A Self Called Nowhere
They Might Be Giants Lyrics


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I'm sitting on the curb
By the empty parking lot
Of the store where they let me play the organ
I'm waiting for my ride
But I want to wait inside
Of the store where they let me play the organ

But I'm thinking of a wooden chair
In a room at the top of a stair
And I'm looking down the stairwell
At the vanishing dot
On the map of the spot
Let me take you there
The dotted line
Surrounding the mind
Of a self called nowhere
It's a thing named "it"
In a bottomless pit
You can't see it there
The sunken head
That lies in the bed
Of a self called nowhere

Standing in my yard
Where they tore down the garage
To make room for the torn down garage
I'm looking for my car
But I must have sold my car
When I needed to buy an electric organ

But I'm thinking of a wooden chair
In a room at the top of a stair
And I'm looking down the stairwell
At the vanishing dot




On the map of the spot
Let me take you there
The dotted line
Surrounding the mind
Of a self called nowhere
It's a thing named "it"
In a bottomless pit
You can't see it there
The sunken head
That lies in the bed
Of a self called nowhere

Nowhere

The vanishing dot
On the map of the spot
Let me take you there
The dotted line
Surrounding the mind
Of a self called nowhere
It's a thing named "it"
In a bottomless pit
You can't see it there
The sunken head
That lies in the bed
Of a self called

Overall Meaning

The opening verse to "A Self Called Nowhere" presents the singer who is waiting outside an empty parking lot for a ride home. However, the location, in which the singer is waiting, is a store that allowed the singer to play their organ. The singer desires to wait inside the store, but they can’t due to their ride home yet to have come. The verse shifts with the line "But I’m thinking of a wooden chair," where the singer is now describing a different place entirely. The singer imagines themselves in a room at the top of a stair, looking down the stairwell, and seeing a disappearing dot in the spot where they are waiting. The wooden chair may be a symbol for something they can’t have or represent a place of comfort, which contrasts with their actual location. The second verse continues in the same pattern while also adding a new location: the singer's car. The car has been sold but once again reiterates the wooden chair imagery. In the chorus, the singer lyrically invites us to "let me take you there" and shows us the "dotted line surrounding the mind of a self-called nowhere." The term "nowhere" serves to describe not only the places the singer is mentioning, but it also expresses an emotional place that is empty and undefined. Overall, the song appears to be exploring the themes of loneliness, longing, and the search for a sense of belonging.


Line by Line Meaning

I'm sitting on the curb
I am currently sitting on the edge of the street


By the empty parking lot
Next to the vacant area designated for cars


Of the store where they let me play the organ
The location where I am now located is a business establishment that permits me to utilize the keyboard instrument


I'm waiting for my ride
I'm biding my time for transportation to arrive and retrieve me


But I want to wait inside
Even though I am waiting, I have a desire to do so indoors


Of the store where they let me play the organ
I would like to await my ride in the establishment which permits me to perform music


But I'm thinking of a wooden chair
I am mentally conceiving an image of a seat made of wood


In a room at the top of a stair
The aforementioned piece of furniture is positioned inside a chamber positioned foremost above a flight of steps


And I'm looking down the stairwell
My vision is fixated upon the opening leading downwards from the above mentioned area


At the vanishing dot
My gaze is fixed on the minuscule point gradually receding in the distance


On the map of the spot
This tiny point is located on a cartographic depiction of this location


Let me take you there
May I show you directly where this dot is currently residing?


The dotted line
The marking connecting a sequence of points on said map is comprised of small interspersed spots


Surrounding the mind
This line is enclosing and encapsulating the psyche


Of a self called nowhere
The mind being encapsulated can be referred to by the name of 'nowhere'


It's a thing named "it"
The aforementioned self called nowhere is referring to an entity named 'it'


In a bottomless pit
This 'it' is situated inside an infinitely large void


You can't see it there
It is impossible to visually locate this entity there


The sunken head
The head has been lowered extensively


That lies in the bed
This head is laying upon the bed


Of a self called nowhere
The individual at large, known as 'nowhere', is the location in which this entity resides


Standing in my yard
My physical position has now moved to the area outside my home


Where they tore down the garage
The structure meant for housing vehicles has been demolished


To make room for the torn down garage
This has made available space to build another vehicle shelter


I'm looking for my car
I am attempting to visually locate my personal transport device


But I must have sold my car
To my chagrin, it appears that I have previously partaken in a transaction whereby I exchanged ownership of my automobile


When I needed to buy an electric organ
This sale occurred at a particular moment in time when I required the purchase of an electronic keyboard


Nowhere
The location in which I currently find myself is, quite literally, nowhere


The vanishing dot
The minuscule point previously mentioned which has, for all intents and purposes, vanished


On the map of the spot
This spot has indeed been noted on the previously mentioned depiction


Let me take you there
Would you permit me the opportunity to show you exactly where this spot is located?


The dotted line
The series of minuscule dots interspersed between my current location and the vanishing point


Surrounding the mind
The aforementioned dots are encircling and encapsulating the psyche


Of a self called nowhere
This mental space or entity can be referred to by the name, 'nowhere'


It's a thing named "it"
The individual or entity identified by the name 'nowhere' corresponds to an entity designated as 'it'


In a bottomless pit
This entity named 'it' can be found deposited within a seemingly unbounded space


You can't see it there
It is not feasible to visually observe the presence of 'it' in this location


The sunken head
The anatomical structure which holds the brain and face of an individual is experiencing a lowered state


That lies in the bed
This particular head is positioned within a bedding furnishing


Of a self called nowhere
The individual being referenced in this narrative, known as 'nowhere', is the precise location wherein this head now rests




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHN FLANSBURGH, JOHN LINNELL, JOHN C. FLANSBURGH, JOHN S. LINNELL

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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