Rage Of Plastics
U.S. Girls Lyrics

It was the rage of plastics, I was twenty-four
At 24, the singer was consumed by the booming and unsustainable industry of plastic.

I was doing my time on the dance floor
The singer was caught up in the party lifestyle that plastic money could afford her.

It was all polyester and leopard print
The fashion scene at that time was also characterized by synthetic and often gaudy clothing.

And Fabergé coming off the ladies
Expensive beauty products and perfumes were a status symbol among rich women had become obsessed with amassing material belongings.

You know it's a blight to the brightest how our designs unseam
The failure of production standards shows that even the best ideas can't stand up to the corruption and lack of regulation that companies like the refinery represent.

Like the back side of some skirt in some old man's dream
Like a discarded and forgotten part of a garment, the environment is often neglected by the people who have benefitted from industrial pollution.

I got caught putting off all my traveling plans for this refinery job and his maybes
The singer was lured by promises of job security and stability from the refinery that ultimately never materialized.

With hair in ribbons, stockings in runs
Despite the glamor of her lifestyle, the artist's personal presentation was shoddy and in need of repair.

Fashion bricks out of the breaks as they come
The artist used whatever resources she had, even scraps, to keep up with the trends of her peers.

Land goes for less downwind of the plant
The effects of environmental pollution have a direct impact on the value of property and quality of life nearby.

There's no telling how long you'll be paying
The consequences of environmental damage may not be fully understood for generations.

There are scores of us born in the silent spring
Many people from the artist's generation were born after the publication of Silent Spring, which raised public awareness of the dangers of environmental pollution.

Whose wombs won't take, won't bear anything
Many women of this generation have experienced reproductive health issues due to exposure to pollutants.

He had want for a daughter, and I had want for a son
Both the singer and her partner have gender preferences for their hypothetical children.

Now I rock my moon-faced man like one
The singer's partner was born under a full moon, hence the nickname, and is tenderly cared for by the singer.

Was it the river on fire that made us what we became?
The artist is questioning whether the transformative moment of seeing a river on fire is what motivated them to fight against environmental injustice.

Was it the cup that we drank from, or what it contained?
The artist wonders whether their actions are motivated by the container or the contents of their experiences with pollution and toxic substances.

Does it move to the beat of the oil drum
The machinery and systems of exploitation move and operate on a predictable rhythm, making them easy to quantify and resist.

Or flow out of our eyes as we're wailing?
Is the push for environmental justice and the destruction of the refinery driven by some fundamental, emotional response to the damage it has wrought?

And I see it rise in ribbons to the clouds overhung
The artist is witness to the evidence of how pollution enters and affects the atmosphere.

Just to spit back down on everyone
The fallout from environmental pollutants degrades health and quality of life for everyone, regardless of culpability.

I have tried to be patient as I've been made nurse
The artist has taken on the responsibility of caring for those who are harmed by pollution, working to alleviate suffering and improve situations where they can.

Get some help from the perks of my devotion's curse
The singer is able to draw on their strengths and abilities to cope with the burden of advocating for the environment.

And I know, yeah, I know the man's pain is much worse
The artist recognizes the existence of personal and systemic suffering that drives the industry of exploitation, however they believe that the cost is too high and the consequences too severe.

For the moon and his grace are now waning
The singer's partner's health is in decline or otherwise facing hardship, making the common phrase 'the man in the moon' that much more relevant to their situation.

You say the first one now will later be last
There is a biblical verse about how the first of a group will be the last, and vice versa. The singer is suggesting that the refinery's apparent success will ultimately lead to its downfall.

My faith in scripture has come to pass
As the scripture above is self-fulfilling, the singer believes that their faith in environmental justice will ultimately come to be realized on a larger scale.

Now I won't play dumb, I'm done trying to sweeten this load
The artist refuses to minimize the significance of the problem or pretend that it can be glossed over with superficial efforts at environmentalism.

And you give me a ribbon, you tell me to run
The artist feels that they are being given a shallow and meaningless gesture in the form of a ribbon, and urged to undertake a superficial marketing exercise instead of meaningful activism.

To land my legs to your narcissist fund
The singer feels that any such action would ultimately just benefit the refinery's interests, which are inherently selfish and destructive to the natural world.

But land still goes for less downwind of the plant
Even if the singer were to undertake such an endeavor, the land values and overall quality of life of nearby communities are still diminished.

Making this living just brings about dying
The toll that the industry takes on people's health and the environment is ultimately far too high to sustain life itself.

I got a rage of plastics, the refinery floor
The artist has an intense frustration and anger regarding the ubiquity of plastic and the exploitative nature of the refinery industry they have worked for.

I got a rage of plastics, got nothing more
Despite feeling that they have exhausted the resources available to them, the artist believes that the pursuit of environmental justice is worthwhile and necessary.

Now I won't play dumb and I'm done lying
The singer vows to be honest, direct, and uncompromising in their efforts to fight environmental destruction.

Making this living just brings about dying
Once again, the artist highlights the inevitably destructive nature of the refinery and lifestyle that is built around such an industry.

But land still goes for less downwind of the plant
No matter the personal or collective cost, this kind of environmental abuse still results in concrete consequences for everyone nearby.

Making this living just brings about dying
The singer restates that the cost of capitalism and environmental destruction is far too high to be sustainable or worthwhile.

Making this living just brings about dying
The repetition of this phrase emphasizes the cyclical and hopeless nature of working within a system that is deeply corrupt and abusive.