Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: emo
Song Meaning of “Left Coast Envy” by The Starting Line
The Starting Line’s “Left Coast Envy” invokes a feeling of intense longing and a deep sense of loss. The lyrics offer a haunting reflection on the universal emotions of envy and unhappiness, coupled with a heavy emotionality and melancholy instrumental backdrop. The song tells the story of someone who has left behind the familiarity of the west coast, and is looking back in longing for all the things they used to have.
The opening line, “I miss the shore, miss the night walks, miss when you said we’d never be apart,” sets the tone of isolation and loss that reverberates throughout the song’s verses. The protagonist yearns for what used to be and for all the things they can’t have, and images of the coast paint a vivid portrait of their longing. A single note of guitar signals their heart-wrenching regret, “Did I let it slip away, did I think I was done?”
The chorus builds with an emotive, nostalgic plea: “Oh bring me back to the west coast, where I let everything go, and left in my heart for so long.” The phrase ‘left in my heart for so long’ speaks to the depth of the character’s sadness, and the feeling that these memories are deeply ingrained within them.
The track closes with a forlorn plea, “Can you just have a little mercy? I only wish that I had stayed on the west coast.” These words suggest that the pain of being away may never be erased, and that the protagonist’s wishes may never come true. Ultimately, this song encapsulates the intense emotions of envy and regret, and speaks to the visceral heartache of being separated from a beloved place.