Upon her release, she and her army of evil Space Aliens set their sights on conquering the Earth. When the interdemensional being Zordon became aware of the release of the evil witch he was responsible for capturing so long ago, he ordered his robotic assistant, Alpha 5, to find four "teenagers with attitude," to defend the Earth from Rita's attacks.
The four teens Alpha found were noneother than River Donaghey, Dub, Anna Ponto and Asa Clifford. Zordon passed onto each of them a different instrument. To River, bold and powerful, he gave the guitar and a microphone. To Dub, clever and brave, he gave the guitar as well. To Anna, graceful and smart, he gave the bass. And to Asa, fearless and agile, he gave the drums. With these instruments, they have the power to morph into an elite musical team called "The Tunnel Kings". Together, with Zordon's help, the four teens will stop at nothing to defeat the evil Rita Repulsa and keep her from taking over Earth.
Manifesto
The Tunnel Kings Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And it's all on fire now.
Let's pretend we're better people.
Ride the metro out of town.
And we sat, chainlink fence leaving imprints: red diamonds in our flesh. Curbside cloves and television, let our feelings rust away. Torn Salvia leaves mingling with pocket change.
There was nothing we could do, summer's over and the walls are caving in. We found him, frying, loud in an ice cream parlor. Today we escape.
CHORUS
The Tunnel Kings' song Manifesto is a poignant reflection on the inevitability of change and the human struggle to adapt. The opening lyrics "There comes a time when doors don't open anymore so you better like the room you're in" convey a sense of resignation - the recognition that sometimes circumstances beyond our control mean that we must accept our present situation. The second line, "There comes a time when door don't open wide, you better get used to the dead ends" emphasizes the idea that we must be prepared for disappointment and setbacks in life, and that the ability to pivot and adjust our expectations is crucial.
The verse shifts to a more sensory description of the environment - "And we sat, chainlink fence leaving imprints: red diamonds in our flesh. Curbside cloves and television, let our feelings rust away. Torn Salvia leaves mingling with pocket change" - painting a vivid picture of a gritty, urban landscape where the physical and emotional struggle is ever-present. The juxtaposition of these stark visual elements with the chorus' upbeat plea to "Let's pretend we're better people. Ride the metro out of town" suggests a deep yearning for escape and reinvention.
Indeed, the song makes a powerful argument that the only way to confront life's challenges is to embrace change and be open to new experiences. The pre-chorus "And it's all on fire now" serves as a kind of wake-up call to the listener, a reminder that the world is constantly in flux and that we must learn to roll with the punches. Ultimately, the chorus challenges us to take control of our own narrative and find a way to break free from the status quo, declaring "There was nothing we could do, summer's over and the walls are caving in. We found him, frying, loud in an ice cream parlor. Today we escape."
Line by Line Meaning
There comes a time when doors don't open anymore so you better like the room you're in.
Doors of opportunity have closed, so it's important to make the most of the present situation.
There comes a time when door don't open wide, you better get used to the dead ends.
When opportunities are limited, it's necessary to adjust and settle for less.
And it's all on fire now.
Everything is in chaos and disarray.
Let's pretend we're better people.
Let's try to be better versions of ourselves and rise above our current situation.
Ride the metro out of town.
Escape the current situation by leaving town.
And we sat, chainlink fence leaving imprints: red diamonds in our flesh.
We sat against a fence, leaving marks on our skin, symbolizing the weight and pain of our current situation.
Curbside cloves and television, let our feelings rust away. Torn Salvia leaves mingling with pocket change.
We use vices such as smoking and watching TV to numb our emotions and cope with our struggles.
There was nothing we could do, summer's over and the walls are caving in.
We were powerless to prevent the inevitable and now we're facing the consequences of our actions or inactions.
We found him, frying, loud in an ice cream parlor. Today we escape.
We found someone in a bad place and now we must escape together and move on to a new chapter.
CHORUS
Repetition of the catchy chorus.
Contributed by Caroline M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.