Stars – Take Me to the Riot

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Send "Take Me to the Riot" Ringtone to Cell

Grey skies and light fading
Headlamps making patterns on the wall
Uptown it’s dead now but
Out here no one seems to care at all

Slick girls and sick boys and
Each one lining up to take him home
They hold tight, their coin and
They pray no one has to see them fall

I’m there yeah, I serve them
The one with the empty looking eyes
Come closer, you’ll see me
The face that is used to telling lies

Saturday nights in neon lights
Sunday in the cell
Pills enough to make me feel ill
Cash enough to make me well

Take me, take me to the riot
Take me, take me to the riot
Take me, take me to the riot
Take me, take me to the riot
Take me

You sprung me, I’m grateful
I love when you tell me not to speak
I owe you, but I know you
You’ll have me back but it’s gonna take a week

What now kid? Which way love?
Will we ever make up and be friends
Good news is, my shoes is
Lined with all my nickels and my tens

Let’s do that, just feed me
I hate when I have to get to sleep
You despise me and I love you
It’s not much but it’s just enough to keep

Saturday nights in neon lights
Sunday in the cell
Pills enough to make me feel ill
Cash enough to make me well

Take me, take me to the riot
Take me, take me to the riot
Take me, take me to the riot
Take me, take me to the riot

And let me stay
And let me stay
Let me stay, let me
Let me stay

Send "Take Me to the Riot" Ringtone to Cell


Lyrics submitted by thatmorningpoured

Track duration: 04:16


Take Me to the Riot song meanings
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40 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:This song reminds me of San Francisco. The tenderloin district near downtown is just a free-for-all for drugs. Cocaine, heroin, pills, weed, everything is just everywhere. All sorts of folk, hipsters, old folk, young folk just getting their fix, and most likely heading back up the Haight-Ashbury uptown to drink or just hang out. This song just reminds me of this whole somewhat chaotic process... it's fun and kind of crazy but also something very introspective.
    Flag riverscuomoon June 29, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:To me this song is really simple and reflects the way I felt when I first heard this song - and every time after. The video further solidifies my opinion.

    I think it's just about a kid moving to a bigger city. I think the "riot" is a metaphor for city life. Take me to where the fun is - bars, friends, night life and let's have a riot of a time - so to speak.

    I think the for the most part the verses are in the view of the kid from a small town in the big city, I think the slick girls and sick boys verse is the kid noticing the social interactions at the bar or city or perhaps watching from afar some prostitutes. The kid also has an issue with an ex love or friend, maybe he went to the city after a breakup "You sprung me, I'm grateful" meaning he decided to go away due to that. "You'll have me back but it's gonna take a week." maybe reflecting on them getting back together and the time it would take to get back home.

    I really think this song is just about a kid trying to find himself in a new big city after living in a small town his whole life. The new things he notices, and some introspection about his former girlfriend, kind of like he wants to go back home and chase that relationship, but he also doesn't want to do that.
    Flag benyjetr35on November 02, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Great song! I'm definetly thinking drug addiction with the whole
    "Saturday nights in neon lights
    sunday in the cell
    pills enough to make me feel ill
    cash enough to make me well"
    As for "Take me, Take me to the riot", I'm thinking their saying "Take me to were everyone is falling" or "Take me to the mess so I can help(or)join"
    Flag WeAreAwesomeon August 27, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Huh. I'd always thought that it was about a bartender. But I'm probably the only one who thinks that. About all the different people he meets while he works. Just my opinion. I've always loved this song.
    Flag suninthetreeson July 05, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Hmm initally i got the drug dealer impression but the postituion interpretaion also makes sense.
    Thoughts?
    Flag BiggerThanTheSoundon June 29, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Thinking about it, I'm sure the drug dealer is male. "You'll have me back, but it's gonna take a week" is how angry girls deal with misbehaving boyfriends much more often than vice versa.
    Flag Letmeinon November 01, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:SUCH an amazing song!.
    if you watch the video it helps explain the song more.
    Take me to the riot is yeh, basically where all the action is...to the city :) (considering as well the vid was shot in toronto.) and the boy in the video is from a very small town. he wants to be where all the action is.
    as for the prostitute thing? no way!
    Flag ThingsIveForgoton September 21, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i think this song is about someone who had led a life of prostitution and drugs, but met and fell in love with someone who made them change their ways. however they recently are going through troubles and think that "You despise me and I love you".
    the other possiblity is that they have a bonnie & clyde-like relationship, filled with "saturday nights" of partying and "pills enough to make [them] feel ill". maybe their drug use is breaking their relationship in this case.

    either way i love how both a man and woman are singing. it makes it sound like they both have the same thoughts and both still love each other; one of them just needs enough courage to say so.
    Flag emikohon July 21, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:The first time I heard it, I thought: This is a song about prostitution. While the little details (neon light, sunday in the cell, etc) lean towards drugs, the way they go "I'm here ya, I serve them" and "used to telling lies" makes me think of prostitution, how they "serve" their customers, and how they "lie". Maybe it's just me, but for me, lying is more of something prostitutes do then drug dealers.

    Mostly, I just feel that the chorus was the bar where she gets her customers, but the verses are about her and what she feels about him.

    (: My two cents.
    Love this song.
    Flag ciciloraon April 16, 2009   Link
    • 1 Reply
  • 0
    General Comment:I haven't read all of the comments but I'm sort of torn between thinking it is about prostitution or just associating yourself with an ex-lover.
    The prostitution theory fits with the line "I love when you tell me not to speak"
    As in the guy just wants her to shut up and get on with the task, but she is fooling herself into believing that there is something more than just a client relationship. Also with the "I serve them" and telling lies.

    Meh. I'm writing this from my iPod so I don't lose my train of thought but that's my take.
    Flag cityonyourspineon March 21, 2009   Link

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