The Neighbors by St.Vincent Lyrics Meaning – Unraveling the Suburban Enigma
Lyrics
One we learned from nuns and such
I won’t believe, not a word you speak
Just make it sweet to hear
Let’s pour wine in coffee cups
And drive around the neighborhood
And shine the headlights on houses
Until all the news is good
Oh no! What would your mother say?
Oh no! What would you father do?
Oh no! What would the neighbors think?
Oh no!
How am I supposed to sleep?
Roaming blackouts on the street
Oh, not a word, not another speech
We’ll run the headlights down
These kids are foaming at the mouth
Psychotropic capricorns
Tomorrow’s some kind of strangerland
Where all the news is good
Oh no! What would your mother say?
Oh no! What would your father do?
Oh no! What would the neighbors think?
Oh no! If they only knew
How can Monday be alright
Then on Tuesday, lose my mind?
Tomorrow’s some kind of stranger
Who I’m not supposed to see
Oh no! What would your mother say?
Oh no! What would your father do?
Oh no! What would the neighbors think?
Oh no! If they only knew, knew
St. Vincent, the moniker of musician Annie Clark, is known for her intricate compositions and evocative lyrics that challenge listeners to look beyond the surface of modern life. ‘The Neighbors,’ a track from her album ‘Marry Me,’ is no exception. The song paints a surreal, almost voyeuristic picture of suburbia, juxtaposing idyllic exteriors with the inner tumult of its residents.
This exploration takes us on a nocturnal odyssey through the synonymously safe and claustrophobic streets of domestic bliss. As we decipher the lyrics, we realize St. Vincent has masterfully crafted a ballad that is equal parts an anthem of rebellion and a meditation on the anxiety of societal expectations.
Confronting the Trinity of Domestic Judgment
St. Vincent’s chorus evokes the claustrophobia of communal judgment by invoking the archetypal figures of parental and social disapproval. ‘Oh no! What would your mother say? What would your father do? What would the neighbors think?’ These questions, repeated like a haunting mantra, touch on the pervasive anxiety to live up to the expectations not just of one’s family but also of the wider community.
These lines serve as a reminder of the invisible barriers erected by society, which dictate appropriate behavior and the constant self-censorship required to maintain a façade of normalcy. The repeated exclamatory ‘Oh no!’ effectively captures the panic and dread of failing to conform, emphasizing the emotional turbulence that often lurks beneath the veneer of suburban life.
A Nighttime Escape from Sterility
In vivid narratives like ‘Let’s pour wine in coffee cups and drive around the neighborhood,’ St. Vincent juxtaposes the mundane with the subversive, suggesting an attempt to find solace in the small acts of rebellion against the sterility of suburban existence. The act of pouring wine, a symbol of celebration and looseness, into coffee cups, often associated with the daily grind and sobriety, blurs the lines between respectability and defiance.
The imagery of driving around with headlights illuminating the houses serves as a metaphor for seeking out hope or good news within the confines of a space where everything is structured and surveilled. This act of roaming ‘blackouts on the street’ implies a desire to break free from the constraints of expected routes and behaviors.
The Haunting Refrain of Suburban Normalcy
One of the most memorable lines in ‘The Neighbors’ is ‘shine the headlights on houses until all the news is good,’ a profound reflection on the attempt to cast light on the hidden truths of suburbia. In this context, ‘good news’ becomes a euphemism for the unspoken reality everyone is yearning to hear—that behind closed doors, others share their doubts, fears, and unconventional desires.
The use of ‘headlights’ can be interpreted as a probing into the darkness of societal expectations, a penetrating search that seeks to reveal the narratives that deviate from the collective script of suburban life. St. Vincent toys with the imagery of exposure and concealment, questioning the possibility of authenticity in a world that cherishes the façade.
The Cryptic Symbolism of ‘Psychotropic Capricorns’
In the line ‘These kids are foaming at the mouth, psychotropic capricorns,’ St. Vincent injects the song with a dose of surrealism that defies literal interpretation. There’s a suggestion of youth under the influence, whether by prescribed medication or societal pressures, creating an image of constrained wildness and stunted rebellion cornered by the boundaries of the stars or, perhaps, astrology.
This peculiar phrase confronts the notion of destiny and control, as capricorns, typically symbolizing discipline and self-control, are now tinged with ironic ‘psychotropic’ madness. It hints at the generational cycle of sedation, where the expectations laid down by one generation becomes the reality of the next, but not without resistance that often bubbles beneath the calm surface.
Navigating the Emotional Swings of Existence
The lyric ‘How can Monday be alright, then on Tuesday, lose my mind?’ encapsulates the fluctuating emotional states inherent in trying to navigate the inconsistencies of life within a framework that demands an unwavering façade of stability. St. Vincent’s question is an acknowledgment of the internal conflict that arises when the prescribed normalcy of routine clashes with the human experience of emotional variability.
These lines resonate as a poignant reflection on mental health, questioning how one is supposed to maintain a consistent outward appearance when the interior world is anything but. It is this complex dance between social expectation and personal reality that ‘The Neighbors’ encapsulates so hauntingly—a melodious whisper to all who have ever felt out of step with the march of the conventional.
