Of course there are always deeper meanings and personal stories behind all of Blake Schwarzenbach's songs, but this is how I see it.
"headlights and red eyes
a warm beer between your thighs
mess of pills hollywood hills
red lights, read me my rights"
He's been drinking, doing drugs, and gets arrested while driving.
"goin in a circle gettin tighter every turn
think youre getting better but youre never quite sure
say its all ahead of you
how far can you see
youre living on your knees"
He keeps doing the same things. He's in denial that those things aren't helping him.
"driver please find your feet
the lights green but you spaced the keys
youre goin fast but it wont last
youre all speed and no gas"
He has potential to do something with his life, but he's failing to do so. He's high on drugs all the time (possibly speed), and he knows his life is stalling because of it.
"goin in a circle never getting to the point
burning up the atmosphere my rocketship boy
you say theres a finish line
youre already beat
youre livin on your knees
my only son
you look so sad
but youre so young
you get so high
you're all alone rocketboy
come home"
The way he's living is destroying his life. Maybe he keeps saying to himself or others that he's going to quit, but he's already screwed up. He's on his knees (debilitated from drugs), so he can't see his future. He's still young in life, and he's very sad. He's a rocketboy cos he's "high" in space, where nobody else is. He's all alone.
"notebook, some notes you took
a big head, with a crooked hook
your best friend is you again
you cant win, but you wont give in"
It's hard to tell what the first two lines are about, but I think maybe he found some old notes of his that he either wrote before the drugs started destroying him, or maybe notes he wrote to himself about how he has to quit. Maybe he's analyzing what he looks like in a mirror. He feels like he doesn't have any friends anymore, probably because he alienated himself, and he's the only one that can help himself. He thinks he can't make things better, but he's too stubborn to quit trying.
"goin in a circle gettin lower every time
say it isnt hurting but i never see you smile
asking for the doctor and calling you a priest
youre livin on your knees rocketboy
you burn so bright
and i believe
you light so beautifully
when you get high
you're all alone rocketboy
come home"
His addiction keeps on making his life worse and worse. He keeps saying to himself that he's fine and not in pain, but he is. He's in such a bad way that he could die. He still has so much potential, and he burns bright in life. He could do so much with his life if he wanted to. He's unique and special.
"dad its me again, i hate to call
could you come down, theres been an accident
with you involved
yes sir, no sir
they say im worse"
This could be read in numerous ways (just like all of Blake's music, you'd need to hear the meaning straight from him, which in a way, would remove some of the magicalness of his songs.) He's gotten in some kind of accident and calls his father. I'm thinking that it's possible his Dad is actually dead, maybe from a car accident or drugs himself, and he's asking him to come down from Heaven. But that could just be my overactive imagination, heh. I think the questions his Dad is asking him are, "Are you on something? Are you safe and okay?" to which he replies, "Yes sir, no sir, they say I'm worse."
"got home, cried alone
a video was surely shown
no one knows i came this close
to being me, but i lost us both"
When he got home, he cried. Maybe he was watching a home movie of when he was younger, or a video of him was shown to someone else? Or maybe a video was shown at somebody's funeral. I'm not sure. He had been really close to finding his way in life, but he lost the person he was then, and he's lost now.
"goin in a circle and its keepin you around
you've been here forever but youve never been found
you didn't want a witness and i didn't want to see
you're livin on your knees rocketboy
my only son you look so sad
but youre so young
you get so high
you're all alone rocketboy
come home"
I think he's either talking about drugs or himself. He didn't want to see what he was doing to himself. He wanted to be in denial of his addiction.
No matter what way you see it, it's a very emotional song. I'll always love JTB, Jawbreaker, and anything else Mr. Schwarzenbach creates. And even though we've never met dear reader, I love you too, for we share the same taste in amazing, thought provoking, heart touching music.
Of course there are always deeper meanings and personal stories behind all of Blake Schwarzenbach's songs, but this is how I see it.
"headlights and red eyes a warm beer between your thighs mess of pills hollywood hills red lights, read me my rights"
He's been drinking, doing drugs, and gets arrested while driving.
"goin in a circle gettin tighter every turn think youre getting better but youre never quite sure say its all ahead of you how far can you see youre living on your knees"
He keeps doing the same things. He's in denial that those things aren't helping him.
"driver please find your feet the lights green but you spaced the keys youre goin fast but it wont last youre all speed and no gas"
He has potential to do something with his life, but he's failing to do so. He's high on drugs all the time (possibly speed), and he knows his life is stalling because of it.
"goin in a circle never getting to the point burning up the atmosphere my rocketship boy you say theres a finish line youre already beat youre livin on your knees my only son you look so sad but youre so young you get so high you're all alone rocketboy come home"
The way he's living is destroying his life. Maybe he keeps saying to himself or others that he's going to quit, but he's already screwed up. He's on his knees (debilitated from drugs), so he can't see his future. He's still young in life, and he's very sad. He's a rocketboy cos he's "high" in space, where nobody else is. He's all alone.
"notebook, some notes you took a big head, with a crooked hook your best friend is you again you cant win, but you wont give in"
It's hard to tell what the first two lines are about, but I think maybe he found some old notes of his that he either wrote before the drugs started destroying him, or maybe notes he wrote to himself about how he has to quit. Maybe he's analyzing what he looks like in a mirror. He feels like he doesn't have any friends anymore, probably because he alienated himself, and he's the only one that can help himself. He thinks he can't make things better, but he's too stubborn to quit trying.
"goin in a circle gettin lower every time say it isnt hurting but i never see you smile asking for the doctor and calling you a priest youre livin on your knees rocketboy you burn so bright and i believe you light so beautifully when you get high you're all alone rocketboy come home"
His addiction keeps on making his life worse and worse. He keeps saying to himself that he's fine and not in pain, but he is. He's in such a bad way that he could die. He still has so much potential, and he burns bright in life. He could do so much with his life if he wanted to. He's unique and special.
"dad its me again, i hate to call could you come down, theres been an accident with you involved yes sir, no sir they say im worse"
This could be read in numerous ways (just like all of Blake's music, you'd need to hear the meaning straight from him, which in a way, would remove some of the magicalness of his songs.) He's gotten in some kind of accident and calls his father. I'm thinking that it's possible his Dad is actually dead, maybe from a car accident or drugs himself, and he's asking him to come down from Heaven. But that could just be my overactive imagination, heh. I think the questions his Dad is asking him are, "Are you on something? Are you safe and okay?" to which he replies, "Yes sir, no sir, they say I'm worse."
"got home, cried alone a video was surely shown no one knows i came this close to being me, but i lost us both"
When he got home, he cried. Maybe he was watching a home movie of when he was younger, or a video of him was shown to someone else? Or maybe a video was shown at somebody's funeral. I'm not sure. He had been really close to finding his way in life, but he lost the person he was then, and he's lost now.
"goin in a circle and its keepin you around you've been here forever but youve never been found you didn't want a witness and i didn't want to see you're livin on your knees rocketboy my only son you look so sad but youre so young you get so high you're all alone rocketboy come home"
I think he's either talking about drugs or himself. He didn't want to see what he was doing to himself. He wanted to be in denial of his addiction.
No matter what way you see it, it's a very emotional song. I'll always love JTB, Jawbreaker, and anything else Mr. Schwarzenbach creates. And even though we've never met dear reader, I love you too, for we share the same taste in amazing, thought provoking, heart touching music.
You're all alone rocketboy. Come home.