I think this one is pretty obvious. It's the singer's distaste at the emptiness and lack of meaning in life. He's hollowed out by people's inability to have fun without being straight.
'This place is a prison'
Earth, life is a prison
'And these people aren't your friends'
How can people be your fiends if you're afraid to show your true self in front of them?
'Inhaling thrills through $20 bills'
Coke is normally snorted through rolled up money, since everyone caries a bill on them.
'And the tumblers are drained
And then flooded again and again'
Whiskey is normally drunk from tumblers. They are emptied and filled repeatedly on a night out.
'There are guards at the on-ramps
Armed to the teeth
And you may case the grounds
From the Cascades to Puget Sound
But you are not permitted to leave'
Reinforcing the 'prison' metaphor here.
'I know there's a big world out there
Like the one I saw on the screen
In my living room late last night
It was almost too bright to see'
This is metaphoric. He's saying how he can't believe that he lives on the same planet as those shown on TV. He seems detached from it all.
'And I know that it's not a party
If it happens every night'
He knows the people who are out all the time have nothing to celebrate. They are just numbing existence.
'What does it take to get a drink in this place?
What does it take, how long must I wait?'
Admitting defeat here. He's acknowledged the hollowness of this existence, but knows that he is just as much a part of it as everyone else. He knows his reasons for doing it, but continues anyway.
I think this one is pretty obvious. It's the singer's distaste at the emptiness and lack of meaning in life. He's hollowed out by people's inability to have fun without being straight.
'This place is a prison' Earth, life is a prison
'And these people aren't your friends' How can people be your fiends if you're afraid to show your true self in front of them?
'Inhaling thrills through $20 bills' Coke is normally snorted through rolled up money, since everyone caries a bill on them.
'And the tumblers are drained And then flooded again and again' Whiskey is normally drunk from tumblers. They are emptied and filled repeatedly on a night out.
'There are guards at the on-ramps Armed to the teeth And you may case the grounds From the Cascades to Puget Sound But you are not permitted to leave' Reinforcing the 'prison' metaphor here.
'I know there's a big world out there Like the one I saw on the screen In my living room late last night It was almost too bright to see' This is metaphoric. He's saying how he can't believe that he lives on the same planet as those shown on TV. He seems detached from it all.
'And I know that it's not a party If it happens every night' He knows the people who are out all the time have nothing to celebrate. They are just numbing existence.
'What does it take to get a drink in this place? What does it take, how long must I wait?' Admitting defeat here. He's acknowledged the hollowness of this existence, but knows that he is just as much a part of it as everyone else. He knows his reasons for doing it, but continues anyway.