an ugly boy
Holdin' on the night
Lonely after light
You begged me not to go
Sinkin' like a stone
Use me like an oar
And get yourself to shore
Bang at the door
Anyone home?
That's just what they do
Right in front of you
Like a cannonball
Slammin' through your wall
In their face, I saw
What they're fightin' for
I can't escape it
I'm never gonna make it till the end, I guess
Struck me like a chord
I'm an ugly boy
Holdin' on the night
Lonely after light
Bangin' on the door
I don't wanna know
Sinkin' like a stone
So use me like an oar
Onto fight what I can't see
Not tryna build no dynasty
I can't see beyond this wall
But we lost this game so many times before
I've been on a cold road
I'll be waiting
I'll be waiting for the old times
Waiting for the time to pass
I've been on a cold road
I'll be waiting for the old times
Waiting for the time to pass
@MarcoPolo-xo9rf
Lyrics
I can't escape it
I'm never gonna make it out of this in time
I guess that's just fine
I'm not there quite yet
My thoughts, such a mess
Like a little boy
What you runnin' for?
Run at the door
Anyone home?
Have I lost it all?
Struck me like a chord
I'm an ugly boy
Holdin' out the night
Lonely after light
You begged me not to go
Sinkin' like a stone
Use me like an oar
And get yourself to shore
A bang at the door
Anyone home?
That's just what they do
Right in front of you
Like a cannonball
Slammin' through your wall
In their face, I saw
What they're fightin' for
I can't escape it
I'm never gonna make it 'til the end, I guess
Struck me like a chord
I'm an ugly boy
Holdin' out the night
Lonely after light
Bangin' on the door
I don't wanna know
Sinkin' like a stone
So use me like an oar
Hard to fight what I can't see
Not tryna build no dynasty
I can't see beyond this wall
But we lost this game
So many times before
Lying on the cold floor
I'll be waiting, yeah
I'll be waiting from the other side
Waiting for the tide to rise
Lying on the cold floor
I'll be waiting, yeah
I'll be waiting from the other side
Waiting for the tide to rise
@lupercalrising2208
Man.... this is a masterpiece..
The Celestial Procession scene just gives me this feeling of something so profound happening... it wrenches at my heartstrings and fascinates me all at the same time..
And the little brown rabbit... so sad what happens to him... but he gets away... changed from the experience.. definitely something from Watership Down.. and my dog just so happens to be a little brown pup so seeing him get hurt makes me think of her...
The Starmaiden gets her revenge but at the ultimate price...
And the poor boy... he left with death for a short time... only to realize he's been gone for years...
So sad... so deep... and so beautiful, all of it.
This is my favorite album right now.
@MrJeppe313
The video explained, from Wikipedia:
The video was done in the style of 1980s animation and tells several roughly interlinked stories. The stories are:
- The Boy - A young boy is at home while his parents watch TV when a hooded figure appears at the doorway. Subsequently, the boy's parents fight while he sits sadly in a corner, playing with a toy figure of the warrioress from the Megastructure story. The hooded figure is revealed to be Death, who takes the boy along with him on a cosmic journey where they witness the Cosmonaut 1982 story. Death embraces the boy as he cries. The boy enters a doorway to return to his home, where he finds find it empty and long deserted with the implication that his parents are dead. The Boy story was drawn by a team led by Benjy Brooke.
- The Rabbits - During an eclipse of the moon, a group of rabbits flee while another rabbit turns demoniacal. One of the rabbits is trapped in a tunnel and is scarred by the demoniacal rabbit. Subsequently, the scarred rabbit is able to escape from the netting which binds him in the tunnel. The scarred rabbit joins the other rabbits, but the attack has traumatized him as he always fearfully turns around to see what is behind him. The Rabbits story was drawn by a team led by Adam Henderson.
- The Megastructure - On a mechanical planet called the Megastructure, a sinister alien called the Overlord views the Rabbit and Boy stories. A warrior woman imprisoned and tortured by the aliens breaks free of her chains and kills her tormentors. She then hijacks a flying car and goes in pursuit of the Overlord with the intention of killing him, but before she does, the Megastructure explodes, killing everyone. The Megastructure story was drawn by Pablo Gostanian and his 2Veinte studio in Buenos Aires.
- The Celestial Procession - In the depths of outer space a group of hooded aliens march on an ethereal structure before their leader, who is dressed in a style reminiscent of a Chinese empress. The empress activates a power surge, which apparently destroys the Megastructure and opens a doorway. The aliens in the procession enter the doorway and disappear with the implication that they are sacrificing their lives. The Celestial Procession story was drawn by a team led by Adam Sillard.
- Cosmonaut 1982 - In outer space, a Soviet spacecraft surrounded by debris has an alien attached to it while the lifeless body of a cosmonaut floats outside. The spacecraft explodes, killing the alien. It is implied that the cosmonaut sacrificed his life to destroy the alien and prevent the spacecraft from returning to Earth. Afterwards, the wreckage of the spacecraft is sucked into a black hole. The Cosmonaut 1982 story was drawn by Ugo Bienvenu and his Remembers Productions studio in Paris.
The last shot of the video is of the boy wandering his abandoned home before the video cuts away to a shot of a futuristic, edenic place as Casablancas sings about "waiting on the other side". The video's director and writer, Mike Burakoff, explains its meaning as: "There’s a feeling when you are growing up that you are just leaving for a second to go get something, that you’ll be right back. But reality is not the same as a memory, you can’t go back. Something or some time that feels so close to you can be impenetrably far away. It’s a feeling of loss that I get when I think about certain memories from my past. That notion is at the heart of this video… How do these different characters deal with loss? What does it feel like to face the future?"
@roonyq
"STRUCK ME LIKE A CHORRRRRRRRRRD......"
ascends to the eighth heaven
@jeanneappleweed7179
Do you know if The Strokes' music is in 432 hz or 440 hz?
@DUNGSTA
Hits different 😇
@miguelsan1978
@Jeanne Appleweed 432 hz
@jeanneappleweed7179
@Angel Casablanca are you fucking serious!?! Oh my gosh you just made me sooooooo happy!!! Thank youuuuu!! I knew it!! I just knew it!! Julian is far too awakened to everything to have done anything in 440!!! Fabulous news! Thank you!👍👍💓🙏💓
@garym9117
@Jeanne Appleweed Not sure what you're on about, but this isn't in 432hz. They record in standard 440 like most artists.
@nate25222
Based on the video, I like to think this is mostly about different relationships with death.
The boy is suicidal, the curse in the rabbit world seems to be inescapable, the aliens are transcending, and the space warrior sacrifices herself.
They are all met with death and deal with it in different ways. The turn to it, they run from it, they aspire for it, and they are honored by it.
A lot of deep feels in this masterpiece.
And "the door" is the unknown. The void. The line between life and death.
Even though these stories are very different, they are connected through life and death. Something inevitable for everything in the universe.
@zipitnick5838
Thank you for the analysis! Was looking for that kind of comment and I’d add that it lines up with what I visioned during the clip.
@themanofmanymen2535
Perfect analysis
@LTBT75369
This is very nice and makes a lot of sense! Thanks for that!