Heaven is a switchboard that you want to fight
She would even miss you if you taught her sight
Power politician leaning to the right
Baby's got a trust fund
That she'll want to go off like that
Get off of my stack
Leave a little window
Get off of my stack

Now we wear same-colored yellow uniforms
Sky is burning
But at least we're warm
Go and run yourself a million miles
Hoping that the colors run out
And you go off like that
Get off of my stack
Leave a little window
Get off of my stack

You can never see yourself
Ringing all around it

No one is on lake Michigan
You labored on, lake Michigan

Not another payoff
Get off of my stack
Leave a little window
Get off of my stack
You know it won't do
Get off of my stack


Lyrics submitted by littlemass

Lake Michigan Lyrics as written by Zachary David Schwartz

Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Lake Michigan song meanings
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43 Comments

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  • +5
    General Comment

    Lake Michigan, as much as everyone here would love to believe, is actually NOT a polluted shithole lake surrounded by factories that dump excessive waste into it (Unless you're in Indiana, but of course, that's just Indiana).

    I swim in Lake Michigan all the time...its basically my swimming pool. Jump right off the concrete seawall north of oak street beach. It's actually quite awesome. Chicago's lakefront was recently ranked one of the cleanest in the world.

    So, anyways, yes i think this song is about pollution, but stereotyping the great lakes region as an industrial waste-dumping craphouse is pretty inaccurate. Californians seem to make a habit of that...

    uwbadgers1192on December 03, 2008   Link
  • +4
    General Comment

    Well congratulations to you Chicago. The REAL beaches of Lake Michigan reside in the state it is named for who have had the most to fo with the cleaning of the Lakes. And lake Michigan at it's worst was never considered a dirty lake, that was Erie. Grand Haven, Holland Saugutuck, Charlevoix, Traverse City those are amazing beaches and that is pure Michigan.

    BrycePaason June 22, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    "but at least we know we're warm"

    baadbloodon October 05, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    If he is talking about pollution, he must be referring to Chicago because West Michigan is pretty eco-friendly.

    omygoton December 23, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    What abou the line : " Give a little window" what does that mean?

    mondmondon October 23, 2014   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    this song has been stuck in my head all day! where is it from? I cannot figure out what "get off of my stack" would mean. any suggestions?

    ChloeGirldieon November 09, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I would like to know as well

    Lagon November 11, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    get off my stack, maybe meaning get off of my amplifier stack? i mean, they ARE musicians.

    brightbeatleson November 14, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Does this song remind you of... the Zune commercial ...

    ... a distinctly psychedelic, a combination of Alice in Wonderland ... giant dancing peeps ... swimming with jellyfish

    nikiforoon November 17, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Get off of my style!

    I don't care what the lyrics say. And I think the 3d verse sounds more like this ( admitting that I don't know what goes in the {} ) :

    you can never see yourself ringing all around it [x6]

    You know why [x2] Cause you've got {??} You Labor [x2] Cause you've got {??} All alone {??} Leave a little window Get off my style You know you can do Get off my style Style...

    you can never see yourself ringing all around it [x2]

    I am not a fan of novelty songs, but how can you resist this. The hand clapping beats & echoing bass is toe-tapping fun. Kinda reminds me of summer.

    They should put a crack label on this song... addictive

    nikiforoon November 17, 2007   Link

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