Cruising at 2:20 a.m. (Rhetorical Analysis)

Stone Temple Pilots: Big Empty off their 1994 album "Purple"



Sing-along Lyrics

Drivin' faster in my car
falling farther from just what we are
smoke a cigarette and lie some more
these conversations kill
falling faster in my car
Time to take her home
her dizzy head is conscience laden
time to take a ride
it leaves today no conversation
time to take her home
her dizzy head is conscience laden
time to wait too long
to wait too long
these conversations kill

To much walkin', shoes worn thin
too much trippin' and my soul's worn thin
time to catch a ride
it leaves today, her name is what it means
to much walkin', shoe's worn thin

(Chorus 2x)

Unlike visual art like paintings, sculptures, etc. musical and specifically lyrical interpretation can be extremely liberal and broad allowing for multiple translations often giving more insight to the individual and not the composer's intentions. That being said, I find little comfort in divulging my interpretation in this Rorschachian experiment. Nevertheless, this song is kickin' and I create a little mental picture for the proper consumption of the piece.

Drugs, Girls, and Loss. Basically every rock song includes at least one to two of these key ingredients, "Big Empty" scores 3/3 for these criteria and even adds fast cars into the mix. The result - ubertestosteronecoolness (oh it's a word, don't cha know)

This was a perfect fit to the soundtrack of "The Crow" that had such gritty dreamlike quality to it. Each verse peaks with the crescendoing chorus before sinking back into the hazy stew of somber reflection and piercing single string guitar picking. Then there is the instrumental bridge that begins at 3:13 and over the next 35 seconds slowly simmers (hows that for a metaphor?) to an eventual overload of emotional riffs and drum beats.

For "some" (nice and vague), it's the perfect song for the open road in the middle of the night , whether around town or cross country and thoughts of personal reflection coupled with sleep depraved apathy are at their most inviting and sleep just isn't an option. All the more lucky are you if you're driving a car with a standard transmission thus allowing for timely shifting and high RPMs. However, should you be lacking a functional fuel pump like "some" of us, you might be reduced to making the shifting sounds with your lips like a 5 year old, possibly bringing unwanted attention to "yourself"; doing so in a supermarket with your cart up and down the aisles is ill advised, 2am or otherwise.

7 points for naming the source of the adjacent picture ---->