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It's going to take a little time
While you're waiting like a factory line
I'll ride across the park
Backseat on the 79
Wasted days you've come to pass
So go, I know you would not stay
It wasn't true, but anyway
Pollination yellow cab
You walk up the stairs
See the French kids by the door
Up one more flight
See the Buddha on the second floor
Coronation rickshaw grab
So go, I know you would not stay
It wasn't true, but anyway
Racist dreams you should not have
No excuse to be so callous
Dress yourself in bleeding madras
Charm your way across the Khyber pass
Stay awake to break the habit
Sing in praise of Jackson Crowther
Watch yourself along the arch of
No excuse to be so callous
Dress yourself in bleeding madras
Charm your way across the Khyber pass
Stay awake to break the habit
Sing in praise of Jackson Crowther
Watch yourself along the arch of glass
While you're waiting like a factory line
I'll ride across the park
Backseat on the 79
Wasted days you've come to pass
So go, I know you would not stay
It wasn't true, but anyway
Pollination yellow cab
You walk up the stairs
See the French kids by the door
Up one more flight
See the Buddha on the second floor
Coronation rickshaw grab
So go, I know you would not stay
It wasn't true, but anyway
Racist dreams you should not have
No excuse to be so callous
Dress yourself in bleeding madras
Charm your way across the Khyber pass
Stay awake to break the habit
Sing in praise of Jackson Crowther
Watch yourself along the arch of
No excuse to be so callous
Dress yourself in bleeding madras
Charm your way across the Khyber pass
Stay awake to break the habit
Sing in praise of Jackson Crowther
Watch yourself along the arch of glass
Lyrics submitted by prayingmantis84, edited by dodgerblue
Track duration: 04:15
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Where would you find a place that references the things cited in the "M79" in Manhattan?
The Culture Center, of the Upper West Side of Manhattan, is right on the M79 bus route, on Columbus Avenue, between 79th and 80th. There is a Buddha statue on second floor. There is a glass arch way at the building entrance, after which you have to walk up several flights of stairs to get the Culture Center.
culturecenterny.org/…
culturecenterny.org/…
culturecenterny.org/…
There are 3 ways to get across Central Park from the Upper East Side of Manhattan to the Upper West Side:
1. The M79 bus.
2. A taxi cab (all yellow, unless they're gypsy cabs).
3. A cycle rickshaw.
tourism-review.com/temp/…
imageshack.us/photo/my-images/63/img3856j.jpg/…
So who does the song refer to when saying they "would not stay"?
The Culture Center in Manhattan, produced a documentary called, "Explorer: The Life of Bruce Klepinger" who was a mountain guide, who traveled across Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, the Himalaya's, and who would most definitely have crossed the Khyber Pass. Klepinger also wrote a book called, "The Arc of Life" which is about his travels in this region of the world. Klepinger would likely have worn madra cotton clothes (which are not colorfast, so their colors bleed to a different color on every wash), which are worn in that part of the world. Klepinger, is the ultimate vagabond, he's never stayed in one place too long, "So go, I know you would not stay..."
culturecenterny.org/…
The mission of the Culture Center is to "produces events designed to promote community and cultural exchange." A definite, anti-hate (based on race, religion, gender identification) type of agenda.
You could imagine that an American (like Klepinger) would have to use their charm to traverse the Khyber Pass, between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The M79 is one of the few buses that crosses Central Park and connects the Upper West Side to the Upper East Side of Manhattan; like the Khyber Pass does for Pakistan and Afghanistan.
If you ever ride a bus in NYC, you'll see that people line up in a row to get on... cutting is frowned upon.
Mostly coincidence? Probably, but interesting trivia nonetheless.
OTHER NOTES:
Ezra Koenig was born on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, but his parents moved him to Manhattan, and he has no memory of the UWS when he was young. But he did attend Columbia, which is on the UWS, and about 2 miles from the Culture Center, which is on Columbus Avenue.
Rostam Batmanglij's parents are from Iran, which borders Pakistan and Afghanistan (which is where the Khyber Pass connects. He's also openly gay. Only he knows why he mentions Jackson Crowther.
There is a restaurant called Khyber Pass, but it's in the East Village part of Manhattan, and isn't even close to the M79. They supposedly serve Afghan food, but that's highly debated. I've never been there.
And yes, I've ridden on the back of the M79 many times.
tamrapaselk.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/…
culturecenterny.org/…
There is another way to cross Central Park, although, you have to catch it at the southwest side of Central Park, that is the hansom (horse and carriage), which are also referred to as a "coronation" coach. People still ride them as part of their wedding celebration in Manhattan.
4.bp.blogspot.com/_7pEUAD6CGo8/SL5QTgvZTaI/AAAAAAAABZk/nc7aKbYvfbc/s1600-h/…
The coronation carriage is used extensively at royal weddings.
One style popular during the 1960s was called BLEEDING MADRAS. It used dyes that were not colorfast "
from wikipedia. so thats one thing cleared up. the rest idk
This song to me says the he finally got over her and he has moved on while she stays on the same life. (It's going to take a little time) Factory line is the same as saying the same old life. (While you're waiting like a factory line)
The 3rd chorus is about how he’s going to live a better life traveling. One day France the next day India. (You walk up the stairs See the French kids by the door Up one more flight See the Buddha on the second floor) Floors indicate different levels or different (day/weeks/month/year)
Racist dreams you should not have = to get all of this we have to think in a racist way, example stating something like this- “I want to have money like the upper class.” ,
5th there’s no excuses to be mad/unsympathetic, just dress yourself in bleeding madras, bleeding madras is a fabric , VW used it all the time.
Lastly- you got to live life (stay awake) to break the habit of everyday things. Giving her an advice for if she ever goes to an arch of glass (fine architecture) by giving her advice it suggest that he has already seen it.
i think it's funny how ezra introduces this song, "it's about a bus in NYC that goes across 79th street"...the song seems to reference the bus, but doesn't really seem to be about the bus.
No excuse to be so callous
Dress yourself in bleeding madras
Charm your way across the Khyber pass
the key here is the madras part because madras is a city in India where madras plaid was made. so by telling you to "dress yourself in bleeding madras" this is like them saying you that you should be putting yourself in their shoes then the khyber pass should make sense