The song was initially titled “This Life” in the original demo of the project "Is This It".
Trying Your Luck
The Strokes Lyrics
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You've seen it all before, I know
They sold you on their way
Oh, honey, that's okay
No harm, he's armed
Settin' off all your alarms
When I find out
And storefronts rarely change
At least I'm on my own again
Instead of anywhere with you
Oh, tell me it's all the same
And I lost my page again
I know this is so rare
But I'll try my luck with you
This life is on my side
Well, I am your one
Believe me, this is a chance, oh, oh
Let's see what is for sale
He's tryin' hard to give his job a chance
Oh, it's never gonna be
It's sad, but I agree
The signals don't seem right
They last for just one night, and then
I'm sorry that I said
That we were just good friends
No harm, he's armed
Setting off all your alarms
They're trapped, I can't
Be there in time, I'll think about that
And I lost my page again
I know this is so rare
But I'll try my luck with you
This life is on my side
Well, I am your one
Believe me, this is a chance, oh, oh
The Strokes' "Trying Your Luck" is a song about impulsive attraction and the dangers that come with it. The song begins with the singer acknowledging that the object of his affection has seen it all before, and he understands that he's not the first or the last person to try and win them over. However, he implies that he's not interested in selling anything since they've already been sold on something else. Instead, he's just trying his luck, hoping that the other person sees something in him worthy of taking a chance.
The chorus serves as a warning of sorts, saying that the other person ought to be careful since the singer is dangerous and might break their heart. He's a trap, setting off all of their alarms, and when they realize what's happening, they'll know that it was the singer who set it. Despite this ominous warning, the singer admits that he's already lost his page again, meaning that he's fallen under the other person's spell and can't help himself from trying to pursue them. In their mind, life favors them, and they're the one for the other person.
He then sings about going out with the other person and seeing what's for sale, implying that he's not effective at his job, and that he's going to try to take his chances with the other person. Although he recognizes that it's unlikely things will work out the way they hope, he's willing to try nonetheless. The song ends with a repetition of the chorus, emphasizing the idea of the singer being dangerous and setting traps for the other person.
Line by Line Meaning
You said you couldn't stay
You mentioned that you cannot remain here
You've seen it all before
You have experienced all of this previously
I know
I understand
They sold you on their way
They convinced you to follow their path
Oh, honey, that's ok
It's alright, don't worry
No harm, he's armed
He won't cause any damage, he is prepared
Setting off all your alarms
Activating all of your warning signals
When I find out
Once I discover
I hope it's you who set this trap
I desire for you to be the one who created this scheme
And storefronts rarely changed
The shops rarely alter their appearance
At least I'm on my own again
But at least I am independent once again
Instead of anywhere with you
Rather than being at any location with you
But, to me, it's all the same
However, it doesn't matter to me since everything is identical
And I lost my page, again
I misplaced my page again
I know this is so rare
I realize that this is exceptionally uncommon
But, I'll try my luck with you
But I will take my chances with you
This life is on my side
The circumstances are in my favor at the moment
Well, I am your one
Well, I am the one for you
"Believe me, this is a chance," oh oh
"Trust me, this is an opportunity," oh oh
Let's see what's for sale
Let's go investigate what is available for purchase
He's trying hard to give his job a chance
He is working hard to give his employment an opportunity
Oh, it's never gonna be
Oh, it shall never be
It's sad, but I agree
It's unfortunate, but I concur
The signals don't seem right
The indicators do not appear correct
They last for just one night, and then
They persist for only a single evening, and subsequently
I'm sorry that I said
I regret saying
"That we were just good friends"
"That we were merely good friends"
They're trapped
They are confined
I can't be there in time
I will not be able to arrive promptly
I'll think about that
I will reflect on that
And I lost my page again
And again, I misplaced my page
I know this is so rare
I recognize that this is particularly uncommon
But, I'll try my luck with you
Regardless, I will take my chances with you
This life is on my side
The circumstances are in my favor at the moment
Well, I am your one
Well, I am the one for you
"Believe me, this is a chance," oh, oh
"Trust me, this is an opportunity," oh, oh
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Julian Casablancas
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind