Arcade Fire – No Cars Go

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We know a place where no planes go
We know a place where no ships go

(Hey!) No cars go
(Hey!) No cars go
Where we know

We know a place no space ships go
We know a place where no subs go

(Hey!) No cars go
(Hey!) No cars go
Where we know

(Hey!)
(Hey!)
(Cars go!)

(Hey!) Us kids know
(Hey!) No cars go
Where we know

Between the click of the light and the start of the dream
Between the click of the light and the start of the dream
Between the click of the light and the start of the dream
Between the click of the light and the start of the dream

I don't want any pushing, and I don't want any shoving.
We're gonna do this in an orderly manner.
Women and children!
Women and children!
Women and children, let's go!
Old folks, let's go!
Babies needing cribs, let's go!

Send "No Cars Go" Ringtone to Cell


Lyrics submitted by toadtws

Track duration: 05:44

"No Cars Go" as written by Edwin Butler Regine Chassagne

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


No Cars Go song meanings
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138 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:Now I know how common this next statement is, but hear me out. The song is about drugs. I believe this because tripping on drugs takes you to a place that no vehicles can take you. I feel like the song is about one asking his lover to do drugs with him, saying "I know a place where no [vehicles] go." Then again that is just my thoughts on the song. It is a chilling thought but that is what it sounds like to me.
    Flag jwg0157on May 01, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Intuition (too lazy for science) tells me the writer literally means the experience between turning out the light and the beginning of REM sleep. I am just responding to all the people with the exotic interpretations - I can't say what the writer means by it. The commentor who mentioned rebellion was quite right. All the AF songs I can think of speak of non-political rebellion / individual freedom. It's funny that I have to specify 'individual' before 'freedom'. The 1900s were a technologically ripe but somehow socially, intellectually, unproductive century. I blame California.
    Flag Red Leaderon March 02, 2013   Link
  • +1
    My Interpretation:Deep chilling song..My Interpretation is that he is taking about Heaven. The click of the light being the moment he dies. Everything before that is him knowing about heaven but he really doesn't know what to expect, only that us mortals can get there. Heaven is almost a "dream" state. It's not included in the lyrics but after he says the series of "Let's go"..he says "Don't know where we're going" In reality no one will ever know what heaven is like until our time here is done, but he seems excited about the "escape" from reality. This song helped me with the loss of people close to me knowing they are going to a better place, and I will meet them again, but not yet...not yet
    Flag EmRoo5on December 19, 2012   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:This song about seeking a paradise in a place where there are no roads was originally part of an EP that Arcade Fire recorded in 2003. Drummer Jeremy Gara told popmatters.com why they decided to update it: "We started recording the album last November. We had a new studio space and all this new gear, so we just needed to start with something that was easy for us to play so we could get used to everything else. 'No Cars Go' had changed so much on tour from how we originally recorded it. The version on the EP is cool but it's a mess, and the version we had been touring with was way more of a straight-up rock song. So there was always talk of redoing it. And now that we had more of a budget, we wanted to record it with the string arrangements that Regine had always envisioned."

    US TV network Fox TV used "No Cars Go" in an advert for the NFL which was aired during the halftime show of the 2008 Super Bowl. However, the network did not ask Arcade Fire's permission to use the music in the advert and the band considered legal action.
    Flag FloridaGuyon October 18, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Well to me, it's talking about that place that you and your lover know, where you can just be alone.
    Flag oxcugon June 01, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think at this part of the album they've found an escape from the world they no longer want to live in. There's no civilization there, nothing mechanical or maybe even nothing physical? I've always thought of this song as the climax for the entire album too.
    Flag blurgg91on April 13, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I like how much rebellion can be packed into a song with so few lines.
    Flag ActionWaterson February 28, 2011   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:When I die, I think this will be the last song I hear as I leave my body, and go where No Cars Go.
    Flag lunchboxturtleon January 21, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think the bit where he says No cars go is about in his dream and the bit where he says between the swich of a light and the start of a dream is about what is ther after you swich the light of and before you fall asleep in to your dreams ??
    Flag tomhenon December 27, 2010   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:I think the place they are talking about is limbo, a place where no material things go (cars, planes) but only your soul. Its a place where a decision is made, you go tom heaven or you go to hell. Now thats not to say they are literally talking about limbo, but I think thats the idea.

    What they are literally talking about may be a point in your life where you have to decide how your going to live the rest of your life, in heaven or hell. "Between the click of the light and the start of the dream" refers to the time spent laying in bed from when you tuen the light out till when you actually fall asleep and start dreaming. Again this span of time is a sort of limbo, you are about ot fall asleep and either dream (heaven) or have nightmares(hell). In real life, its about how there a point in everyones life when they need to make a decision about their lifestyle, are you going to live you dreams? or are you going to make the wrong choice and live in Hell for the rest of your life?

    And finally, they are calling everyone to recognize this point in your life so you have time to think about it when your young so when you make the decision you are already well informed about how you want to live the rest of your life.

    This song really speaks to me and my fellow college students.
    Flag coltlacrosseon December 04, 2010   Link

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