“Turnpike Divides” is the 11th song off of American rock band Thursday’s sixth and final studio album “No Devolución”. In a live acoustic performance of this song in 2017, Thursday vocalist Geoff Rickly explained that this song is about “going home when you don’t want to go home”.
[Verse 1]
There's a thousand black cars
Driving around in my blood stream
I'd have to take a thousand pills
To find out where their headlights lead
Is it cold New York?
Is it freezing in your bed?
Because I caught a deep chill
When I went over the Hudson again
[Pre-Chorus]
It's alright, counting city lights
Where the turnpike divides
Waving goodbye to my former life
[Chorus]
I don't want to be a self-medicator
But it's hard to sleep when you're born to run
I'm sick of living life in the Garden State Trap
But all the roads are pointing home again
[Verse 2]
Holy cross has got a headstone
All picked out for me
And my only job is to walk around
Until I fall down at it's feet
Maybe home is just the place
You can never escape
From the Camden City graves
To the edge of the Palisades
[Pre-Chorus]
It's alright, counting city lights
Where the turnpike divides
Waving goodbye to my former life
[Chorus]
I don't want to be a self-medicator
But it's hard to sleep when you're born to run
I'm sick of living life in the Garden State Trap
But all the roads are pointing home again
[Bridge]
And I'll be counting the city lights
Blinking on and off tonight as life passes by
And I'm left behind
Standing on the shoulder of the Jersey turnpike
Buildings seem to rise like coffins
Full of stars getting buried in the sky
You want to laugh and dance to be free?
Well, alright
[Outro]
I've been thinking about those days I wanted to sleep
And you'd wake me up just before you'd leave
And I'd fall back into a dream
Walking in fresh city snow that you'd never seen
And I'd never leave your side
I've been thinking about those days I wanted to sleep
And you'd wake me up just before you'd leave
And I'd fall back into a dream
Walking in fresh city snow that you'd never seen
And I'd never leave your side
I've been thinking about those days I wanted to sleep
And you'd wake me up just before you'd leave
And I'd fall back into a dream
Walking in fresh city snow that you'd never seen
And I'd never leave your side
Turnpike Divides was written by Geoff Rickly & Tim Payne & Tucker Rule & Steve Pedulla & Tom Keeley.
Turnpike Divides was produced by Dave Fridmann.
Thursday released Turnpike Divides on Tue Apr 12 2011.