Sunday in Chicago
The Uncontrollable Few Lyrics
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As a train rattles overhead
This memory feels like a ghost
Walking here beside me
All the streets have stayed the same
Landmarks, faithful to their name
Solitude makes me wonder
And I'm sorry that I'm wishing you here today
When I'm alone in the city
Cross the street and ask the time
Behind me the vast skyline
The lake reflected in my eyes
And I feel so bad for I'd only thought of myself
And I'm sorry that I'm wishing you here today
When I'm alone in the city
And I'm sorry that I'm wishing you here today
When I'm alone in the city
The Uncontrollable Few's song Sunday in Chicago is a contemplative reflection on memory, solitude, and the profound sense of loss that can be experienced in the urban landscape. The opening lines depict a sense of disorientation and sensory overload, with the singer describing themselves as "falling forward" in the midst of a "winter mess," while a train rattles overhead. This sense of disorientation is mirrored in the second stanza, where the singer observes that "all the streets have stayed the same," while the city's landmarks remain "faithful to their name."
In these opening stanzas, the singer seems to be grappling with a sense of existential unease: why do people die, while the structures they create endure? This question is put in sharp relief by the singer's sense of solitude, which causes them to wonder both about their own place in the world and about the city itself. It's clear that the singer is missing someone, and the repetition of the lines "And I'm sorry that I'm wishing you here today / When I'm alone in the city" underscores their sense of isolation and longing.
However, by the song's final stanza, the singer seems to have come to a moment of clarity or self-awareness. Crossing the street, they are struck by the vastness of the city's skyline, and the way in which the lake is reflected in their eyes. It's as if the act of looking outwards has allowed the singer to see themselves more clearly, and to recognize the extent to which they have been overly focused on their own desires and needs.
Line by Line Meaning
Falling forward, winter mess
I'm stumbling through the snowy streets in a daze.
As a train rattles overhead
The sound of the train passing by is the only noise in this empty city.
This memory feels like a ghost
The memory of our time together haunts me as I walk alone.
Walking here beside me
I feel a sense of melancholy as I wander these streets alone.
All the streets have stayed the same
The buildings and streets are unchanged, but everything else is different without you.
Landmarks, faithful to their name
The landmarks are still here, but without you they have lost their meaning.
Solitude makes me wonder
Being alone causes me to question why things happen the way they do.
Why the people die but their structures still remain
I ponder why buildings and landmarks outlast the people who created them.
And I'm sorry that I'm wishing you here today
I regret not having you with me in this city right now.
When I'm alone in the city
Being by myself in this urban environment is difficult without you.
Cross the street and ask the time
I try to distract myself by interacting with others and getting lost in the mundane.
Behind me the vast skyline
The towering buildings behind me are a constant reminder of your absence.
The lake reflected in my eyes
The lake I see in my reflection is just a reminder of how lonely I truly am.
And I feel so bad for I'd only thought of myself
I regret focusing too much on what I want and failing to think about others.
Contributed by John H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.