Additionally, it contains an eery commentary on the irreversible effects of climate change. The carbon blueprint humans have been leaving on the planet for decades has come to an almost irreparable stage, and it won’t be long until life on Earth feels like a Summer that “won’t go away.” Even though we might have ways to help counteract global warming as individuals, the people most capable of doing something about it “won’t let it happen.”
The chorus and post chorus guitars and vocals sound reminiscent of many songs from the “The Wall” era of Pink Floyd. Additionally, the pre-chorus echoes “The Ghost In You” by The Psychadelic Furs.
Drummer Fabrizio Moretti has stated in the live show prior to global release of The New Abnormal that this is his favorite song on album.
According to their Reddit AMA, this was the song on "The New Abnormal" that took the longest to complete.
Eternal Summer
The Strokes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Hey, yeah, oh)
(Hey, yeah, oh)
When I think of you
It's always on my mind
Is that story true?
No one saves the day
(Hey, yeah, oh)
Don't you want the truth?
Ignore reality
See, I love that feelin' too
Nobody's gonna stop right now
(Hey, yeah, oh)
Summer is coming
Won't go away
Summer is coming
It's here to stay
(Hey, yeah, oh)
I can't believe it
This is the eleventh hour
Psychedelic
Life is such a funny journey
Hercules
Your service is no longer needed
It's just like make believe
(Hey, yeah, oh)
They got the remedy
But they won't let it happen
They got the remedy
But they won't let it happen
(Hey, yeah, oh)
(Hey, yeah, oh)
Now that you heard the truth
I need a friendly face
I hate that feeling too
But no one's unafraid
(Hey, yeah, oh)
Don't expect the truth
This is a fantasy
I fight that feeling too
But nobody's gonna stop us now
(Hey, yeah, oh)
Summer is coming
Won't go away
Summer is coming
It's here to stay
(Hey, yeah, oh)
Lo and behold the salt of the city
Pillars like time are fading away
Symphony building up to a future
Mystery to solve for somebody else
(Hey, yeah, oh)
I can't believe it
Life is such a funny journey
Psychedelic
This is the eleventh hour
Hercules
Your service is no longer needed
It's just like make believe
They got the remedy
But they won't let it happen
They got the remedy
But they won't let it happen
Everybody's on the take
Tell me, are you on the take too?
Everybody's on the take
Tell me, are you on the take too?
Look up on the bright side
I'm not gonna give it to ya
Look at it on the bright side
(Hey, yeah, oh, oh)
Look up on the bright side
I'm not gonna give it to ya
Look up on the bright side
(Hey, yeah, oh)
Look up on the bright side
I'm not gonna give it to ya
Look at it on the bright side
(Hey, yeah, oh, oh)
Look up on the bright side
I'm not gonna give it to ya
Look up on the bright side
The Strokes' song "Eternal Summer" is a thought-provoking and cryptic track that appears to be about the fleeting nature of youth and the desire to hold onto those carefree days. Julian Casablancas, the lead singer of The Strokes, sings about the wistful reminiscing of a past love, realizing the truth of the situation, and the refusal to let it go or forget it. The lyrics suggest that he's aware of the situation's fantastical nature and that he can't change it. The chorus, "Summer is coming, won't go away, Summer is coming, it's here to stay," is both poignant and symbolic. It portrays a never-ending cycle of time that continues to move forward as life changes.
In the latter half, the lyrics become more challenging to interpret. Casablancas references "the eleventh hour" and "pillars like time fading away," suggesting that time is running out, but he's still motivated to pursue some unknown or unreachable goal. The chorus repeats, "They got the remedy, but they won't let it happen," a metaphorical realization that things seem within reach but are unattainable. The song's conclusion ("Look on the bright side, I'm not gonna give it to ya...") suggests an inevitable acceptance of reality, a resolution that is both melancholic and reassuring, that he will move forward instead of being stuck in the past.
Line by Line Meaning
This, and I never let it happen
I won't let myself do something that could cause regret
When I think of you, it's always on my mind
You're constantly on my thoughts
Is that story true? No one saves the day
The truth might be disappointing and there's no hero coming to save us
Don't you want the truth? Ignore reality
Sometimes the truth is hard to accept, so people ignore it
See, I love that feelin' too, Nobody's gonna stop right now
I also love the feeling of ignoring reality and no one can stop me from doing that
Summer is coming, Won't go away, Summer is coming, It's here to stay
Summer and all its changes aren't going away anytime soon
I can't believe it, This is the eleventh hour, Psychedelic, Life is such a funny journey, Hercules, Your service is no longer needed, It's just like make believe
Life is surprising, weird, and unpredictable. Past solutions may not work anymore and it feels like living in a made-up world
They got the remedy, But they won't let it happen
Solutions are available but they aren't implemented for unknown reasons
Now that you heard the truth, I need a friendly face
After acknowledging the truth, a supportive friend is needed
I hate that feeling too, But no one's unafraid
Everyone feels fear sometimes
Don't expect the truth, This is a fantasy
The truth might not be what's expected and reality isn't always what it seems
I fight that feeling too, But nobody's gonna stop us now
We can overcome the feeling of disillusionment together
Lo and behold the salt of the city, Pillars like time are fading away, Symphony building up to a future, Mystery to solve for somebody else
The city has a story to tell, but it's disappearing. A new future is being built, but there are still unanswered questions
Everybody's on the take, Tell me, are you on the take too?
Everyone is trying to get ahead, are you doing the same?
Look up on the bright side, I'm not gonna give it to ya, Look at it on the bright side
Let's try to think positively, even if it's hard. I won't intentionally make it harder for you
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Albert Jr. Hammond, Fabrizio Moretti, Julian Casablancas, Nick Fraiture, Nick Valensi, Richard Lofthouse Butler, Timothy Butler
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@lazy1una
LYRICS
(This, and I never let it happen)
When I think of you
It's always on my mind
Is that story true?
No one saves the day
Don't you want the truth?
Ignore reality
See I love that feeling too
Nobody's gonna stop right now
Summer is coming
Won't go away
Summer is coming
It's here to stay
I can't believe it
This is the 11th hour
Psychedelic
Life is such a funny journey
Hercules, your silence is no longer needed
It's just like make believe
They got the remedy
But they won't let it happen
They got the remedy
But they won't let it happen
Now that you heard the truth
All I need a friendly face
I hate that feeling too
But no one's unafraid
Don't expect the truth
This is a fantasy
I fight that feeling too
But nobody's gonna stop us now
Summer is coming
Won't go away
Summer is coming
It's here to stay
Lo and behold the salt of the city
Pillars like time are fading away
Symphony building up to a future
Mystery to solve for somebody else
I can't believe it
Life is such a funny journey
Psychedelic
This is the 11th hour
Hercules, your silence is no longer needed
It's just like make believe
They got the remedy
But they won't let it happen
They got the remedy
But they won't let it happen
Everybody's on the take
Tell me are you on the take too?
Everybody's on the take
Tell me are you on the take too?
Look up on the bright side
I'm not gonna give it to ya
Look at it on the bright side
Look up on the bright side
I'm not gonna give it to ya
Look at it on the bright side
Look up on the bright side
I'm not gonna give it to ya
Look at it on the bright side
Look up on the bright side
I'm not gonna give it to ya
Look at it on the bright side..
@CarlosSebastian-iy2ww
Lyrics:
This, and I never let it happen
Hey, yeah, oh
Hey, yeah, oh
When I think of you
It's always on my mind
Is that story true?
No one saves the day (hey, yeah, oh)
Don't you want the truth?
Ignore reality
See, I love that feeling too
Nobody's gonna stop right now (hey, yeah, oh)
Summer is coming, won't go away
Summer is coming, it's here to stay (hey, yeah, oh)
I can't believe it
This is the eleventh hour
Psychedelic
Life is such a funny journey
Hercules, your service is no longer needed
It's just like make-believe (hey, yeah, oh)
They got the remedy
But they won't let it happen
Yeah, they got the remedy
But they won't let it happen (hey, yeah, oh)
(Hey, yeah, oh)
Now that you heard the truth
All I need a friendly face
I hate that feeling too
But no one's unafraid (hey, yeah, oh)
Don't expect the truth
This is a fantasy
I fight that feeling too
But nobody's gonna stop us now (hey, yeah, oh)
Summer is coming, won't go away
Summer is coming, it's here to stay (hey, yeah, oh)
Lo and behold the salt of the city
Pillars like time are fading away
Symphony building up to a future
Mystery to solve for somebody else (hey, yeah, oh)
I can't believe it
Life is such a funny journey
Psychedelic
This is the eleventh hour
Hercules, your service is no longer needed
It's just like make-believe
They got the remedy
But they won't let it happen
Yeah, they got the remedy
But they won't let it happen
Everybody's on the take
Tell me, are you on the take too?
Everybody's on the take
Tell me, are you on the take too?
(Hey, yeah, oh)
(Hey, yeah, oh)
(Hey, yeah, oh)
Look up on the bright side
I'm not gonna give it to ya
Look at it on the bright side (hey, yeah, oh)
Look up on the bright side
I'm not gonna give it to ya
Look at it on the bright side (hey, yeah, oh)
Look up on the bright side
I'm not gonna give it to ya
Look at it on the bright side (hey, yeah, oh)
Look up on the bright side
I'm not gonna give it to ya
Look at it on the bright side (hey, yeah, oh)
@catchinglooks
possibly unpopular opinion: this is the best track on the album
@brandonb.5304
It's definitely the best song on the album. Julian's vocals are fantastic and varied, great tempo changes, interesting lyrics, excellent guitar work, and the drums just hit a groove that makes you tap along. I also love the how different the second half of the song is from the first, taking on a darker tone.
@melissajackson7982
Definitely the first one to catch my ear
@catchinglooks
@Melissa Jackson mine too! it was the immediate standout on my first listen.
@jacobwtitus
Agreed
@MrUnsuspiciousName
Either this or Ode to the Mets
@Suicidance
I did a road trip with my boyfriend a few weeks ago and we listened to this album during the trip. When this song started the air was blowing on my face, the landscape around us was breathtaking, the sky was beautifully blue and suddenly all my adult problems, my chronic depression and a world on crisis just vanished for a few minutes. I felt younger and free. Almost eternal. The most glorious, happiest 6:17 minutes of my life.
@yyg4632
i love this. good music can really give you some great existential moments. kinda like a brain orgasm lol
@typhaniec6090
Shit. The same. We have the same boyfriend, it seems.
@sandradoyle1999
Omg, same thing over here... Crazy