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Late night, brakes lock, hear the tires squeal
Red light, can't stop, so I spin the wheel
My world goes black before I
Feel an angel lift me up
And I open bloodshot eyes
Into fluorescent white
They flip the siren, hit the lights
Close the doors, and I am gone
Now I lay here owing my life
To a stranger, and I realize
That empty words are not enough
I'm left here with the question of just
What have I to show except
The promises I never kept?
I lie here shaking on this bed
Under the weight of my regrets
And I hope, that I will never let you down
And I know, that this can be more than just
Flashing lights and sounds
Look around and you'll see that at times
It feels like no one really cares
It gets me down, but I'm still gonna try to do
What's right, I know that there's a
Difference between sleight of hand
And giving everything you have
There's a line drawn in the sand
I'm working up the will to cross it
And I hope, that I will never let you down
And I know, that this can be more than just
Flashing lights and sounds
Rhetoric can't raise the dead, I'm sick of always
Talking, when there's no change
Rhetoric can't raise the dead, I'm sick of empty words
Let's lead, and not follow
Late night, brakes lock, hear the tires squeal
Red light, can't stop, so I spin the wheel
My world goes black before I
Feel an angel steal me from the
Greedy jaws of death and chance
And pull me in with steady hands
They've given me a second chance
The artist in the ambulance
And I hope, that I will never let you down
And I know, that this can be more than just
Flashing lights and sounds
Can we pick you off the ground?
More than flashing lights and sounds
Red light, can't stop, so I spin the wheel
My world goes black before I
Feel an angel lift me up
And I open bloodshot eyes
Into fluorescent white
They flip the siren, hit the lights
Close the doors, and I am gone
Now I lay here owing my life
To a stranger, and I realize
That empty words are not enough
I'm left here with the question of just
What have I to show except
The promises I never kept?
I lie here shaking on this bed
Under the weight of my regrets
And I hope, that I will never let you down
And I know, that this can be more than just
Flashing lights and sounds
Look around and you'll see that at times
It feels like no one really cares
It gets me down, but I'm still gonna try to do
What's right, I know that there's a
Difference between sleight of hand
And giving everything you have
There's a line drawn in the sand
I'm working up the will to cross it
And I hope, that I will never let you down
And I know, that this can be more than just
Flashing lights and sounds
Rhetoric can't raise the dead, I'm sick of always
Talking, when there's no change
Rhetoric can't raise the dead, I'm sick of empty words
Let's lead, and not follow
Late night, brakes lock, hear the tires squeal
Red light, can't stop, so I spin the wheel
My world goes black before I
Feel an angel steal me from the
Greedy jaws of death and chance
And pull me in with steady hands
They've given me a second chance
The artist in the ambulance
And I hope, that I will never let you down
And I know, that this can be more than just
Flashing lights and sounds
Can we pick you off the ground?
More than flashing lights and sounds
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"They've given me a second chance
The artist in the ambulance", it makes me think that, as some people already pointed out, that the paramedics are "the artist in the ambulance", and the paramedics saves his life and he decides to change and make the rest of his life more than just flashing lights and sound.
This is one of the best songs ever.
Think of a concert. What you experience at one is flashing lights and sound. He wants there to be more to his career than that... as an artist. He wants meaning to be apparent behind his work. The ambulance works more as a metaphor for what he really wants to say.
"there's a difference between sleight of hand and giving everything you have."
I think that is a statement about mainstream music being the "sleight of hand" while he wants to give everything he has as a real artist, and hoping it is acknowledged.
"there's a line drawn in the sand, im working up the will to cross it
and i hope, that i will never let you down, i know, that this could be more than just, flashing lights and sounds!
Rhetoric can't raise the dead'
and so on
Amazing song, first Thrice song I ever heard, they are now my favourite band.
Saw them live last time they came to Australia and met Dustin.
These lyrics are amazing. to me they mean this
A person, who is in a car accident, realises after his life has just been saved, his life is not as great as he thinks.
He realises he has alot to be thankful for and there is alot that he has not done in his life.
'Rhetoric Cant Raise the Dead' I think perhaps is Dustin refering to how, no matter how much you talk or run your mouth, it will get you nowhere,
'i know that this could be more than just flashing lights and sounds' is dustin hoping his music can be more than flashing lights (perhaps during there shows) and sounds (the actual song)
he is hoping for it to mean something more to people, 'can we pick you off the ground' take people some place spiritual or amazing,
Just like paramedics literally pick people up of the ground.
he hopes his music can be tlife changing and important to people, that of a paramedic, perhaps who was the ambulance driver 'the angel' at the songs beginning
i dunno. my first post on this site. it easier to edxplain in words. lol
The intro is what really hooked me into this song.I can't even describe how this song makes me feel, But its a good feeling
"late night, brakes lock, hear the tires squeal
red light, can't stop so i spin the wheel
my world goes black before i feel an angel lift me up
and i open bloodshot eyes into fluorescent white
they flip the siren, hit the lights, close the doors and i am gone" : Some kind of tragedy
"now i lay here owing my life to a stranger" : Jesus gave his life for us and we owe him our life
"and i realize that empty words are not enough
i'm left here with the question of just
what have i to show except the promises i never kept?
i lie here shaking on this bed, under the weight of my regrets" : Artist realizes that all the things he has done in life show for nothing in heaven
"i hope that i will never let you down
i know that this can be more than just flashing lights and sound" : He now knows there is more to life
"look around and you'll see that at times it feels like no one really cares
it gets me down but i'm still gonna try to do what's right, i know that there's
a difference between sleight of hand, and giving everything you have
there's a line drawn in the sand, i'm working up the will to cross it
rhetoric can't raise the dead" : He has to live his life the right was and the only way to live is to cross the line into being saved. Without salvation you're dead.
"i'm sick of always talking when there's no change
i'm sick of empty words, let's lead and not follow" :Tired of being a hypocrit and it's time to be a leader
"late night, brakes lock, hear the tires squeal
red light, can't stop so i spin the wheel
my world goes black before i feel an angel steal me from the
greedy jaws of death and chance, and pull me in with steady hands
they've given me a second chance, the artist in the ambulance
can we pick you off the ground, more than flashing lights and sound" : The artist in the ambulane (God/Jesus) gave him salvation and a second chance to live the right life.
"late night, brakes lock, hear the tires squeal
red light, can't stop so i spin the wheel
my world goes black before i feel an angel lift me up
and i open bloodshot eyes into fluorescent white
they flip the siren, hit the lights, close the doors and i am gone"
*he gets into an accident. he blacks out. He feels the EMTs or paramedics lifting him up and he opens his eyes and sees the fluorescent light on the ceiling of the ambulance. They they head for the hospital.
"now i lay here owing my life to a stranger
and i realize that empty words are not enough
i'm left here with the question of just
what have i to show except the promises i never kept?"
*He is owing his life to the EMT and no matter what he was going to say, he can't express his gratitude to the EMT
"i lie here shaking on this bed, under the weight of my regrets
i hope that i will never let you down
i know that this can be more than just
flashing lights and sound"
*He laying on the Streche and i guess he has regrets. But, he starts to think that his EMT taking care of him does more then just drive around with flashing lights.
"look around and you'll see that at times it feels like no one really cares
it gets me down but i'm still gonna try to do what's right, i know that there's
a difference between sleight of hand, and giving everything you have
there's a line drawn in the sand, i'm working up the will to cross it
rhetoric can't raise the dead
i'm sick of always talking when there's no change
i'm sick of empty words, let's lead and not follow"
*he starts to understand during his trip that these emergency workers do alot more than just transport and he want to have that same mentality. The angel he is talking about is the EMT. If you want to get religious, The EMT could be a angel sent from god, but it really is an EMT. The EMT gave him a second chance.
To me, this song gives me chills, but also a strange sense of comfort when thinking about an incident a few months ago where a handful of paramedics saved my life after an overdose. I had never attempted anything like that before, but I was at my lowest point. It was, obviously, my own doing...but through the darkest day of my life, I saw a light that was someone cared enough to save me, when I didn't think I was worthy of it. That in and of itself allowed me to get away from the sitation I was in and move on to a much better place in my life. I have no regrets-but everytime I hear this song, which I play again every once in a while, I silently thank those who saved me that day. Again...this is my own interpretation, and is my only contribution to this web site.