On Track by Tame Impala Lyrics Meaning – Resilience in Melody
Lyrics
I let out a breath and hold in a sigh
Ain’t nothin’ new, ain’t that much inside
And if I’m counting days, dream fruition ain’t what it’s looking like
But strictly speaking, I’m still on track
Strictly speaking, I’m holding on
One other minor setback
But strictly speaking, I’m still on track
And all of my dreams are still inside
‘Cause strictly speaking, I’ve got my whole life
I lost the wheel a while back
But strictly speaking, I’m still on track
Challenges falling in my lap
Strung out again, but still on track
I know it’s unrealistic, over-optimistic
I know I tried before this, I know it’s nearly August
I know I can’t ignore this, looking forward to all this
Sayin’, “Babe, I just adore this, but, babe, can we afford this?”
I know it’s been a slow year, nothin’ much to show here
I didn’t really go for it, so not a lot to show for it
The hardest part is over, adjusting makes it slower
So glad you’re coming over, a wall to bring us closer
The world ain’t cheerin’ for you, nothin’ to lose it over
We’re just a shuttle over, the rest comes easy
The rest comes easy
‘Cause life’s like that
But strictly speaking, I’m still on track
Strictly speaking, I’m holding back
Troubles keep falling in my lap
Yeah, yeah, but strictly speaking, I’m still on track
So tell everyone I’ll be alright
‘Cause strictly speaking, I’ve got my whole life
More than one major setback
But strictly speaking, I’m still on track, yeah
The hardest part is over, adjusting makes it slower
So glad you’re coming over, a wall to bring us closer
The world ain’t rootin’ for you, nothin’ to lose it over
We’re just now getting over, the rest gets easy
The rest gets easy
Tame Impala’s ‘On Track’ is less a musical composition and more a tapestry of resilience woven into symphonic brilliance. Lead singer Kevin Parker, revered for his introspective lyricism and psychedelic pop intellection, guides us through an honest yet optimistic assessment of personal progress.
The song, appearing on the band’s acclaimed 2020 album ‘The Slow Rush’, navigates the rocky terrains of self-doubt, setbacks, and the universal march against time. Its profound reflection on personal growth, tempered with the solace of self-reassurance, resonates with a comforting echo of ‘It’s okay to not be okay—as long as you’re on track’.
The Genesis of Defiance in Lyric Form
The opening lines of ‘On Track’ serve as a portal into Kevin Parker’s mind—a place of quiet resolve amid life’s relentless ebb and flow. The song commences with the mundane act of entering one’s home, a signifier of returning to oneself, to introspect and perhaps confront the echo of unfulfilled aspirations.
The imagery of turning on the light reflects a willingness to illuminate one’s own shortcomings, to scrutinize the unrealized dreams without a flinch. The vocal delivery is not of despair but determination; Parker’s breathy sigh as he counts the passing days is testament to the human spirit’s tenacious grip on hope.
Circling the Sun: Navigating the Year’s Highs and Lows
The references to the progression of time—’I know it’s nearly August’—and the slow-moving nature of the year draw a parallel to how we mark our lives by successes and failures within the cycles of time. Parker acknowledges the struggle, the lack of tangible outcomes (‘Nothin’ much to show here’), yet refuses to see it as a reason to concede defeat.
Tame Impala taps into the contemporary zeitgeist of slow self-improvement, wielding patience as a healing tool. The band consistently drives the point that while the year might have been slow, it hasn’t ceased. Time is not an adversary if we are in the race, if we are ‘on track’.
A Beacon of Hope: ‘All of my dreams are still inside’
Perhaps the most evocative assertion across ‘On Track’ is the stoic statement of unfazed ambition. Despite ‘losing the wheel’, Parker has not crashed—he’s merely been detoured. The notion of dreams being intact ‘inside’ implies that so long as one’s inner vision remains unblemished, external setbacks are mere blips.
This line reverberates as a clarion call to all who listen: what lies within us is immutable and untouched by the chaos of the world. It is a compelling reminder of the power of internal resolve, of holding onto the essence of one’s dreams amidst the drifts of circumstance.
Echoes of Reality: The Song’s Hidden Meaning
Delving deeper into Porter’s lyrical odyssey, there’s an undercurrent of financial strain—a theme many listeners can relate to. The tension between desire and affordability (‘Babe, I just adore this, but, babe, can we afford this?’) speaks to the balancing act of dreams and pragmatic living.
However, ‘On Track’ is not a dirge of defeat; it’s a slow-building anthem of reclamation. Kevin Parker’s voice embodies the existential catharsis of accepting life’s complexities while remaining unfettered by conventional metrics of success. It is an intimate confrontation with the pressures of modern life, repackaged as a soothing lullaby of perseverance.
An Anthem Wrapping Pain in Optimism
Tame Impala soars in creating a soundscape that wraps its fingers tightly around the throbbing heart of human vulnerability. ‘The hardest part is over’ is a melodic embrace to all those weathering personal storms. The song becomes a warm acceptance of adjustment as a natural partner to progress, no matter how it slows us down.
It ends with confident reassurance: the journey does get easier, not because the world changes its stance, but because we grow stronger, more resilient. ‘The rest gets easy’ is not dismissive of future challenges. Instead, it proclaims that the individual has become equipped to handle them, having been steeled in the fires of previous trials.
