Interpretations:Electric Car

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So good

The music in this is incredible, but this is an interpretation page, and even though I've only got one thing to interpret, IT IS MY DUTY AS SOME GUY ON A WEBSITE TO DO JUST THAT.

"To change the end, rewrite the start."

I really really like this lyric. I think it's a really eloquent way to say "MAKE NON-TOXIC CARS SO WE DON'T ALL DIE", and masking mass destruction with poetry seems to be a TMBG theme from its earliest days (I'll Sink Manhattan immediately comes to mind). -j2

Interpretation 2

I honestly believe this children's song is not as happy as it sounds. Upon listening to the lyrics more closely, I have concluded this song is about kidnapping and murder. Only, in an electric car.

I believe it's about a murderer who gets the car, describes how wonderful it is, and insists that the children should ride with him. "Come on ride with me! How can you deny my electric car!" It's also in the middle of the night "On roads so dark" So the kid gets in, "So good, so far"

The kid gets killed.

"Electric car, Beside the tree, Way past the dock, Way past the sea, Electric car, Roll silently" He takes the body, parks next to the tree, throws the corpse off the dock into the sea, and silently drives away. Then the murderer goes back to describing how wonderful the car is, and invites another child in.

"Happiness resides in an electric car, YOU can even drive an electric car! come on and take a ride with me!"

Obviously this is wrong, but this is my interpretation.  :] —Preceding unsigned comment added by 174.51.23.87 (talk • contribs) 18:15, September 11, 2009

Recovery is beautiful

I personally could talk for hours about this song. It is so beautiful, both in it's sound and in it's lyrics. To me, this song is about much more than cars. At the time of the songs creation, electric cars were seen as a way to better our future. The debate nowadays on their effectiveness is real and can be had, but it isn't about an actual electric car to me. It's about what they symbolized at the time, that being recovery and paving a way for a better future. I like to imagine it's a theme song for all those who've had really rough times, especially as kids. It can be hard to bounce back from such things. But there's hope, we all can find our own electric cars, to drive us through life.

Electric car On roads so dark To change the end Rewrite the start Electric car So good, so far

The song starts of slow, a bit quiet even. This can represent someone's beginning of recovery. The "roads so dark" are the person's life and mind, and the car is everything that helps them get through it. "To change the end, rewrite the start" shows us that change is possible, we don't need to be tethered by our trauma or previous experiences.

Electric car On verdant green Invent a turn Invent a dream Electric car The new machine

Here we can see progress, represented by the car beginning to drive on open, green fields as opposed to dark roads. Inventing a turn and dream continues this allegory of recovery and hope.

Let's take a ride in an electric car To the West Side in an electric car How can you deny an electric car? Won't you take a ride with me? Come on and take a ride with me!

Ahh, this chorus will never not be stuck in my head. This is when John hops in and joins Robin, which is fitting to the lyrics. They talk about outside help. John's inclusion represents all the people in one's life who help you out of rough times, and help you brighten your life. The song also gets louder and more upbeat, contributing to this message.

Electric car Beside the tree Roll past the dock Roll past the sea Electric car Roll silently

The use of the word "roll" implies the car isn't always fast, basically meaning recovery can be slow at points. Additionally, the sea or oceans are often used in songs and writing to represent something that is hard to get past. Even though we were on a green path before, we still have an ocean to get past. This emphasizes how recovery isn't one straight path. "roll silently" obviously in reality would be referring to the fact that using electric cars leaves a lesser carbon footprint than one using fossil fuels, but in the metaphor I think it can mean that one's recovery is heavily an internal thing.

Not diesel, steam, or gasoline

So for my final lyric interpretation, I think here the fossil-fueled vehicles represent destructive coping mechanisms. When one has struggled, they may turn to things that hurt them even more in the long run. The electric car is good coping mechanisms and life choices.

Anyway, that's what I interpret the song as! 12.75.74.130 08:56, 9 September 2024 (EDT)