The Strokes – Barely Legal

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  Memory:I know *exactly* what this song is about. I relate to it completely. My first sexual relationship, I was 17 and the man (well, really a boy) was 22. We pretended to just be good acquaintances("We made pretend we were best friends") and our parents were neighbors and had a close friendship, which made it easy to 'run into each other'. He had a ton of problems, he smoked way too much weed and he dropped out of college and worked menial jobs and just couldn't get his shit together.("I didn't take no shortcuts/I spent the money that I saved up/Aw mama runnin' out of luck/Well like my sister don't give a fuck/I wanna steal your innocence/To me my life it don't make sense".) He liked me but also didn't like me, he had no idea why, I realized later, and wouldn't turn anything into a real relationship, I also sadly realized later. ("I just want to turn you down/I just want to turn you around/You ain't never had nothing I wanted/But I want it all I just can't figure out nothin'.")His inability to commit or to have solid feelings for me was because a)we truly weren't compatible (it was really the allure of the forbidden for both of us, my parents totally hated his guts and I was just a young catholic school girl) and b)both of our lack of maturity. That whole lien, 'I never show up on week days/That's something that you learned yesterday', resonates with me the most because I knew he was a bad idea, but I pursued him anyway, and I knew when he was going to show up at neighborhood barbecues. I would wear deliberately provocative clothing. He would run into me at events and sit next to me. We would meet up at the park. He would always drop me off right in front of my house at suspicious times and he did NOT care if I was going to be in trouble ("Drive you to work and you will be on time/These little problems they're not yours they're mine.") He was occasionally cold and unfeeling but would open up to me, make me feel sorry for him, so that I was more attracted to him ("Come on listen to what I say/I have some secrets that will make you stay.") When our parents found out, the shit hit the fan and we just turned on each other, blaming each other. I realized how pathetic he was, that I could do better, I felt guilty because it was partially my fault, but I also thrust a lot of blame on him, because I was young and he was the adult (And then she said Oh you're a freak/They ordered me to make mistakes.") It was a mistake for both of us and and it was just as much my fault, maybe more so, but sometimes, I still really really hate him.

  Flag sassbackon January 27, 2012   Link

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  Song Meaning:I can relate the lyrics to growing up in a dysfunctional family.
  
  If you have, the line "I wanna steal your innocence" can have a different meaning than the obvious sexual one.
  
  If your parents are fucked up in one way or another (which Julian's seem to be, at least his greedy father) you have to grow up early and learn to adapt to "strange manners" and also learn to love them even though you really don't, in order to keep the family system working.
  
  You do this because you think that your parents will love you if you do. But the sad truth is, they really wont, it's an endless nightmare.
  And when you don't get the love you obviously deserve from your parents, your life "just don't make any sense."
  
  Everyone in a dysfunctional family are deprived of love and can therefore not really help each other "my sister don't give a fuck".
  
  And when you can't be affectionate with each other you recive love in terms of gifts, thus "why won't you wear your new trenchcoat".
  
  "These little problems they're not yours they're mine
  Come on listen to what I say
  I got some secrets that'll make you stay"
  
  The lyrics above sums it up pretty well. In a dysfunctional family you don't take responsibility for your own problems, you blame the other family members.
  The root of the dysfunction lies in secrets, or more like covered up negative emotions so the atmosphere at home is sort of spooky and you never know what to expect.
  Still, this makes it sort of exciting and as long as the secrets are being held you stick together.
  
  There are a few more examples, but I reckon I've made my point. Hehe.
  
  I never really dug this song, but now that I can relate to the lyrics, I'm gonna give it another go.
  
  Cheers yall!!!

  Flag hou5ekeepingon October 11, 2011   Link

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  General Comment:Does anyone notice the slot noises from pokemon in here?

  Flag CBuMon July 20, 2011   Link

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  My Opinion:yall guys are funny ! really SEX,every comment everyones written has the word sex in it lol! i dont get it though y this song wat about 12:51 that song makes me wanna do it.
  

  Flag DROOLS4JULESon May 23, 2011   Link

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  General Comment:i dont think the trench coat is a sexual thing. A trench coat is very long and doesn't look very sexy and it wouldn't be appealing to guys in the street seeing this 'barely legal' girl. I think the guy wants her to put on a trench coat that he got her to tell people 'she's mine.'

  Flag moedelongeon March 20, 2011   Link

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  Song Meaning:It comes across as a song about maturity and direction. The speaker here seems to be a down-on-his-luck guy who is immature and doesn’t know what he wants. The girl, in contrast, seems to be a little more mature and in-direction. In a way he wants to corrupt this and in a way he’s jealous. In the end, instead of anyone changing anyone else, they end up going their separate ways (“The things we did…”, etc. suggests they aren’t together any more). The speaker here is still lost and without direction. He’s still dealing with growing up.

  Flag DevMinoron January 09, 2011   Link

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  General Comment:this song just absolutely screams 'New York' to me. love it.

  Flag RGnevilleon January 04, 2011   Link

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  General Comment:In my opinion this is about a relationship between him and someone he knows (obliviously sexual)
  but they just keep it between themselves and outside of it they treat each other badly. But they always get back together privately, to well... enough said

  Flag nytxmon November 06, 2009   Link

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  General Comment:this song is about being young in general to me.
  
  'i didn't take no shortcuts...'
  that verse is about everyhting he's pissed about at home, like he talks about his mama and sister, and the trenchcoat line i think is his mother telling him what to wear, like a trenchcoat is a mothers favorite cos its smart but not considered cool by the speaker so a young person wouldn't wear it.
  'i should've worked much harder...'
  that verse is about him having regrets about school and hating his job.
  then the repeated choruses are about a relationship he had when he was young which he sees as significant, and obviously they're about sex aswel like nearly all strokes songs
  
  
  this is by far my fave of allllll their songs it is friggin amazing.
  
  
  

  Flag soulsuckinjerkon June 20, 2009   Link

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  General Comment:Agreed. Sexy.

  Flag rushtapeon June 03, 2009   Link

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