Emily King's Blog
Finding my way to the driver's seat... / Apr 2, 02:56 PM
I like the peace
In the backseat
I don’t have to drive
I don’t have to speak
I can watch the countryside
And i can fall asleep
My family tree’s
Losing all it’s leaves
Crashing towards the driver’s seat
The lightning bolt had enough heat
To melt the street beneath your feet
Alice died
In the night
I’ve been learning to drive
My whole life
My whole life
I’ve been learning
“In the Backseat” by The Arcade Fire
I’m pretty sure this song is talking about our responsibility in life…and I would like to relate it our responsibility in social justice…the system most of us are completely unaware of…injustice is happening all around us, but because we have decided to take the backseat and are not in control, we just admire the country side, thinking everything is alright and that we have no responsibility…it doesn’t affect our ride through life…so why should we care?
I think this song is talking about someone’s contentment with their place in the system, until their car crashes from the driver taking a wrong turn. All of the sudden, this person is having to deal with the consequences of the driver’s actions. All of the sudden the person is completely aware that if they were driving, the wreck might not have happened…that they have been learning to drive their whole life and never got behind the wheel…a move that would have prevented this collision…that would have preserved Alice’s life…
I have spent most of my life in the backseat…admiring the view…cruising in indifference…all the while, learning how to drive…until December of 2006…I moved to the passenger seat…even though I haven’t taken the wheel yet…I am definitely aware of how many people my car potentially runs over everyday…I am aware more now than ever of the system that allows my car, as a white college graduate, to drive down the road to “success”…and I don’t like it…I would rather walk…take me out of the car all together…
but I know my place is in a car, my born privilege has put me there…and although I’m getting closer…I probably won’t ever be a responsible driver…but this year with Mission Year is my driver’s ed…it is my “road test”…and I will be behind the wheel starting August 5th…when my Mission Year has come to an end…
that is when life really begins…I can drive my car wherever I want…I’ll probably have some pretty serious wrecks at first…but everyone knows you get better with experience
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Em! this is fantastic.
By lindsey / Apr 3, 08:40 AM / #