The Strokes – Is This It

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  General Comment:I think its about how disappointing sex can be (meaningless like picking someone up in a bar or meaningful). How is was supposed to be the most amazing thing ever, and then once its done you're like "is this it? is this the greatest thing that could happen" It makes most sense in the second verse,because they said it would be fantastic, but to him the only real outcome is children. then in the third is saying in hindsight what is should be like and kind of explaining his reasoning. It could be about a relationship too, or life in general.

  Flag pianton December 27, 2012   Link

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  General Comment:i get the meaning of sex and relationships that everyone points out. but i think there's another meaning. the Strokes had a TON of hype before this album came out. and they named their first album and the first song "Is This It." the song starts out extremely simple, and the lyrics say "Can't you see I'm trying, I don't even like it. I just lied to, Get to your apartment" implying maybe they're not that great and maybe he doesn't like this song or what he's doing. and all the hype was just a lie to get people to listen to them. then the chorus just repeats "Is this it?"
  and then one of the greatest bass lines of all time comes for the second verse. "Said they'd give you anything you ever wanted..."

  Flagged tm625on October 14, 2011   Link

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  General Comment:From the beginning of the song I got the impression that this a guy manipulator of the opposite sex and he's beginning to question whether or not the pursuit of meaningless sex is truly hollow. That being said I find it hard to match this with the rest of the song, although I like alann07's theory because it's similar and does a better job of that.

  Flag TheBurningBuddhiston August 29, 2011   Link

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  My Interpretation:I feel like this song is about a guy who is in a relationship with a girl who just does not seem to be reciprocating. His relationship is starting to fall apart, but he tries to hold on to the good times and "lying" to get to her apartment, or spend some time with her. However, she's changed and now it's just not good anymore. The guy is trying so hard, so very hard, and she just doesn't seem to care. Hence the lines, "Can't you see I'm trying, I don't even like it...and I can't think cuz I'm just way too tired." Here he's saying he's tired of trying but he can't stop, because he really misses her love.

  Flag AliasMusicon April 05, 2011   Link

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• +1
  General Comment:this song is great!
  
  i agree this song is about a relationship but i think it is about a couple who are not getting on. The guy is saying 'cant you see im trying' to make the relationship work. 'i dont evan like it' he dosent like it because he feels like the gilr isnt trying as hard as him. 'i cant think im just way too tired' she girl tries to pick arguments and he is tired of it. 'Oh dear can't you see? It's them it's not me' her friends are trying to split them up telling her that they dont work as a couple. 'We're not enemies; we just disagree' they are just both opinionated and stubborn so they disagree but they are both passionate about their opinion so they feel like the other one is an enemy. they think 'is this it?' because neither of them want the relationship to end.
  
  Thats my opinion anyway :)
  whats great about the strokes is their songs can relate o so many situations and everyone can make up their own minds about the meanings i love them x
  

  Flag alex21333on July 24, 2010   Link

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  General Comment:"Can't you see I'm trying
  I don't even like it. I just lied to
  Get to your apartment, now I'm staying
  Here just for a while."
  
  This very first section... When she says he doesn't even like it, is this referring to the sex? I'm just wondering, because that sounds really odd to me, yet it fits because... well, if it's meaningless sex to a degree, then maybe he's too busy thinking about having an actual relationship and can't find himself to enjoy the sex when there's nothing more behind it. Is it all for her?
  
  

  Flag JackMerridewon April 14, 2010   Link

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  General Comment:It's most definitely about casual sex. The line that really make think that "I just lied to get to your apartment". It makes me think of a guy in a bar picking up a girl, telling her everything she wants to hear so that he could go back to her apartment, and have sex. However, a bunch of other guys are trying to do the same thing. He compares them to children, by the way they're acting, but their old enough to be in the bar, and they're technically adults, so he says that their "stable". He gets into a bit of a fight over her, wins it, and leaves with her to go back to her apartment.
  
  They get there, and she's talking, wasting his time. He's trying to pay attention, but she's losing him, and they both know it. He's tired of waiting, and he doesn't want to listen anymore. "Is this it?" refers to what he had to go through to win over this girl, and now he doesn't even like what he won. "Is this it?"
  
  I don't know, that's just my take on it. Really interesting demo. I'm guessing the guy followed them back, and wanted to fight him there? Or maybe it was refering to an ex-boyfriend or something that was there when they came back?

  Flag thebassman225on January 24, 2010   Link

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• +1
  General Comment:There is an earlier demo version of this song with different/extra lyrics. Maybe they'll help some of you come to your conclusions about what it means. I think this is what they are but you can listen to it yourself at youtube.com/…
  
  
  He gets to me
  In the room
  wait to see
  I want it
  and it wants me
  So I just crawl back on my knees
  
  Can't you see I'm trying
  I don't even like it
  I just lied
  to stay here for a while
  now I'm trying to hard and I'm falling
  so I'll go

  Flag NickChaneyon December 14, 2009   Link

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  General Comment:ah, my life as of right now..in a song.

  Flag oudearon December 01, 2009   Link

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  General Comment:this song is my favorite song by The Strokes. Undoubtedly. After time and time of listening to it, i have grown somewhat fond of the wistful melody that speaks so many things to me. A relationship, albeit an extremely painful one. A young man, exhausted from the days antics, showing up to a girls apartment late at night, hoping for something to happen because he feels so bereft of love. He wants to know if the relationship he has with her is already at the peak of its capacity or whether there is possibility for it to fulfilling him, he cannot help but feel like he's getting the short end of the stick. Her fickle nature and indifference towards him causes her to question his actions, in response he pleads with her to see how much she means to him - "can't you see I'm trying, i don't even like it, i just lied to get to your apartment"
  He's so frustrated because he feels like his vision in life encompasses so much more than what she sees, especially with her friends blindfolding her...her friends are arrogant and he feels as though they present a stumbling block in her growth - which is necessary for the relationship to progress..
  He doesn't know what to think. He feels so strongly for her, and yet she is so immature in some ways, he cannot understand why she picks the friends she does, or is attracted to the men she's attracted to. He's right there. Why won't she see him. He's fatigued.

  Flag arrioon November 21, 2009   Link

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