the edge of town
The Suicide File Lyrics
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It's a living rotting failure from a different age
And if you're looking for the place that dreams go to die
it's not in the city it's around the outside
You can mortgage your future for subleached purity
and accept the sterility in exchange for security
but no matter how many times you run from your fears
the same problems always re-appear
and the promised land just gets further away
On these dead lawns lie your father's dreams
White flight. White blight. White screams
On these dead lawns lie your mother's dreams
Rum, Romanism And TammanyIdealism is fucking dead
Laughed off the stage at countless conventions
Laissez faire is en vogue again
It's silver tongue has been heaven sent
One man, one vote, throw it away
One land, one hope, throw it away
When every candidate looks the same, born of noble blood
So don't fucking talk to me about our tradition of democracy
Who the fuck am I supposed to believe in
In The Suicide File's song The Edge of Town, the lyrics talk about the cruel reality of living in a cul-de-sac jungle, a decaying and failing societal construct that represents a different age. The song suggests that dreams don't die in the city but rather around the outside, where one can mortgage their future for subleached purity and accept sterility in exchange for security. However, no matter how many times one runs from their fears, the same problems reappear, and decay seems to be the only constant. The song points out that the promised land just gets further away, and on the dead lawns lie the dreams of the previous generation. The term "White flight. White blight. White screams" suggests the idea of white supremacy and how the suburban lifestyle was made possible through systematic racism.
The song highlights the death of idealism and the rise of laissez-faire and how democracy has become a thing of the past. The lyrics suggest that no politician seems to be worth believing in, and every candidate looks the same, born of noble blood. The disillusionment with society is evident in the lyrics' tone, which is a mix of anger, helplessness, and disappointment. Overall, The Edge of Town is about rejecting the American dream, which appears to be built on false promises and a crumbling foundation.
Line by Line Meaning
The cul-de-sac jungle is a cruel place
The stagnant and repetitive suburban lifestyle is unforgiving and harsh.
It's a living rotting failure from a different age
The suburban ideal is outdated and has become a decaying mockery of its original intent.
And if you're looking for the place that dreams go to die
If you're searching for where ambition goes to die,
it's not in the city it's around the outside
it's not in the more vibrant city center, but rather in the bland and monotonous suburbs.
You can mortgage your future for subleached purity
You can sacrifice your potential for a falsely idealistic lifestyle.
and accept the sterility in exchange for security
And resign yourself to a life of sameness in order to achieve a sense of safety.
but no matter how many times you run from your fears
But no matter how many times you attempt to escape your anxieties,
the same problems always re-appear
The same issues will continue to resurface.
Day after day it's all just decay
Every day is the same drab existence.
and the promised land just gets further away
The attainable utopia moves further out of reach.
On these dead lawns lie your father's dreams
The suburban ideal was what the previous generation aspired to, but has now become a dead end.
White flight. White blight. White screams
The suburban 'white flight' to escape urban grit has led to a sterile, soulless environment.
On these dead lawns lie your mother's dreams
The same suburban ideal was once a hope of the current generation's parents, but has failed them too.
Rum, Romanism And Tammany Idealism is fucking dead
The once-viable political theory of Idealism is defunct and dead.
Laughed off the stage at countless conventions
Idealism has become a joke at political conferences and is no longer a viable idea.
Laissez faire is en vogue again
The hands-off Laissez faire approach is once again popular.
It's silver tongue has been heaven sent
Its persuasive and alluring powers have corrupted the political landscape.
One man, one vote, throw it away
The principle of one person's equal vote has become meaningless under current political circumstances.
One land, one hope, throw it away
The idea of a shared hope for the future is now a distant dream.
When every candidate looks the same, born of noble blood
When every candidate comes from the same elite background,
So don't fucking talk to me about our tradition of democracy
Don't try to argue that we have maintained healthy and fair democratic traditions.
Who the fuck am I supposed to believe in
Who am I supposed to trust or have faith in?
Contributed by Ryan P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.